James has positioned himself as a social justice warrior, so there will be no avoiding this controversyNBAE/GETTY IMAGES
The Lakers and Nets are scheduled to play two preseason games in China later this week, and there are several things LeBron James "must convey" during the trip if he "wants to preserve his sterling and well-deserved reputation as an athlete willing to risk backlash while speaking out against social injustice," according to Josh Peter of USA TODAY. In the aftermath of Rockets GM Daryl Morey's controversial tweet in support of political protesters in Hong Kong, James must show he "supports the right to free speech" and "believes in a free and open society." Peter: "Anything less will leave LeBron looking like a sellout." There "should be no appearance of equivocation from LeBron, delicate as the situation might be" (USA TODAY, 10/8). In L.A., LZ Granderson writes James has "positioned himself as a social justice warrior," so he is going to be "asked about the controversy." He will then "offer an answer that is going to be unsatisfactory to someone, to some entity, to some country." This is "part of the story in which 'no comment' says more than any comment ever could" (L.A. TIMES, 10/8).
WORRIED ABOUT BIGGER FALLOUT: YAHOO SPORTS' Dan Wetzel wrote members of the Chinese government "don't really care" about what Morey said or thinks, but what they "fear is a parade of NBA declarations." Wetzel: "More general managers. Teams. Famous figures. Steve Kerr or Gregg Popovich pregame press conferences. And, eventually, perhaps even LeBron James himself." If star players "start talking about this, tweeting about this, writing things on their shoes about this ... that's what can break through the censorship and reach the people." That is "what might change minds," so the Chinese "flexed their muscles and got everyone to shut up" (SPORTS.YAHOO.com, 10/7).
