NBA rears its true hypocritical head by kowtowing to China over Hong Kong

By Tony Mangia


The NBA is used to putting out troublesome posting brushfires set by careless players on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and just about any social media outlet these days, but who knew a single tweet by an respected team general manager would create an international firestorm that could reveal the league in its true hypocritical colors and bring its most prominent figures to the forefront — many groveling on their knees — trying to blow out the fire.

Last weekend, Houston Rockets General Manager Daryl Morey sent, then later deleted, what may be the most truthful — and at the same time divisive — tweet in NBA history. A few words supporting the pro-democracy protestors in Hong Kong which could potentially lead to an NBA corporate breakdown in the burgeoning China market and pull the rug out on its perceived Liberal political activism .

"Fight for freedom, stand with Hong Kong," said the deleted tweet, but not before the pissed off Chinese got wind of it.

Not only did the tweet cause angry Chinese bureaucrats and authorities to threaten pulling out of all business dealings with the NBA (The Chinese-state run network has already pulled broadcasts of both Nets vs. Lakers games this week), it is showing the so-called woke NBA as the hypocritical business-first conglomerate it really is. 

The Chinese market is estimated to be about 10% of the league's total current revenue and expected to reach 20% by the year 2030. The NBA has a $1.5 billion streaming deal with the Chinese media Tencent at this moment.

The beholden to China hypocrisy starts with such usually outspoken socially-conscious NBA figureheads as the commissioner Adam Silver, and trickles down to the league's  most successful head coaches Steve Kerr and Greg Popovich.  Sure Silver and the NBA promote social justice for causes like Black Lives Matters, cancels an All-Star Game in North Carolina because of a transgender bathroom controversy and allows its fraternity to rail at President Trump's policies, but when it comes to China — their authoritarian business partners in arms  — and foreign human rights violations they are quiet as sheep.

The never at a loss for words Kerr (his own father, an international studies academic, was assassinated by Muslim terrorists in Lebanon) when it comes to mashing Trump is suddenly Sergeant "I know nothing" Shultz about the violence in Hong Kong.  And Popovich, who never met an interviewer he gave more than five words to unless it was criticizing the President sits on the fence regarding such an outrage as the Hong Kong protests.

These three can't even hold a blank-strap to Trump when it comes to playing tough with China and its sinister business dealings.  It seems all those human rights offenses that have been documented by the media for years proves that the league only cares about money.

Silver defended Morey's right to send the "regrettable" tweet and claims he won't put profits over principles.

"The NBA will not put itself in a position of regulating what players, employees and team owners say or will not say," Silver said in a statement. "We simply could not operate that way."

Chinese sponsors and sporting goods manufacturers are already bailing on the NBA, not to mention the cancellation of special events .

Kerr was even more wishy-washy. 

"A lot of us don't know what to make of it," he said after the Chinese decided not to broadcast this week's games. "It's something I'm reading about, but I'm not going to comment."

Popovich, meanwhile, passed the buck back to Silver — with some sort of pathetically misdirected analogy.

"Adam is a very progressive leader," he said. "We all remember how he handled the situation with the Clippers. It made everyone proud and was the right thing to do. A couple of years ago, I was walking down the street in New York City during the gay pride parade. I turned around and here comes a float, and Adam is standing on a float with a big sign in support of LGBTQ. And I felt great again, just like I did with the Clipper deal."

How's that for a bold political stance.

It's sort of funny that the same coaches who to use their NBA platforms to discredit Trump — who has taken the strongest stand of any president against China's corrupt and unethical business and trade practices — at any chance they get turn to milquetoast when it comes to criticizing NBA's kowtowing to the Chinese Communist Party business power play. 

The NBA's answer to all this?  Bringing in the NBA's newest owner to the into the middle as peacemaker.

Joe Tsai, a Taiwan-born, American-educated businessman who only last month had his purchase of the Brooklyn Nets approved, is hoping to resolve the business aspect of the problem, if not the political.

"When the topic of any separatist movement comes up, Chinese people feel a strong sense of shame and anger because of this history of foreign occupation," Tsai said in a Facebook post explaining why Morey's tweet upset the Chinese.

You have to wonder where Tsai's loyalty lies, considering he owns online retailer Alibaba, China's most valuable company.

On Monday, Rockets star James Harden offered an awkward apology that was basically an early Valentine's card after the news of Morey's tweet hit Japan where the Rockets were practicing for a preseason game.

"We apologize. You know we love China," Harden gushed about Morey's pro-Hong Kong tweet. "For both of us individually, we go there once or twice a year. They show us the most important love."

Expect to see a few other heavyweights in the coming days to step on the scale — willingly or not.
It'll be interesting to know how far Yao Ming and LeBron James' power really extends .

And if you thought the protestors in Hong Kong were the only ones being silenced, think again. On Tuesday night, pair of fans attending at a preseason game at the Wells Fargo Center between the Philadelphia 76ers against a Chinese team the Guangzhou Loong Lions were escorted out of the stands in the second quarter after yelling "Free Hong Kong" and holding up a couple of small protest signs that said the same.

Silver banned the word "owner" from the NBA vernacular for having racially insensitive connotations, but regarding this China conundrum, the commissioner owns it.

