BASKETBALL superstar LeBron James has blasted Houston Rockets general manager Daryl Morey as “misinformed” after he tweeted in support of the Hong Kong protesters.
“King” James made the comments after his team the LA Lakers took part in the NBA’s annual tour of China.
In a since deleted tweet sent earlier this month the Rockets GM expressed support for the pro-democracy demonstrators saying: “Fight for Freedom. Stand with Hong Kong.”
The protests, sparked by China’s attempt to introduce a law to extradite criminals in Hong Kong to mainland China, have been raging for four months.
This week saw a chilling threat from Chinese president Xi Jinping warning that anyone trying to “divide” China will “end in crushed bodies and shattered bones”.
On Monday the power forward said in an interview after the Lakers returned from a week-long tour of China: “I don’t want to get into a word or sentence feud with Daryl Morey but I believe he wasn’t educated on the situation at hand and he spoke.
“We do all have freedom of speech, but at times there are ramifications for the negative that can happen when you’re not thinking about others and you’re only thinking about yourself.
“I just think that when you’re misinformed or you’re not educated about something – and I’m just talking about the tweet itself – you never know the ramifications that can happen.
“So many people could have been harmed not only financially but physically, emotionally and spiritually. So just be careful with what we tweet, and we say, and we do.
“I’ve been to China probably 15 to 20 times… to have this beautiful game that we all love to be able to bring people together in the most positive way.”
The comments unleashed an immediate backlash against James, who has often spoken out on social and political issues.
Many were dismayed that he seemed to be more concerned about protecting his own brand and financial interests in China, where he is enormously popular.
“@KingJames you’re parroting communist propaganda. China is running torture camps and you know it,” said Republican Senator Ben Sasse of Nebraska, referring to China’s reported incarceration of up to one million Muslim Uighurs in prison-like camps.
Others pointed to a tweet James sent out last year where he quoted Martin Luther King saying: “Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.”
The outrage wasn’t just restricted to Twitter with protesters in Hong Kong pictured yesterday trampling on James jerseys, setting one on fire and throwing basketballs at a photo of the four-time NBA MVP.
James later tried to calm the controversy saying: “Obviously, it’s a tough situation that we’re all in right now… I think when an issue comes up, if you feel passionate about it or you feel like it’s something you want to talk about, then so be it.
“I also don’t think that every issue should be everybody’s problem as well.”
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