Hoops and Hong Kong

The National Basketball Association is trying to have its cake…and eat it too.

Last Friday, the general manager of the Houston Rockets, Daryl Morey, tweeted his support of the freedom-loving citizens of Hong Kong who are fighting for their continued democracy in the face of communist oppression. Hong Kong was handed over the Communist China back in 1997 by Great Britain. They retained their independence from socialism….but you knew sooner or later the hammer was going to fall.

The tweet went viral inside China and the NBA sent out a message…one in English saying Morey’s comments were “regrettable” ….the other in Chinese which said the league was “extremely disappointed in Morey’s inappropriate statement. No doubt he has severely hurt the feelings of fans.”

First thing first. Those who love socialism need to take note of the inability of anyone to have a counter view of a socialist government. Communists don’t want opposition on anything. To do so risks your life and those you love. Second, the NBA is obviously much more interested in the $1.5 billion dollar deal it has with the communist’s state television network than it is with the people fighting to retain their freedom in Hong Kong.

Tuesday the leader of the NBA had a press conference to try and walk it back. Commissioner Adam Silver said Morey had first amendment rights.

By the way, the original tweet has been deleted. Out of sight, out of mind. The NBA can’t have it both ways. You can’t have free speech, civil rights and all the economic trappings of democracy….and cultivate business partners in Beijing.

The systems are incompatible.