Free speech, per the NBA’s social justice wokeness street cred has limits. Those limits aren’t dictated by our Constitution. Nope, those limits are dictated by China.

How did the NBA handle AMERICANS using their freedom of speech and speaking out in favor of freedom for Hong Kong?

https://twitter.com/BecketAdams/status/1182083095329218560

Here are the controversial signs. I know, earth shattering right? Obvious why the NBA would have a problem with this. Thanks to @Christie_Ileto for sending me this photo: pic.twitter.com/Y1GydtGked

— Sam Wachs (@gogowachs) October 9, 2019

That’s right. Two different groups of AMERICANS were booted from a game played in Philadelphia, the birthplace of Freedom, because CHINA doesn’t like people advocating on behalf of freedom for Hong Kong. Never mind the fact that China doesn’t want to honor the agreement they signed with Britain. Never mind that that agreement gives Hong Kong the ability to remain free and autonomous for another twenty seven years. Nope, China wants the economic power that Hong Kong brings to the table while at the same time blockading anything they deem as wrong think and wrong speech.

That is what this is about. Economics. China is wielding an economic hammer against corporations around the world. What is their response? Tiffany caved. Movie studios bow and scrape in order to film there or even have a chance to have one of their movies be granted the ability to be shown in China.

China’s retaliation against the Houston Rockets also involved making all Rockets merchandise disappear from stores in China. Sponsorships were yanked from both the Rockets and the NBA.

Meanwhile, the Lakers and Nets played in China last night. There was something missing from that exhibition game. Freedom of the press. 

“In response to the NBA defending Daryl Morey’s freedom of speech, Chinese officials took it away from the Los Angeles Lakers and Brooklyn Nets.

All of the usual media sessions surrounding the Lakers-Nets preseason game in Shanghai on Thursday — including a scheduled news conference from NBA Commissioner Adam Silver and postgame news conferences with the teams — were canceled. It was the latest salvo in the rift between the league and China stemming from a since-deleted tweet posted last week by Morey, the general manager of the Houston Rockets.””

That’s right. China told the NBA to ban all media reporting for the game …and the NBA caved. Not a single player spoke to the press. National anthems played? Nope. Not only that, but an NBA Cares event that was a benefit for Special Olympics was also canceled at China’s request order. Not only that, but ESPN provided cover for the NBA on behalf of China by airing a map that is literally Chinese state propaganda.

Did the Chinese media tweet about the game on their version of Twitter. Nope. Did they show the game on TV? NO.

NBA Commissioner Adam Silver tried to appeal to the Chinese people. Which would only work if the Chinese GOVERNMENT would allow the news conference to be aired in China. But since it wasn’t, Silver’s mea culpa appeal falls flat.

The NBA has been woke for quite some time now. They’ll happily wear “Enough!” t-shirts in protest against our 2nd Amendment rights, but speaking for freedom hurts China’s feelings so they zip their lips.  LeBron James can be considered a candidate as Education secretary because charity reasons and can sound off about the NBA’s white “slave owners” and those Jewish folks and gets applauded for it. Freedom of speech is great when it is “woke” freedom of speech. Will LeBron ever say anything about Hong Kong? No because China won’t let him.

James Harden and Russell Westbrook were asked if they would “feel differently” about speaking on political and societal affairs because of the events with the NBA/China.

A spokesperson interrupted and informed the reporter that the players would answer basketball questions only. pic.twitter.com/zMe8uWz2hY

— Alykhan Bijani (@Rockets_Insider) October 10, 2019

“Basketball questions only.” Wow.

What we have watched in the last few days is the Chinese juggernaut of censorship playing out on the worldwide stage. They’ve done so before, and gotten results. 

South Park had the best response to China’s censorship as did Mark Kern, one of the founders of gaming company Blizzard. Flip them the finger and refuse to cave.

That is what the NBA should’ve done. Instead they are throwing American ideals to the curb in favor of keeping the money train running.

Feature Photo Credit: Cartoon by Rebel Pepper via RFA, Copyright © 1998-2016, RFA. Used with the permission of Radio Free Asia, 2025 M St. NW, Suite 300, Washington DC 20036, cropped and modified