The NBA's China issue has become such a big one that has divided opinion throughout the league. However, everyone knows that this is the biggest dilemma Adam Silver has faced in his career as NBA Commissioner. Daryl Morey's tweet message of support for the Hong Kong democracy movement has threatened the league to losing its biggest market yet. Dwane Casey of the Detroit Pistons put his two cents on the issue as the entire league is trying to mend the damage done by Morey's seemingly innocuous tweet.
#Pistons coach Dwane Casey on league tensions with China: “I teach my kids freedom of speech and that type of thing, but the league is speaking for everyone right now. It’s a very complicated situation.”
— VinceEllis (@AlabamaScribe56) October 9, 2019
It's understandable to see why the Detroit Pistons head coach hesitated to comment on the entire situation and let the league do their job. China is a powerful country that is curiously sensitive to attacks to its ego. Its fiercely patriotic citizens have already called for the country's state-run media to censor the NBA and the Houston Rockets, formerly the most popular NBA franchise in the country.
Silver is already making plans to travel to China and try to repair the strained relationship with the league's biggest market. However, there are some camps calling for the league to dobule down and support Morey's freedom of speech at the expense of alienating the Chinese market.
Ted Cruz and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez signed a bipartisan letter calling for the league to cut all ties with China until they revoke their censorship. Plenty of other sporting fans have lambasted the league for their weak response. Even satirical cartoon South Park had a little fun at the NBA's expense in their fake apology.
It remains to be seen where the debacle will end up. The league hopes that the Chinese market will stay, but almost everyone knows that they would have to sacrifice a lot–and maybe offer one of the league's best GMs as a sacrificial lamb–in order to appease the mighty Chinese and make them stop their bullying ways.
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