Covid-19, Kobe and China: LeBron James leading LA Lakers to NBA Finals is fitting amid the chaos
- Kobe Bryant’s death and coronavirus pandemic have disrupted a season that started with crisis in China and ends with Miami Heat
- Politicisation of NBA’s relationship in the country and criticism of Lakers star James makes it apt he is still standing
It is fitting that the Los Angeles Lakers have made this year’s NBA Finals – and it did not even matter who they will play in them.
If it was the Boston Celtics then it would have been a rheumy-eyed rematch of their 2010 appearance, their most recent, which ended with a 16th franchise NBA championship and Kobe Bryant being named the Finals MVP.
A meeting with the Celtics – which was the de facto NBA finals of the 1980s between the teams led by Magic Johnson and Larry Bird – would also have been the best way to match Boston’s record 17 titles.
As it is the Lakers face the Miami Heat and LeBron James faces his former team, one where he won two championships in four finals appearances.
No matter who they had to beat – and they look intent on ending the season as NBA champions, as James’ declaration that the “job is not done” after coming off-court as Western Conference champs – a Lakers win would be a fitting end to the season that saw Bryant killed in a helicopter crash in January.
Ordinarily, that would be seismic enough but this has been quite the NBA season while 2020 has been quite the year in general.
Former Lakers lead the way with tributes as China mourns Kobe Bryant
The Queen famously described 1992 as “an annus horribilis” and it will be interesting to see what language she uses for this year in her annual Christmas speech.
As for the present, this has been a year where “King James” has seen his language scrutinised more than ever before.
That all started, as did the Lakers season, in China, where they were set to meet the Brooklyn Nets in two preaseason games.
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‘Stand with Hong Kong’ shirts handed out before LA Lakers game
One tweet supporting Hong Kong’s ant-government protesters from Houston Rockets GM Daryl Morey later and 40 years of the NBA’s relationship with China, nevermind two preseason meetings, was in jeopardy.
James was front and centre of the fallout. He led the meeting of both teams in Shanghai where they decided that they wanted the NBA to speak out on the issue first.
He was then among the first to be asked about it once he and the Lakers were back in the US for the rest of their preseason preparations.
Thinking of Bryant every time I pull on the purple and gold – James
“I don’t want to get into a word or sentence feud with Daryl,” was James’ response. “But I believe he wasn’t educated on the situation at hand and he spoke and so many people could have been harmed, not only financially, but physically, emotionally, spiritually.
“So just be careful what we tweet and what we say and what we do even though, yes, we do have freedom of speech but there can come a lot of negative things with that.”
This came before a tweet where he wrote: “My team and this league just went through a difficult week. I think people need to understand what a tweet or statement can do to others. And I believe nobody stopped and considered what would happen. Could have waited a week to send it.”
Then another where he clarified his stance yet further: “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.”
In the intervening months, James has been turned into an endless number of memes that paint him as a Maoist or chasing Chinese cash. It is fair to say that he also lost a few fans in Hong Kong, where his jerseys were burned.
His speaking up for the Black Lives Matter movement and other social justice causes has led to accusations of hypocrisy over his China stance – and they are raised again by those who oppose him every time he speaks up.
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Hong Kong basketball fans angered by LeBron James’ comment on Daryl Morey’s tweet
His comments were dragged up again last month in a row with US president Donald Trump and his supporters, for whom the NBA-China relationship has become increasingly politicised.
The issue is not going away anytime soon with the election coming up and James among the most outspoken players against the president.
Even at 35, James is the face of the NBA – on court and off. He should have been MVP, no matter what the votes say in favour of Giannis Antetokounmpo. James getting 38 points in the series-clinching win over the Nuggets speaks to his talents.
It is only right that he is still front and centre in front of the cameras as the season pans out.
Could it have been any other way than the Lakers in the Finals? It provides something for everyone.
The Lakers are arguably China’s most popular team, in large part because of Bryant who remained the most popular player even after retiring. There was a good reason they were the team in Shanghai and Shenzhen last summer.
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Them being in the Finals will ensure that viewing figures for Tencent are as strong as possible and will go a long way to recovering the NBA’s relationship.
Trump and his supporters get more chances to call James a hypocrite, James gets another few days in the media spotlight and a chance to win another ring, and the Lakers get a chance to “do it for Kobe”.
A championship amid the chaos of coronavirus and China and everything else would perhaps be the most fitting end of all.
