As the biggest basketball star on the planet, LeBron James has never been shy about using his platform before. Countless times over his career, he has used his fame and success to spread his ideologies and make the world a better place.
But in the case of the infamous Hong Kong protests, James was mysteriously quiet. He, along with the NBA as a whole, pretty much ignored the problem as if it didn’t exist, prompting a response from several individuals.
And now, years after the Hong Kong protests ended, LeBron’s inaction is coming back to haunt him.
Former NBA Player Calls LeBron James A Sellout For Silence On Hong Kong Crisis
At the time, Hong Kong was battling the communist Chinese government for personal freedom and control with riots and protests that took the city by storm. LeBron James, who usually jumps at opportunities to support human rights, remained almost completely silent about the situation. According to White, it was just LeBron’s way of protecting himself and his bottom line.
“LeBron James was given a billion dollars by Nike, the establishment, the anti-human, neo-liberal Marxist globalist establishment. He was given this billion dollars to keep his mouth shut about the single greatest humanitarian crisis of our generation. And that is the 2 million people being placed in concentration camps in China for no other crime than being Muslim. He won’t speak on that, why? Number one, it’s an economic injustice that he’s done to take that payoff to shut his mouth because really he should have asked Nike for $40 billion. He should have gotten at least $500 million a year because Nike makes $40 billion a year and he represents at least 1/40th of their commercial value. But he took the billion because when you’re a radical materialist and you’re from Akron, Ohio, you measure your success based on what other black people have.”
https://twitter.com/nojumper/status/1578942640715800576
Daryl Morey famously stood up for Hong Kong that summer, putting the entire league in jeopardy after publicly criticizing the Chinese regime.
Morey survived the ordeal with his job, and many have gained respect for him after knowing how much he was willing to give up in order to do the right thing.
In the case of LeBron James, nobody knows what elements went into play regarding his decision to stay quiet on the subject, but he definitely missed the chance to show his support to the people of Hong Kong.
