Hall of Fame forward and NBA analyst Charles Barkley had some poignant comments in response to the controversy surrounding the league's business with China.
During a Q&A segment involving the members of TNT's “Inside the NBA,” Barkley supported the NBA and LeBron James for supporting their investments in China.
Barkley also said that the league and the players should not lose business because of the now-deleted tweet from Houston Rockets general manager Daryl Morey that showed support for labor protesters in Hong Kong:
TNT’s Charles Barkley on Rockets GM Daryl Morey: “Why should LeBron sacrifice his money because of some tweet this fool put out? Why should the NBA sacrifice their billions? … When you work for a company, you speak for the entire company. … We’re not going to change China.” pic.twitter.com/m9aeSkXxXU
— Ben Golliver (@BenGolliver) October 23, 2019
The NBA struck a $1.5 billion deal with a Chinese streaming agent in July, and Morey's tweet has set off a firestorm of criticism with respect to the league's business in China.
In a statement, NBA Commissioner Adam Silver supported Morey's right to free speech, but not before the Chinese Basketball Association cut ties with the Rockets while Morey's own job status was questioned by team owner Tilman Ferttita and other members of the front office.
James' own response to the issue has also been a lightning rod for controversy.
Barkley's comments are a far cry from those made by his TNT colleague, Shaquille O'Neal. During TNT's coverage of NBA Opening Night, O'Neal stated his belief that Morey was in the right with respect to his desire to speak up about the protests in Hong Kong.
Analysis of the relationship between the NBA and China has been incredibly polarizing. Silver revealed that public backlash has already resulted in a net loss for the league. However, he also rebuffed the Chinese government's wishes to have Morey fired in light of his comments.
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