Charles Barkley doesn’t sound like he wants the NBA to stand up to China at all.
The NBA and China have been feuding ever since the Houston Rockets GM tweeted support of pro-democracy protests in Hong Kong. The tweet kicked off a firestorm that had many criticizing the NBA’s lackluster handling of the situation and appearing to bend to the will of the communist dictatorship, which is horrible on human rights.
However, Barkley doesn’t have a problem with the NBA not wanting to risk a ton of money by standing up to China.
“They have billions of dollars at stake. It’s a business decision…the players and owners have billions of dollars at stake. It’s easy for these Monday morning quarterbacks to say they should do this or that because it’s not their money,” the NBA legend told Dan Patrick on Thursday morning.
He didn’t stop just there and added, “You know the thing that’s really funny, all these idiots and jackasses and fools that are ringing at their televisions that these players should do that, these are the same people who have been hating on Colin Kaepernick for the last three years, and that’s in another country. So, I find it hilarious listening to all these idiots, fools and jackasses on radio and TV talking about these players should stand up.” (SOURCE: ESPN Not Interested In Getting Involved In NBA/China Feud, Deadspin Memo Was ‘Misreported’)
You can watch his full comments below.
I understand the point Barkley is making. I really do. The NBA is a business. The people running it exist in order to make money.
China is an ATM machine for the league. It pumps out money for the association. However, some things just have to be bigger than basketball.
You can’t let a foreign country push around American athletes and people involved with sports over here.
I understand the players not wanting to get involved. However, the executives involved have no reason to not voice their opinions.
The people running the show have to lead by example, and that means making tough calls. If the Chinese don’t want to play ball, then the NBA should move on without them.
Yes, they’ll lose some money, but the message will be sent they’re not owned by any foreign nation. Otherwise, you just set the example that you’ll do anything to make a buck, and that can get dicey very fast.
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I have no idea how this feud will end between the two sides. A game between the Nets and Lakers was played as scheduled today, and it seems like the whole situation might eventually ease up.
However, the NBA has to draw a line in the sand. They can’t let a foreign nation dictate how they do business, which is exactly what China wants to do.
If the Chinese don’t want to do business the way we do, then they can have fun watching the CBA and nothing else.
