Nets owner Joseph Tsai defends Communist China amidst Houston's GM's tweet supporting Hong Kong protestors
It's a difficult spot for any NBA Owner to be in, but Nets owner Joseph Tsai is sending the wrong message by bowing down to China amidst the protests taking place in Hong Kong.
While the NBA hasn't been shy in criticizing President Donald Trump, the fact that Tsai among other notable NBA figureheads are remaining silent on the violent protests breaking out in Hong Kong.
Steve Kerr would like more information and to do more research on the nature of the protests before he chooses to comment, but he's been outspoken against the tone and policies of Trump on a regular basis. It doesn't matter your political leanings or what side of the aisle you stand on, but if you're an American that believes in Democracy than you have no choice but to reject China's Communist ideology.
With a centralized goverment that holds all of the power, protestors are powerless against the machine that is the Chinese government. Houston Rockets general manager Daryl Morey should have stayed in his line and not delved into political matters; particularly regarding unrest within a foreign nation.
However, his tweet was not so outlandish as to draw this type of sharpe response from China. Cutting off NBA broadcasts, ending sponsorship deals with the league, canceling NBA Care events at Schools and within the community, as well as the threat of not allowing the Nets-Lakers and Rockets-Raptors contests to be held at all.
This is all petty nonsense if you ask me. It's a power move by China to keep the NBA and United States at large in its lane. Tsai is already beholden to the Chinese government as the co-founder of Allibaba since his company's profitability relies heavily on that market and country's support.
Tsai doesn't want to alienate himself from China and jeopardize his business, but the fact that he's backing China in a situation where they're overreacting and trying to assert dominance over the NBA is laughable. The backlash the Nets owner will receive from his statement will reverberate upon his return to the States.
Not exactly a smooth road in his first month on the job.
