 "Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James reacts during a match. Image: Reuters")
Sports are often used as a way for countries to push their political agendas. India and Pakistan have long used cricket either to bridge gaps or to incite nationalism among their people. Recently, a similar story came out about the NBA and their star player LeBron James, suggesting they were being used to improve relations between the United States of America and China.
The Associated Press reported on Tuesday that LeBron had written a rare opinion piece in the People’s Daily, China’s state-run newspaper. The article quoted the Los Angeles Lakers superstar as saying, “Basketball is not only a sport, but also a bridge that connects us.” The article was picked up by international media, and many in the US right-wing started criticising LeBron for getting too close to China.
The Hong Kong-based South China Morning Post also wrote, “It is rare for the mouthpiece of China’s ruling Communist Party to run articles carrying the byline of foreign sports stars. It is more common for international sporting heroes to connect with fans in China via Chinese social media, regularly posting content and comments.”
LeBron’s visit to China came just before two NBA pre-season games scheduled in Macao next month between the Phoenix Suns and Brooklyn Nets. These games are part of the NBA’s effort to fix its image in China, which took a big hit back in 2019 after Houston Rockets GM Daryl Morey tweeted support for pro-democracy Hong Kong protesters. That incident nearly shut the NBA down in China for years.
What really happened?
But now it turns out the AP report and other news articles claiming LeBron wrote a byline article for the Chinese state media were wrong. LeBron never wrote any op-ed for any publication in China, let alone a state-run newspaper of the Communist Party. Instead, what happened was that the American basketball player spoke to several reporters during his China trip, and some of his quotes were collected and presented in the paper by a local journalist.
According to ESPN, LeBron’s words were taken from group interviews and they were not from an article he personally wrote. The CNN has reported that the original article that was published in the People’s Daily contained a disclaimer at the bottom that read, “The author is a member of the Los Angeles Lakers. This article was compiled from an interview by our reporter Wang Liang.”
This controversy also comes at a time when both the US and China are trying to manage their tense relationship over various issues, including trade. US President Donald Trump has even threatened China with new tariffs amid ongoing negotiations between Washington and Beijing.