His tweets went further still. “Let me clear up the confusion. I do not believe there was any consideration for the consequences and ramifications of the tweet. I’m not discussing the substance. Others can talk about that,” he wrote.

Commenters were quick to point out the irony of James following in Morey’s footsteps in having to clarify what he meant through Twitter.

Unlike other players, and there are many of them, James is not known for specific sponsorship deals exclusive to China.

Instead, he is Nike’s biggest basketball athlete, who showed their colours over the Morey tweet by removing Rockets gear from their China store, and the face of the Lakers, a team who can claim to be the most popular on the mainland. Speaking out would damage his brand.

The normally outspoken James will come across as a lickspittle and a bootlicker. He has been called a hypocrite, a sell-out and worse. He can clarify this all he wants on Twitter, but there is a backlash unfolding as America waits for one of its players to speak out.

But if not James when back in the safety of the US, then who? Certainly not those making deals in China.

T he Athletic’s Bill Oram in his post-tour take on a visit to China, where he was expecting one thing and got another, revealed that Kyle Kuzma had plans to announce sponsorship deals while in Shanghai. Kuzma had previously spoken to Kobe Bryant about to market himself on the mainland.

The Athletic, again, has the tale of what went on behind the scenes once NBA commissioner Adam Silver arrived in Shanghai.

Shams Charania reported that the commish met with both teams on October 9 and then there was a joint players-only meeting at both teams.

“He discussed that he believed players should face the media and support the league’s openness toward freedom of expression, wanting to open the room up for discussion and an open-minded approach toward the situation, according to multiple sources with direct knowledge of the meeting,” wrote Charania of Silver.

The players, it was said, thought the NBA should speak up first, a fact made more difficult by the cancellation of Silver’s Shanghai press conference last Wednesday. James led the joint-team meeting. Kuzma and Kyrie Irving spoke up too.

This article has been translated into Chinese online, while LeBron backed it up in a Monday interview after returning to the US.

“I feel like with this particular situation, not only was I not informed enough about,” James said on Monday, “I just felt like it was something not only myself or my teammates or our organisation had enough information to even talk about it at that point in time. And we still feel the same way.”

Steph Curry commented too.

““Staying true to who we are as a league. But figuring out how that plays with all the different connections we have and opportunities we have. Just the way we've done business has been great …”

“I think the way that we've represented ourselves is positive, more times than not, and sticking with that approach – the collective mindset from Adam Silver all the way down to the last player on the bench, I think that's been a good vibe and open communication.

“It's why we are the league that we are, for sure.”

Again these have been reported in China, where Curry is one of the most marketable players, while fans on both sides of the ongoing divide have called out James and Curry to come out in their favour via Twitter, with the accusation that money is driving the NBA players’ new softly, softly approach.

The league is certainly worried about money. League sources told Yahoo Sports at the weekend that they fear the financial hit from the fallout could see the salary cap fall between 10 and 15 per cent for the 2020-21 season.

Why Silver had to back Rockets’ GM Morey and anger China

For now, it’s getting back to normal. Mainland media have resumed their daily updates on the NBA and Tencent are screening the games they paid so much to secure. For now it looks like it could be going in the right direction.

Say nothing, offend no one. Move on. That will work for everyone but the Rockets at least, whose time it appears is done. But for how long?

Perhaps just until someone decides the real money is in taking a stand the other way and embracing those calling James out.

This may have all started with a tweet but it is unlikely to end with one.