@Auspice said in The Basketball Thread:
His 'actions have consequences' was because he shit-talked Morey's Tweet, saying 'He wasn't educated about...'
Morey said that about himself in his apology post. So either he really wasn't educated about the issue or he tucked his own integrity to keep his job. Either way, that's all on Morey. And the protests have been going on for months. He just happened to pick a time to say something when one of his conference's biggest opponents were there. Whether that was on purpose or not, his ignorance might have caused serious problems for people. Being stuck overseas in a politically hostile country is no small joke.
I have a co-worker, Michael White, currently imprisoned for some indeterminate time (years) in Iran on what is basically a political dispute when he went to visit someone. They won't even say why. The best the consulate can come up with it was based on pro democratic views he expressed either there or from something he posted online.
A friend of mine was traveling on his way home from Mount Everest when the US decided to have the CEO of Huawei arrested in Vancouver. My friend's connection was out of China and his flight got canceled. He and several other people in the airport were then arrested for overstaying the 1 day visa that was allowed for the connection. He had to pay something close to $1000 to be released.
China's issues with the US can get dangerous for Americans there so 'had a hard week' might be downplaying what they experienced there.
Also, Kaep's protests were about the treatment of black people in the USA by police authorities, a cause LeBron protested on himself, a cause he's got a personal connection to (being black and living in the USA). Kaep lost his career over his actions, which included endorsements - but he stood behind what he believed in despite what it cost him. LeBron was willing to risk the same to protest in his own way when he wore shirts that had Eric Garner's last words on them. But people so quickly forget about that.
Morey, on the other hand immediately issued an apology and reversal in the most groveling way possible.
As for China, they have a huge, long history of human rights abuses, but people still do business with them all the time. And almost no one speaks out about it. And no one gives all those people shit about not speaking out about it. Its a huge double standard for people that just like to hate on others whenever they can from the comfort of their homes.
TLDR:
Personally, I don't think supporting Kaepernick's (and his own) right to protest here in the US where that right is constitutionally protected is quite equal to Morey's offhand tweet about Chinese (which he is not) in China (where he is not) that he either doesn't know anything about or doesn't have enough spine to stand behind.
If Morey isn't willing to stand behind his own words, especially after all the stir he caused for himself, his team and the NBA in general, why does anyone expect LeBron to? Just because LeBron supported one person's protest doesn't mean he has to support every idiot who wants to speak up about something. Not all protests are created equal.