He Said What?

Lakers’ forward and future HOFer LeBron James weighed in this week on the Daryl Morey controversy.  Speaking to reporters on Monday, James found considerable fault with Morey for tweeting “Fight for freedom, stand for Hong Kong.”

As reported by Scott Cacciola in the New York Times, James said, “I believe he [Morey] wasn’t educated on the situation, and [yet] he spoke.  So many people could have been harmed, not only financially but physically, emotionally, spiritually.”  Wait, he gets better, or worse, depending on your perspective.

James expressed his support for freedom of speech while adding that “at times there are ramifications for the negative [stuff] that can happen when you’re not thinking about others and you’re thinking about yourself.”  Nope, he’s not done yet.

The fifteen-time All Star also offered that Morey “was misinformed or not really educated on the situation.  And if he was, then so be it.”  Huh?  If Morey knew what he was talking about (or advocating), then never mind?  It’s the big man who needs to be better informed here.

Notice how James put financial harm first; talk about a Freudian slip.  It would appear that LeBron James is not about ready to let social justice get in the way of business, his in particular.  What’s good for China must be good for James and his pocketbook; what’s good for Hong Kong, maybe not so much.  Heaven forbid anything imperils a shoe deal or product endorsement.

Up until now, James had done a masterful job at crafting the image of athlete-activist.  But you have to wonder how his comments will play in the Akron, Ohio, elementary school his foundation has funded.  Then again, maybe the kids are being taught with a Beijing-approved curriculum, where everyone lines up, shuts up and learns what they’re told to learn. 

I hear that plays well in Beijing.