This whole NBA/Rockets horse and pony show for China is embarrassing and would be hilarious if it wasn't so sad. All these executives have been having crisis sessions for days to figure out how to best say things thay they don't even believe as innocuously as possible.
Daryl Morey: I, a private citizen, agree with a core tenet outlined in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights that like 50 countries unanimously approved the 1940s of all times.
NBA:
NBA:
HOU: Standard issue pro-Israeli, pro-Palestinian, but subtly more Pro-Israeli statement. I mean, hit F-9 and print that fucker out.
NBA: No, this needs to be top-notch. This needs to be the Gettysburg Address of tightrope walking, say-nothing bullshit.
NBA: No, this needs to be top-notch. This needs to be the Gettysburg Address of tightrope walking, say-nothing bullshit.
NBA: "values of the league" ... "bridge cultural divides" ... words, words, words
Disclaimer that I don't know who this person is nor do I speak this language.
New Nets owner weighs in with a Wikipedia entry for some reason.
From the oldest grandmas to youngest newborns, there's one thing every single person in China agrees on: Some random dude in Texas did a mean tweet.
Maybe he'll get to this after a few more condescending history lessons.
Again: Not a single person who has spoken about this -- not Morey, Rockets owner, Nets owner, NBA league office or James Harden -- even remotely thinks Morey did anything wrong. They are just eagerly lining up to placate an unreasonable "partner."
Yup.
NBA going with the Blade Runner fanboy defense. And same deal: none of the versions are any good.
Adam Silver speaks. Saying the right things now as China remains unreasonable.
"The NBA will not put itself in a position of regulating what players, employees, and team owners say or will not say on these issues. We simply could not operate that way."
bloomberg.com/news/articles/…
"The NBA will not put itself in a position of regulating what players, employees, and team owners say or will not say on these issues. We simply could not operate that way."
bloomberg.com/news/articles/…
Good graphic from @business on how companies have bowed to pressure. Will be interesting how league reacts if China stays unreasonable. But NBA publicly has an actual position now that I doubt will change. (Tho subtle back channel "please avoid this, guys" seems certain too.)
@business Silver reacting to Chinese TV station canceling preseason games: "I think it’s unfortunate. But if that’s the consequences of us adhering to our values, we still feel it’s critically important we adhere to those values.”
nytimes.com/2019/10/08/spo…
nytimes.com/2019/10/08/spo…
@business Chinese station CCTV making this very black and white. It's effectively "we believe in free speech" vs "we will punish you financially for free speech we don't like." NBA is saying the right things now and it's the only reasonable position for a U.S. citizen to have.
@business The Chinese network called "freedom of expression" -- the literal first right the U.S. established centuries ago -- an "excuse." Not sure how you negotiate from there (if it's a serious position and not dumb posturing to add pressure).
@business The question is now if they shake hands in private, say little more on the matter, all goes back to status quo. Or if CCTV digs in, cancels regular season games. First one seems more likely but calculus all changes again if anyone makes another comment (which you gotta expect).
@business Key to recognize it's the official partnerships (and that direct cash) at risk. I dunno the exact nature of bootleg streams there but I assume Chinese fans will still watch, buy shoes. Not gonna lose the viewers. Interest grows game long term, not TV deal
@business Obviously those billions of dollars in 2019-2025 are very desirable and important. But CCTV likely has only a minimal say in how Chinese people will feel about the sport in 2030. Hard for the NBA to truly lose, even even dropping cash now, while remaining beloved long term.
@business Language here in video version of Silver comments is interesting. Upcoming games are scheduled, it has been his plan to travel, hopes to speak. Lot of now-uncertain qualifiers/tenses. Sounds to be aware that this may unravel more within the coming hours.
@business Silver concludes with: I'm a realist as well and I recognize this issue may not die down so quickly.
@business This was the statement in full released earlier by Silver before his press conference. Forgot to include. It led to the cancellation of some preseason broadcasts by CCTV and all of them, I believe, by Tencent (which is the streaming rights holder).
@business A high-ranking official issued an edict on what can and cannot be said about the Hong Kong protests. Though this time the person isn't a cog within an authoritarian state but an executive at ESPN, which markets itself as a news organization.
deadspin.com/internal-memo-…
deadspin.com/internal-memo-…
@business Nobody can say for sure if the NBA preseason games in China will actually happen. Marketing billboards for one game have been taken off a building by a worker, and players reportedly met with Silver recently and expressed frustration with the situation.
@business Rachel Nichols saying some fans in China are gathering around, as is typical everywhere, to see NBA players when they exit buses. But some then duck out or try to hide their faces when they see camera crews roll up. "They don't want to be associated on TV with the NBA," she says.
@business Just a reminder: This is the seemingly innocuous tweet — the type of cookie-cutter, half-hearted support you casually see shared on social media with good intentions a hundred times a day for causes all across the world — that set all this in motion.
@business Several U.S. Congress members condemning the NBA's initial half-hearted reaction to Morey tweet and urging league to "suspend activities" in China until broadcasters/sponsors "end their boycott of NBA activities" and "selective treatment" of the Rockets.
@business Hopefully people don't forget to ask some questions of Tim Cook in their rush to get a take from Tim Duncan.
@business Unsure if I'm a dumb or this is just a terribly worded article summary with bad euphemisms standing in for coherence. Either way, article says: "The Chinese government appears to be reassessing its campaign against the NBA and dialing down the clamor."
