Dallas Mavericks minority owner mark cuban On Monday he doubled down on his public approval of the NBA’s partnership with China.
During a long and extensive group thread on X that started earlier this week, was cuba He faced questions about whether he would approve of the NBA’s business partnership with China amid human rights violations occurring under the current regime.
This question was asked by Chuck Flint, former chief of staff to Republican Senator Marsha Blackburn, who has been a strong opponent of the NBA’s partnership with China.
Flint’s question specifically pointed to NBA-backed training camps in Xinjiang, where the Chinese government represses the Uyghur population, which the U.S. government has deemed genocide.
Cuban wrote in response, “I have said I am against the Chinese and all human rights violations. The NBA exports content to China and pays for it. I have no problem with that.” In same postCuban promoted a film he claims is about Chinese influence in the US stock market.
Cuban’s response was the result of a wide-ranging conversation re-shared with various mentions, reactions and captions that stemmed from a post he made with former President Donald Trump in the Oval Office.
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Cuban clarified that the post does not mean he is endorsing Trump.
Meanwhile, Cuba has been a party to the NBA’s partnership with China despite numerous human rights violations, including the Uyghur genocide, population control through forced abortion, forced sterilization, and involuntary implantation of birth control pills in nearby or affiliated facilities. Forced labor is involved. With internment camps. All those violations have been documented and recognized by the US State Department.
The Cuban team has embraced its ties with the Chinese government and aims to penetrate the country’s market to such an extent that in 2018, even rebranded itself With a new name to target the Chinese demographic. The change changed the team’s translated name from “Little Cows” to “Lone Ranger Heroes”.
Cuban previously defended the NBA’s business with the communist regime in an interview on Megyn Kelly’s podcast in October 2020.
“They’re a customer. They’re a customer of ours,” Cuban said. “And guess what, Megyn? I don’t mind doing business with China. You know, I wish I could solve all the world’s problems, Megyn. I’m sure you would, too. But we can’t And so we have to choose our battles.”
Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban poses for a photo with fans before a game against the Philadelphia 76ers as part of the 2018 China Games at the Mercedes-Benz Arena in Shanghai on October 5, 2018. (David Sherman/NBAE via Getty Images)
In the same interview, Cuban did not specifically condemn the genocide in Xinjiang when asked if he would condemn the regime for that issue.
Cuban said, “I personally prioritize domestic issues. When it comes to human rights, I am against all human rights violations around the world. China is not the only country with human rights violations.” “The way proclamations work in this country, as soon as you say them anywhere, you’re going to use it as a title.”
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A 2022 ESPN investigation found that NBA owners have raised more than $10 billion in China, including one owner whose company has a joint venture with an entity that is sanctioned by the US government. one more espn investigation In July 2020 it was found that one of the basketball training camps in Xinjiang was described by a coach stationed there as a “sweat camp for athletes”. At least two coaches left their positions due to mistreatment of young players.
Concerns have also grown about the use of forced Uyghur labor in making sports apparel for companies such as Nike, whose products are used by the NBA.
Visitors walk past a display of China’s second nuclear missile while visiting a military museum in Beijing on July 23, 2007. (Teh Eng Koon/AFP via Getty Images)
Cuban’s refusal to condemn China coincides with the lack of any prominent figures in the NBA condemning China’s violations or the league’s trade with the country, including superstar LeBron James.
In a rare example of an NBA executive being linked to its protest, the Asian country reacted harshly.
In October 2019, former Houston Rockets general manager Daryl Morey posted a photo on social media in support of protesters in Hong Kong against the Chinese government. Shortly after, Morey’s tweet was deleted, then the Chinese Basketball Association announced it would suspend all cooperation with the Rockets. Morey eventually apologized, and the NBA issued a statement calling his tweet “regretful” and clarifying that his support for the Hong Kong protesters “does not represent the Rockets or the NBA.” According to multiple reports, the Rockets also reportedly considered firing Morey in an effort to appease the Chinese.
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Chinese President Xi Jinping delivers an important speech at a meeting commemorating the 75th founding anniversary of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference in Beijing on September 20, 2024. (Xie Huanchi/Xinhua via Getty Images)
Meanwhile, former NBA player Enes Kanter Freedom testified before Congress in July 2023 and argued that criticism of China for its treatment of Uighur Muslims has affected his NBA career.
“After the third game, one of my teammates came up to me and said, ‘Ens, you know this is your last year in the NBA, if you ever criticize China, Nike you’ll never be able to play basketball in this ” League. So have fun, smile and I hope we win a championship this year because this is your last year, and your basketball career is coming to an end,” Kanter wrote in his written testimony to Congress.
Kanter was released by the Houston Rockets in February 2022 and has not played in the NBA since. NBA Commissioner Adam Silver has said that the Freedom’s withdrawal from professional basketball has nothing to do with his stance on China.
Aside from Kanter and Morey, there have been very few examples of any prominent figures in the NBA speaking out against China since then, and several NBA stars, including Cuba’s own Mavericks superstar Luka Doncic, have traveled to China as part of NBA China. game.
In February, Brooklyn Nets owner Joe Tsai told reporters that the NBA is “in very good shape” in its relations with China, more than four years after Beijing pulled the league’s games off-air following Morey’s comments. Had done.
“China is actually the NBA’s largest fan base. So whatever happened first, I think it’s water under the bridge,” Tsai said.
Meanwhile, Taiwan’s top officials in the US are warning that China has increased its aggression towards Taiwan islandAnd that its people are ready to fight. Taiwan’s Defense Ministry tracked eight Chinese military aircraft and two naval vessels near the island earlier this week. The Defense Ministry said four of the eight planes crossed the median line dividing the territory of China and Taiwan in the Taiwan Strait — although Beijing, which claims ownership of Taiwan, does not recognize the geographical delineation, Fox News digital first reported,
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