Fresh off visits to two major Chinese countries this summer, LeBron James has taken his relationship with the country’s leadership to a new level.
This week, according to Reuters, James published an op-ed in the state-run People’s Daily newspaper. In the essay, which Reuters reported could suggest the NBA’s “years-long row with Beijing could be coming to an end,” James wrote that he was grateful for the enthusiasm and kindness of his Chinese “friends” and that he hoped to “contribute to the development of Chinese basketball.”
James visited Chengdu and Shanghai this summer on the Forever King tour, celebrating the 20th anniversary of his first visit to Asia with Nike. It is the latest step in thawing tensions between China and the NBA.
LeBron James was at the forefront of the incident that ignited these tensions in 2019, when the then-Houston Rockets general manager posted on social media in support of a free Hong Kong. At the time, activists campaigning for Hong Kong to separate from the People’s Republic of China were purportedly arrested by the government. James publicly decried Morey’s tweet, claiming that the Houston GM was “misinformed or not educated” about the issue.
In response, NBA broadcasters and sponsors in China cut ties with the league. That trend reversed over the past three years, and NBA teams are even playing preseason games in Macau this fall.
According to Reuters, “The People’s Daily publishing James’ tribute could also signal the Chinese leadership’s wish for U.S. cultural icons to help promote people-to-people exchanges at a time when bilateral relations are strained on various fronts.”
About Brendon Kleen
Brendon is a Media Commentary staff writer at Awful Announcing. He has also covered basketball and sports business at Front Office Sports, SB Nation, Uproxx and more.