Everyone recognizes that the NBA lives in fear of crossing the Chinese Communist Party. That includes NBA executives, who admitted as much in leaked conversations with Enes Kanter Freedom.
Fox News’s Tucker Carlson aired the audio recordings on his show before speaking to Freedom. In the first, NBA Players Association lawyer Ron Klempner told Freedom that the league didn’t have an issue with what Freedom was saying off the court but that its “concern right now” is what he was saying “on the court when you step onto the court.”
Tonight on @TuckerCarlson they played audio of top NBA executives — including an owner, a general counsel & the commissioner — saying they didn’t want to upset China by having pro human rights tennis shoes worn by Enes Kanter in games. pic.twitter.com/lsrpULc2NC
— Clay Travis (@ClayTravis) July 21, 2022
This is almost certainly in reference to the customized shoes Freedom was wearing during his last season in the league with the Boston Celtics. Those shoes included several anti-CCP messages, criticizing China’s genocide of the Uyghurs, its occupation of Tibet, its use of slave labor, and the decision to allow the country to host the 2022 Winter Olympics. One pair of shoes criticized NBA star LeBron James, who said that criticism of China was uneducated.
Proudly paint @EnesKanter ‘s shoes for supporting #FreeTibet
Enes is a real giant both for the basketball field & human rights filed！Those self-imolation sacrifice from Tibetans shall never be forgotten！
我为 @NBA 球星 艾纳斯·坎特 绘制 #自由西藏 球鞋，今天将闪耀纽约球馆！ pic.twitter.com/Bu4ck0avIU
— 巴丢草 Badiucao (@badiucao) October 21, 2021
The second clip came from Marc Lasry, a co-owner of the Milwaukee Bucks. Lasry told Freedom that China has “taken a very aggressive stance” about businesses complaining about the country, which puts the “NBA in a box.” In the final recording, NBA Commissioner Adam Silver told Freedom that he is not violating any rules by wearing the shoes but, “Look, at the end of the day, we’re also a business.” In a separate recording Freedom posted on Twitter, Silver appeared to deny that China was censoring Celtics games because of Freedom’s protests.
Another leaked audio today!
This is the conversation I had with @NBA commissioner Adam Silver, where he lies about whether the @celtics games in China are banned or not
&
where he admits and say
“At the end of the day we are a business”– Actions will be taking #NBA pic.twitter.com/6UNYgWuUxF
— Enes FREEDOM (@EnesFreedom) July 21, 2022
In the segment, Carlson jokes that if the NBA’s relationship with China is “just business,” nothing would stop them from selling drugs to children. The reality isn’t too far off; Chinese coaches at the NBA’s basketball academies in China physically abused the Chinese children attending the camps. The league then told current and former employees not to comment on the story.
These recordings show league executives admitting privately what they are too afraid to admit publicly. While the NBA trots out social justice messaging for its American audience, the league trembles in fear of crossing China, which is why there was so much concern over Freedom’s shoes. It’s worth remembering the next time Silver tries to deflect away from questions about China.
