NBA Finals: LeBron James’ ‘silence on China’ hoarding refused by advertising company
- Conservative NGO wanted to place adverts with NBA star’s mouth covered by Chinese national flag and message that ‘Silence is Violence’
- Company asked for Los Angeles Lakers player’s image to be removed but National Legal and Policy Center refused
A hoarding showing Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James with his mouth covered by a Chinese national flag and the message “Silence is Violence” was refused by a US sign company, the New York Post reported.
The proposed sign came from the Virginia-based National Legal and Policy Centre, a conservative NGO that acts as a watchdog on the ethics of public officials and apparently basketball players.
James has come under scrutiny because of his public stance on Black Lives Matter and US social justice causes while staying silent on China’s human rights abuses.
There has been an increased focus on China and the NBA’s relationship with it since Houston Rockets GM Daryl Morey tweeted support for Hong Kong’s anti-government protests last October.
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Hong Kong basketball fans angered by LeBron James’ comment on Daryl Morey’s tweet
James, who was in Shanghai for the NBA China Games against the Brooklyn Nets at the time, was one of the first players to speak after the furore that followed.
“I don’t want to get into a word or sentence feud with Daryl Morey, but I believe he wasn’t educated on the situation,” he said, before clarifying his stance in a number of Twitter posts.