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The NBA bans customers from putting ‘freehongkong’ on customized league jerseys

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Re: The NBA bans customers from putting ‘freehongkong’ on customized league jerseys

#51

Post by mywittyname »

yumraj wrote: post #21

How about: Free China of CCP That’ll take care of all the underlying issues.

It won't change the minds of the millions of people in political power in China. Lots of Chinese feel quite strongly that the Taiwan/Tibet/Hong Kong claims are legitimate and that the international community is attacking China.

I guess it would be like if the US was forced to cede Texas back to Mexico because they lost a war. Most Americans, regardless of political party, would hold the opinion that Texas is still American territory, regardless of international opinions on the subject.

Re: The NBA bans customers from putting ‘freehongkong’ on customized league jerseys

#52

Post by mmm_grayons »

yumraj wrote: post #21

How about: Free China of CCP That’ll take care of all the underlying issues.

Not necessarily. The question that must be asked is, "Why did China institute such a system of authoritarian rule in the first place, and why does she allow it to persist?" The Chinese have yet to develop the same sort of republican values we have in America, so removing the current government alone won't do much good. This is the same problem as with the Middle East, Africa, etc.

Re: The NBA bans customers from putting ‘freehongkong’ on customized league jerseys

#53

Post by wolco »

throwawaysea wrote: post #23

What is their stance on other political messaging or activism - for instance putting BLM on jerseys or kneeling? EDIT: comments suggest that the NBA does allow some political message like BLM. It seems like the NBA is now a political organization that is picking sides. Given BLM’s leadership are open, self admitted “trained Marxists” ( https://www.bostonherald.com/2020/07/09/say-you-want-a-marxi... ) and those suppor…

They are allowing 32 pre-defined messages. Things like 'I can't breathe' and they do include black life matters.

Re: The NBA bans customers from putting ‘freehongkong’ on customized league jerseys

#54

Post by supernova87a »

You know, people are absolutely free to buy the shirt and stencil on any sentiment or message they feel.

Or is speech only meaningful if you added it to your shopping cart and it went through the pipes of commerce? Kind of exactly what people are upset about in the first place?

Re: The NBA bans customers from putting ‘freehongkong’ on customized league jerseys

#56

Post by moron4hire »

mywittyname wrote: post #51
yumraj wrote: post #21

How about: Free China of CCP That’ll take care of all the underlying issues.

It won't change the minds of the millions of people in political power in China. Lots of Chinese feel quite strongly that the Taiwan/Tibet/Hong Kong claims are legitimate and that the international community is attacking China. I guess it would be like if the US was forced to cede Texas back to Mexico because they lost a war. Most Americans, regardless of political party, would hold the opinion that Texas is still Am…

Well, that's a bit complicated by the fact that a lot of Texans don't think Texas should be an American territory.

Re: The NBA bans customers from putting ‘freehongkong’ on customized league jerseys

#58

Post by mdreid »

reedwolf wrote: post #16
ezluckyfree wrote: post #6

This shouldn't be surprising to people. The NBA has a bigger fanbase in China than in the USA. https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2019-10-09/china-s-5...

It seems really random that the Chinese are so into NBA. What next, Greeks being really into American gangsta rap music?

China has a long history with basketball. It was one of few western sports that was explicitly kept during the Cultural Revolution. I've read that teamwork and communal nature of the game appealed to Chinese leadership. If you visit China, you'll see recreational basketball courts everywhere. There are courts by the airport, courts outside the Forbidden Palace, etc.

Then with an NBA focused on expanding its international fan base and Yao Ming, popularity grew even more.

Re: The NBA bans customers from putting ‘freehongkong’ on customized league jerseys

#59

Post by mmm_grayons »

Lammy wrote: post #38
reedwolf wrote: post #16

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It seems really random that the Chinese are so into NBA. What next, Greeks being really into American gangsta rap music?

It's spycraft, a way for US culture and influence to penetrate China. It's deliberate.

If it is, the spies are doing a terrible job of it, as the league is attempting to prevent Americans from espousing messages that offend China.
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