LeBron James recently toured China for the 15th time as a signature Nike athlete, promoting his shoes and clothing apparel for the sporting goods conglomerate.
And, as is customary when any NBA star goes to the world’s second-largest country, with a population of 1.4 billion, to promote either the game or his shoe, James was complimentary. However, when multiple news reports stated on Monday that James had written an essay for a Communist, state-controlled daily news outlet, it sparked criticism in Hong Kong and the U.S.
Despite James’ name being attached to the story, two sources close to James confirmed that he did not submit an essay to People’s Daily. Instead, he conducted group interviews with reporters in the two cities he visited. Those sources stated that the words attributed to James in the article were accurate, but they were not exclusive to any news outlet. They were not submitted to anyone as an essay or opinion editorial.
Instead, comments made by the Los Angeles Lakers star in group settings throughout his Chinese tour last week, to Shanghai and Chengdu, were printed in Mandarin by the newspaper. At the bottom of the article, according to three Chinese translators advising The Athletic, it refers to James as the “author,” but also states that James was interviewed — and the piece was edited — by a reporter from People’s Daily.
“Basketball is not only a sport — it is a bridge that connects us,” James said, as printed by People’s Daily. He then, according to the report, recalled a female Chinese basketball player, Niu Ziwei, whom he said he met on a 2012 tour of China, and said he saw her again on this tour.
“I felt truly honored, and also more aware of my responsibility to help promote sports exchanges,” James said, according to People’s Daily. “I have three children of my own and I know how basketball can inspire generation after generation to chase their dreams. Seeing so many young people in China who love basketball, I hope I can also contribute to the development of the game here.”
This trip was James’ first to China since October 2019, when he and the Lakers went to Shanghai for preseason games against the Brooklyn Nets just as an international controversy was erupting between the Chinese government and the NBA over a social media post by then-Houston Rockets general manager Daryl Morey, who supported Hong Kong protestors in his post.
Because the league supported Morey, declining to punish him for the post, the Chinese government banned NBA games from the country’s television airwaves for several years. In 2022, commissioner Adam Silver stated that the fallout had cost the league “hundreds of millions of dollars.”
The Lakers and Nets were essentially confined to their hotel rooms for days as the controversy escalated.
When the Lakers returned home, James ripped Morey for his post, calling him “misinformed” and saying Morey was “not educated on the situation.” James’ production company was working on “Space Jam: A New Legacy” at the time — a major motion picture that was not released in mainland China.
James, 40, will play his 23rd NBA season starting in October. The Phoenix Suns and Nets will play two exhibition games in China — on Oct. 10 and 12 — in the first NBA games held there since the Lakers and Nets arrived six years ago, amid the Morey controversy.
“The basketball atmosphere in China has always amazed me,” James said, as published by People’s Daily. “Each time I come here, my family and I receive such a warm welcome. The kindness and enthusiasm of my Chinese friends leave me deeply touched.
“What I can do in return is to give my all in every single game, as my way of saying thank you.”
(Photo: Ronald Martinez / Getty Images)