Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban yells from the stands at a 2017 NBA game. Photo: AP
Source:
https://scmp.com/sport/basketball/article/3105437/nba-dallas-mavericks-owner-mark-cuban-ok-doing-business-china Basketball
NBA: Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban ‘OK with doing business with China’
- Cuban grilled by former Fox News host Megyn Kelly over league’s support for Black Lives Matter movement and falling ratings
- ‘So basically, you‘re saying nobody should do business with China ever,’ Cuban says, as Kelly highlights human rights abuses
Oklahoma City Thunder's Terrance Ferguson on the NBA court with the message ‘Black Lives Matter’. Photo: AP
Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban has defended the NBA’s decision to do business with China in an often combative interview with former Fox News host Megyn Kelly on her podcast.
In an episode of The Megyn Kelly Podcast released in the US on Monday, Cuban appeared to talk about the NBA Final ratings, the Black Lives Matter movement and the ongoing scrutiny on the league’s relationship with China.
He was asked by Kelly why the NBA was unwilling to condemn China after cataloguing the country’s human rights abuses.
“I personally put a priority on domestic issues. I‘m against human rights violations around the world,” Cuban said
“China is not the only country with human rights violations,” Cuban replied when Kelly asked if these included the ones in China. She pressed the issue again.
“Yes, including China. Any human rights violations anywhere are wrong,” Cuban said.
“Why would the NBA take US$500 million dollars-plus from a country that is engaging in ethnic cleansing?” the host asked Cuban.
“So basically, you‘re saying nobody should do business with China ever,” he said before being asked why he would not answer the question.
“Because they are a customer,” Cuban said. “They are a customer of ours, and guess what, Megyn? I‘m OK with doing business with China. And so we have to pick our battles. I wish we could solve all the world’s problems. But we can’t.”
Billionaire NBA owner Mark Cuban joined @MegynKelly for an in-depth, wide-ranging conversation on family and raising kids, the NBA and the social justice movement, NBA ratings and business with China and more - subscribe/download the FULL interview here: https://t.co/F96HgI7HIW
— The Megyn Kelly Show (@MegynKellyShow) October 12, 2020
The NBA’s relationship with China has been strained over the last 12 months starting with Houston Rockets GM Daryl Morey posting a tweet that supported Hong Kong’s government protests last October.
That saw NBA games pulled from Chinese state television and a number of the league’s partners end their relationship. The NBA finally returned to CCTV for the last two games of the NBA Finals, which concluded on Monday morning China time.
The politicisation of the issue has seen criticism for both the league and its players, notably Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James.
US President Donald Trump’s lawyer Rudy Giuliani told the NBA champions to celebrate in China. “How about a big parade in Communist China, Beijing. That’s where it belongs,” the former New York mayor tweeted.
Several Republicans have criticised the league for its support of the Black Lives Matter movement while failing to speak out on China.
Kelly raised this with Cuban, blaming politics for the year-on-year ratings drop for the NBA Finals. Cuban disagreed.
Shame on me for putting American Civil Rights and Justice, creating jobs, growing our economy and healthcare reform over twitter proclamations. https://t.co/MPMBPVKKgI
— Mark Cuban (@mcuban) October 6, 2020
“I don‘t think it has anything to do with politics. I just think we don’t have the match-up and the storylines, and we didn’t do a good job promoting it,” he told Kelly.
Cuban has come under fire from Texas Senator Ted Cruz, with the Republican bringing up China in a Twitter row over the NBA’s support for Black Lives Matter and ratings drop.
“I wish @mcuban loved his fans as much as he loves Chinese money,” Cruz wrote. “Shame on me for putting American Civil Rights and Justice, creating jobs, growing our economy and health care reform over Twitter proclamations,” Cuban responded.