The NBA's Social Justice Hypocrisy

        THE article “NBA Announces Social Justice and Voting Initiatives as Games Resume”  by The Washington Post tells a tale about how the NBA, in the light of social and political turmoil nationwide, has “[provided] a platform to promote social justice” and “[pushed] for meaningful and sustainable change.” From a simple, ignorant view the tale is a positive one, a major force of American culture – the American basketball industry – is using its social capital for good. However, that is not the analysis of the article’s meaning any good observer should take. The true story is one of political manipulation to the masses that trust in the big names of basketball for benefits not as cheery as they appear to be on the surface.

            First off, there is the NBA’s message of “social justice/reform”. The NBA, in the article, is given the view as basing its impetus to move towards social justice as influenced by the shooting of Jacob Blake in late-August. The NBA makes it look like its executives and athletes were so disheartened by the incident, but heartened to do something; however, it is manipulation of facts for the capital gain (that gain mostly being social and political) for the NBA. The shooting of Jacob Blake stemmed from a domestic violence call, was escalated by Jacob Blake’s undeniable harsh physical resistance to the attending officers, and boiled over when Blake suddenly leaned into his SUV reaching for something after having attacked officers and resisted stun guns.

There was nothing scandalous about what happened in this incident, other than police using force they are legally justified to use when threatened. Could that force have been used to a lesser degree? Yes, but the distortion of reality by mass media and the mob is more of an injustice.

            Additionally, the NBA has taking steps to promote “civic engagement”, voting rights, and liberty; it is focusing on the “empowerment of the Black community” and the defense of civil rights. More importantly, however, it is also playing another game of hypocrisy and manipulation.

While the NBA administration gratifies its savior complex in American society, it is shaking hands behind the scenes with the true villains. In July of 2019, the NBA signed a $1.5 billion five-year contract with China, Klay Thompson – a Golden State Warriors player – signed a $80 million shoe contract with China, China suspended coverage of the Houston Rockets over its manager criticizing the CCP, the NBA Commissioner played lapdog with China for the remarks of the Rockets’ manager, and so much more.

The importance of the NBA’s deep ties with Chinese coffers is because, while it acts like a poster-boy of moral superiority in America its Chinese backers commit genocide against the Uyghurs (and forcing them to work for the very companies sharing the NBA’s sentiments!), destroys Tibetan identity, violates the sovereignty and liberty of the Hong Kong people, and so much more.

            While the NBA cries about civil rights and weak democracy in America, the Chinese people still do not know what those words mean. While the NBA decries so-called “racially-motivated police brutality”, Chinese law enforcement beats ethnic minorities and political dissidents half-to-death in labor camps. While the NBA sets up groups and committees to focus on driving “change” in the US, the CCP pays it seven figures to look the opposite direction of Xinjiang Province. This is what the true message of this article is, even if the author did not intend it. It is a massive display of the hypocrisy the NBA and its fellow conglomerates within American media commit, and it is a massive display of what the true leanings and sentiments of these so-called celebrities and idols hold.