HONG KONG — Basketball legend LeBron James has taken the rare step of penning an article in Chinese state media as the NBA looks to mend ties with its most important market outside North America.
“Basketball is not just a sport. It’s a bridge that connects us, with love for the game flowing in our hearts,” James writes in an op-ed in People’s Daily newspaper on Monday.
“The passion and friendliness of my Chinese friends deeply move me,” writes James, 40, who is starting a record-breaking 23rd NBA season. “What I can do in return is to give my all in every game to express my gratitude.”
While American sports stars are popular in China, it is very unusual for a foreign athlete to write for a Chinese publication backed by the state. James is the first NBA player to author a piece in the People’s Daily.
James goes on to praise the growth of basketball in China, which he has visited 15 times.
“The basketball atmosphere in China has always been impressive,” he writes. “There are many well-known players here, and a lot of outstanding young talents are emerging.”
Although basketball is tremendously popular in China where some 300 million play the sport, the NBA has faced obstacles in recent years that go well beyond the court.
In 2019, a tweet from Houston Rockets official Daryl Morey expressing support for anti-government protests in the Chinese territory of Hong Kong drew intense backlash from Beijing, and subsequently caused the NBA substantial financial losses. The NBA also disappeared from Chinese state-run broadcaster CCTV, but has gradually returned over the last three years.
James criticized Morey’s comments at the time, calling his support for the protests “misinformed.”
Next month, the NBA is set to return to Chinese soil for the first time since 2019 with two preseason games between the Brooklyn Nets and Phoenix Suns in the Chinese territory of Macau. Shaquille O’Neal will also appear at a fan event.
“I have three children myself, so I deeply understand how basketball can inspire generation after generation to chase their dreams,” James writes. “Seeing so many young people in China who love basketball, I hope I can contribute to the development of the game here.”