@business Reputation fallout: "concerns spread in Beijing that the rhetoric was damaging China’s interests and image around the world...The dispute with the NBA was also quickly politicizing an audience of sports fans who would not normally focus on issues like the protests in Hong Kong."
@business Wouldn't ya know it, the Chinese government may be the one that's backing down over money. "Beijing officials worry that a highly politicized struggle over the Hong Kong protests might hurt the two days of high-level trade talks starting on Thursday in Washington."
@business Feels like we've reached this part of a resolution, which always made the most sense. China's original position was absurd and it can't want to become nation that banned basketball over a meme-Tweet with some mild half-hearted concern for HK.
@business NBA wants the cash, more so wants China market immense for hoops in 2030. Major growth plans all include global expansion. But I don't want to downplay pressure (direct likely, indirect immense) for players/employees to hold tongue on this specific issue now. Very bad thing.
@business (But it is worth noting that there also wasn't and probably wouldn't have been some massive outpouring of concern for such things from league-affiliated people. Just so we don't over philiosophize too too much on what this means for the first amendment.)
@business This definitely is shitty. You hope it's a bad PR person making a dumb decision. This wasn't even a spicy question directly about China. I believe Harden would feel fine to say "Marco Rubio is a bum." But prevented from talking. In a press conference...
@business I also think Harden would self-censor on any issue related to actual Chinese politics. And I suspect he has been significantly instructed to avoid doinf as much. Which is gross. (Harden not an ideal example. I'm not 100% he knows where Asia is.)
@business Not to single out Matt. His stance is legitimate. But as we evaluate the moral aspect of "profiting from a fascist nation," I think it's important to consider how the NBA makes its money in the nation.
@business The NBA's revenue from China is effectively two-fold: (1) It receives a check so that domestic TV stations can show basketball games that a reported 800M humans want to watch for entertainment, and (2) it sells merchandise to those same basketball-enjoying humans.
@business Those checks come from state-controlled TV stations, for sure. That isn't irrelevant. There's a moral stance to say that alone is untoward. (Tencent wrote check for $1.5B and has less state control for sure to the degree that is a distinction in the nation, but nevertheless.)
@business And the NBA is SUPER high profile in a way most companies never could be and has championed itself for its willingness o speak out on issues. It has coveted that reputation as a key part of its brand and expressed it as a core value. Make no mistake: it has invited scorn.
@business Just: Getting cash because a network shows basketball to people who want to watch basketball—even if those people live in an oppressive state—doesn't seem to me to be flagrantly immoral. At least relatively vs. companies exploiting labor, overlooking laws, bribing officials, etc
@business Continuing pissing on the NBA. By all means. Tillman set this in motion and the league itself has stepped on some rakes in its ham-fisted handling of this "crisis." Just suggesting we proceed with relevant context and nuance.
@business *continue (as in an invitation to you, the reader. "Continue pissing on the NBA.")
@business WSJ piece on Apple, Google apparently bending to pressure from the Chinese government.
wsj.com/articles/apple…
wsj.com/articles/apple…
@business While the chickenshit Rockets PR person did embarrassingly shut down that CNN reporter's good question, it appears James Harden did offer related thoughts on the topic of willingness to express himself at some point to the media.
@business The NBA is aware how garbage this was. Trying to acknowledge such. Tossing the PR lady under the bus. Her fault most directly, of course, but her behavior clearly driven by some pressure (direct or just in the ether) that she felt to limit such discussion
@business Translation: We've been walking on eggshells about this and tripping over our own feet all week, making the whole league uptight and unsure about what will happen or how to behave. A well-aware-of-all-that team employee made a bad—but expected—decision we wish nobody had seen.
@business "Managers at five Nike stores in Beijing and Shanghai told Reuters during visits on Thursday they had been told in recent days via a memo from management that all Rockets merchandise had to be removed. Reuters was unable to view the memo."
reuters.com/article/us-chi…
reuters.com/article/us-chi…
@business Maaaaaaaan, they are really terrible at this. Just send the players home already if you don't trust them to speak for themselves.
@business NBA: "We have decided not to hold media availability for our teams for the remainder of our trip in China. They have been placed into a complicated and unprecedented situation while abroad, and we believe it would be unfair to ask them to address these matters in real time."
@business I agree that this almoat certainly has entered their thinking. There is a risk management element to it all. Even if LeBron ending up detained is only a 0.00000001% risk, worst-case outcomes have been discussed almost certainly.
@business My assumption: Through back channels, everyone within the league with any profile has been instructed to leave this all alone. For now. Specific worry about personnel in the country and as well how over the top China's initial reaction was.
@business There will remain self censorship (players now know talking can fuck up their money) and some subtle "can you just not?" edict for awhile and maybe forever. Someone will say something at some point again. But perhaps Silver meeting in China calmed it down, won't blow up next time
@business Because while the NBA office is now certainly embarrassed by even its own ongoing actions, the tenor from China seems like they also realized they over-reacted to nothing and won't do such again short of Silver/LeBron giving a five-minute monologue urging Hong Kong seperatism.
@business I will continue watching curiously and wonder when the first player will write "FREE TIBET" on their sneakers for a game. Kyrie on Christmas Day would be ideal drama-wise.
