Crazy how all this started from a service (Twitter) that is banned in China. Not only censoring apps that do business there but outrage over a comment on an app the Chinese people aren't even supposed to see.
NBA Events in China Disrupted over Hong Kong Tweet
21–30 of 91 posts
Re: NBA Events in China Disrupted over Hong Kong Tweet
#22The Chinese government's reaction to this seems extraordinarily strong to me.
The NBA is hugely popular there, don't they risk annoying huge chunks of their own population by taking it off the air?
Morey is not even an especially notable NBA figure, Twitter doesn't even work in China, it would have been easy to block news of this in China. It seems like the reaction would cause a Streisand effect there.
Isn't a backlash among the US population over this plainly foreseeable? That doesn't seem like its in their interests.
Working off the assumption that the Chinese government is rational, why is its reaction here so strong?
What other things are about to happen, that make this reaction make sense?
Re: NBA Events in China Disrupted over Hong Kong Tweet
#23NBA needs to decide whether they are an organ of the CCP (Chinese Communist Party) or whether they have some self respect. They're in an important position to protect the sport, but if they go chasing after money from the CCP what will they be then?
And what do they think will happen to the protesters in Hong Kong? Probably the same thing that has happened to others.
https://chinatribunal.com/final-judgement-report/
Why identify with the CCP by doing what they say?
Re: NBA Events in China Disrupted over Hong Kong Tweet
#24So some millionaires can't play a game, and this is the most upvoted thing on HackerNews about what's going on between the USA and China? Really?
If that's what it takes to bring attention to all the issues, I'll take it!
Re: NBA Events in China Disrupted over Hong Kong Tweet
#25The Chinese government's reaction to this seems extraordinarily strong to me. The NBA is hugely popular there, don't they risk annoying huge chunks of their own population by taking it off the air? Morey is not even an especially notable NBA figure, Twitter doesn't even work in China, it would have been easy to block news of this in China. It seems like the reaction would cause a Streisand effect there. Isn't a backl…
> The NBA is hugely popular there, don't they risk annoying huge chunks of their own population by taking it off the air?
Yes, by design. The Chinese government is signalling that the NBA is anti-China, just like they did with the iPhone (sales are down over 20% as a result of the government's marketing campaign and market pressure from Huawei.) Patriotic Chinese will get the message and stop watching the NBA.
Re: NBA Events in China Disrupted over Hong Kong Tweet
#26So some millionaires can't play a game, and this is the most upvoted thing on HackerNews about what's going on between the USA and China? Really?
Cultural ambassadors such as sports figures or artists can help to defuse political animus between countries.
Re: NBA Events in China Disrupted over Hong Kong Tweet
#27The Chinese government's reaction to this seems extraordinarily strong to me. The NBA is hugely popular there, don't they risk annoying huge chunks of their own population by taking it off the air? Morey is not even an especially notable NBA figure, Twitter doesn't even work in China, it would have been easy to block news of this in China. It seems like the reaction would cause a Streisand effect there. Isn't a backl…
It's more like the reverse. Tencent/CCTV is responding so that they don't get boycotted. The government probably desperately wants this to go away.
Re: NBA Events in China Disrupted over Hong Kong Tweet
#28The Chinese government's reaction to this seems extraordinarily strong to me. The NBA is hugely popular there, don't they risk annoying huge chunks of their own population by taking it off the air? Morey is not even an especially notable NBA figure, Twitter doesn't even work in China, it would have been easy to block news of this in China. It seems like the reaction would cause a Streisand effect there. Isn't a backl…
Some possibilities, banning NBA could be low cost oblique trade war retaliation. Chinese going to stream for free anyways.
Ramping up Chinese nationalism in response to HK forced the governments hand. This is why CPC tries to contain nationalism normally, it's hard to contain and limits maneuverability. Also CPC foreign propaganda organ is... very inept. NBA is very popular there might actually be backlash.
Punishing western companies for questioning Chinese sovereignty issues as been consistently happening for years. The Chinese response has been completely consistent with past behaviors. They've always been extremely heavy handed on this issue. It's only an issue in the west due to Sino-US tensions being escalated into culture clash / war territory.
Edit, to add on culture, in China, central government influence over companies is perceived as a sign of strength and not fragility. Which leads to naive hot takes here like the government is scared when the opposite is true. Yes, NBA has a huge market but not larger than Chinese sovereignty. Conceding on this point is an existential weakness.
Re: NBA Events in China Disrupted over Hong Kong Tweet
#29The Chinese government's reaction to this seems extraordinarily strong to me. The NBA is hugely popular there, don't they risk annoying huge chunks of their own population by taking it off the air? Morey is not even an especially notable NBA figure, Twitter doesn't even work in China, it would have been easy to block news of this in China. It seems like the reaction would cause a Streisand effect there. Isn't a backl…
I am not particularly well versed on Sino-American politics but this seems like a provocation related to the escalating trade war with America. I get the impression from the events of recent weeks that shared commerce and culture are being divided. China seems to be taking its profits, while collecting and consolidating power it has achieved in past decades. It feels like they are getting ready to isolate themselves to a greater degree than ever.
Re: NBA Events in China Disrupted over Hong Kong Tweet
#30the compare and contrast of this with the nfl and colin kaepernick is interesting. here, a general manager of a team (not a player) showed support for free speech (the protests) and democratic values over tyranny, and the league rallied (measured) support for him. many americans then criticized the nba for not going far enough, because greed. with the nfl, a player protests minority persecution by the police (an expr…
Interesting interpretation of events.
Most accounts of the NBA controversy that I've heard suggest the apology to China made by the Houston Rockets's James Harden[1] in response is what has drawn criticism. And the GM has been pressured into making an apology [2]. That was after the Houston Rockets immediately distanced themselves from the statement [3]. The criticism I've heard has been of the subservient apologies, because freedom. Our National Basketball Association has demonstrated a split loyalty.
Also, Kaepernick was not banned, although perhaps that's an interpretation of his not being rehired after his contract ended. Statistically, he was the worst or second worst QB in the NFL. Add to that the PR risk, and the return on investment is negative.
In China, if I posted that same critical comment to social media, I'd fear for my life and the lives of my family as a direct action from the government. In the USA, Colin Kaepernick has a lucrative Nike endorsement and, while a controversial figure, lives freely and is often celebrated freely.
I'll side with us Americans on this one.
[1] https://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/27787634/james-harden-ap...
[2] https://www.npr.org/2019/10/07/767805936/houston-rockets-gm-...
[3] https://twitter.com/TilmanJFertitta/status/11803302879574958...
[4] "Kaepernick had a defense-adjusted yards above replacement — Football Outsiders’ ultimate value quotient — of minus-182, 35th in the NFL. By all metrics, he was one of the worst quarterbacks in the league." https://www.foxsports.com/nfl/story/colin-kaepernick-49ers-s...