LeBron James, on a tour of China this week, told reporters that “Basketball is not only a sport, but also a bridge that connects us.”
A story by The Associated Press on Tuesday incorrectly reported that James wrote an op-ed for Chinese state media, setting off a round of criticism from many in conservative media and from the Hong Kong-based South China Morning Post. Sources told ESPN and other outlets that James talked with reporters at multiple stops and his comments were compiled from those group interviews.
The NBA is scheduled to play two preseason games next month in Macao between the Phoenix Suns and the Brooklyn Nets.
And it comes as leaders in China and the U.S. seek options to avert a potential trade showdown between the world’s two biggest economies.
President Donald Trump has threatened to impose steep tariffs on China, which has said it would respond with retaliatory levies of its own. Trump said last month that he would delay the tariffs for 90 days as negotiators from both countries work on a potential deal, which could ultimately lead to a summit later this year or early next year between the U.S. leader and Chinese President Xi Jinping.
Ahead of his 23rd season in the NBA, James said he was amazed by the reception he has received in China.
“It’s super humbling for me to be able to come here, so far away from home, and get the reception and the love, I just wanted to pour it back to the community and to this country,” Xinhua, the official news agency, quoted James as saying as he wrapped up his visit in Chengdu.
The NBA is working to rebuild its brand in greater China, where basketball has long been popular. The games on Oct. 10 and 12 will take place more than five years after the league was effectively banned for several years in China over NBA commissioner Adam Silver’s decision not to punish Daryl Morey in 2019 for tweeting support of anti-government protesters in Hong Kong.
Information from The Associated Press is included in this report.