LeBron James had a very public stumble last week when he addressed the NBA-China situation for the first time upon returning from what he described as a very uneasy week in China. And even his clarifications didn’t come across that well, as several took issue with his preference to avoid talking about China, protestors in Hong Kong and the myriad of human rights issues the country has been accused of. But LeBron James has strong public support from NBA Commissioner Adam Silver.
Silver, who last week said the Chinese government asked him to fire Daryl Morey and he refused so he could support his right to free speech, said that the right to free speech also includes “the right to not speak.” Silver discussed the situation on ESPN’s GetUp.
“Take LeBron, who has an incredible track record of doing things that change people’s lives in the United States to be asked to comment on a difficult foreign issue is. I think, again there’s free expression and he should say how he feels,” Silver said. “Freedom not to speak. And I’ve often said to players about issues here at home: If it’s something you don’t know about and you don’t feel comfortable responding, that’s OK as well. So, it’s been no-win for a lot of those players, so I’m very sympathetic.”
Silver and the NBA are still dealing with the fallout of the China situation. Although it’s not exactly clear what the financial losses are, but some reports suggest teams are preparing for a potential 15% drop in cap space league-wide.