Here are the controversial signs. I know, earth shattering right? Obvious why the NBA would have a problem with this. Thanks to @Christie_Ileto for sending me this photo: pic.twitter.com/Y1GydtGked

— Sam Wachs (@gogowachs) October 9, 2019

Seeing China's Mysterious Li River By Boat Is A Trip Back in Time

Article and photos by Tony Mangia

China can be a frustrating and exhausting place for even the most laid-back traveller. With all of the pushing and shoving, the smog, crowding and communication barriers, it’s easy to have your enthusiasm smothered as you tour this great country. So it’s no wonder if a short boat cruise away from it all might just be the antidote for your frayed nerves?

Well… yes and no.

I set off for a few days in Yangshuo from Guilin via a Lijiang River tour boat after three weeks of bouncing around overcrowded Beijing and Xi’an.  After touching down in Guilin — luggage lost by China Air — with no planned itinerary, I began my quest for sanctuary. And, like just about anywhere else in China, nothing seems to be easy as it sounds.

The Li River, as it is more commonly known, is a winding band of mostly clear water in southeast China that flows  about 430 kilometers down from Cat Mountain in Xing’an County north of Guilin into the West River. I would be traveling between Guilin and Yangshuo, an 83 kilometer liquid ribbon which traverses through thousands of mystical and scenic mountains rising like giant bumps in the land. The banks of the Li feature spectacular landscapes and dozens of small towns and villages which still have an old-style architecture.

The reflections of the magical mountains ripple in the greenish water as numerous waterfalls spill from the cliffs replenishing the river in the rainy season.

And in the month of May, when I started my little excursion, it is the beginning of the monsoon season — or as it more poetically known — ‘plum-rain weather.’

And it isn't as pleasant as it sounds.

China's Scooter Culture is Changing the Environment in Many Ways

Article and Photos by Tony Mangia

The first thing visitors probably notice on the city streets of China is the vast number of mopeds and scooters flying down the streets. Not surprising since almost an estimated 200 million of them are buzzing through the traffic-clogged roadways everyday.

With the prices of cars too high and the hoards of bicycle riders declining rapidly, there is now an explosion of electric bikes and scooters spreading around China — with another 150 million more of them expected to be rolling by 2018. Even those who can afford automobiles are trading the four-wheelers in for the e-bikes to make zipping around traffic less of a chore.

So when tourists aren’t dodging the Frogger-like obstacle course on the congested streets and sidewalks, they might actually take the time to do a little scooter-watching.

And the two-wheeled trend is cool  — without trying too hard to be.

Whether on the 10-lane wide stretches of Beijing or dirt paths outside Yangshuo, the electric scooter culture — which really kicked off right before the 2008 Olympics — of China is widespread and growing. The 500 watt motors usually top out at around 40km/h — about the same pep as a 50cc gas engine — but without the noise or harmful emissions.

The similar factory designs give the e-bikes a sameness that screams for some personal flair. So the scooters are often tricked out with special decals, an upgraded paint job or even a little gold glitter to give the owner a special identity. Call it the Mods meeting Mao. But in the end, mostly, the two-wheelers have one main function — to get the riders around.

Even the wet weather isn’t a factor as hordes of riders find an array of ingenious ways to stay dry and scoot along. Apparently there’s no storm a colorful poncho, plastic shield or well placed umbrella can’t handle.

And sometimes a little hint of innovative fashion sticks out from underneath all the scooter monotony.

Young women who color-coordinate their outfits with their bikes ride alongside weary workmen hauling everything from pigs heads to air conditioners and everything in between. While customized surgeon masks (for the smog) outnumber helmets (there are no headgear laws) — sunglasses, face shields and fancy hats are all part of the e-bike style.

  Moms stand their kids on the floorboards for their morning lift to school. Girls in miniskirts ride sidesaddle, head slumped over their boyfriends’ shoulders and it’s not uncommon to see a family of five lined up on a single seat of a scooter flying down the bike lane.

That’s not to say the scooter explosion in China is not without its critics. Many claim the swarms of scooters and mopeds crowd the streets, disrupt traffic and cut off cars and traditional bicyclists. They say the 30km/h speed limit does little to prevent the two-wheeled menaces from causing additional accidents and nudging pedestrians from the crosswalks and sidewalks into the paths of incoming traffic.

Beijing actually banned the e-bikes in 2002, only to change their minds in 2006. The Chinese government threatened new regulations in 2009 to curb the influx of e-bikes on the streets — rules that would have made them the legal equivalent of a motorcycle, only to reverse their decision in 2010.

There are also environmental concerns surrounding the electric bike phenomenon. While the e-bike doesn’t emit greenhouse gases, it takes electric charges from power plants that do. And the recycling and disposal of the millions of used batteries is leaving a giant ecological footprint. The lead-acid battery production has been increasing by double-digit percentages and, in part to meet demand for e-bikes, China is manufacturing nearly 50 million of them each year. And that is one big foot. 

All of those eco repercussions mean mostly nothing to the Chinese consumer since it takes only about 1 yuan (15 U.S. cents) to charge an electric bike’s battery for the whole day. And when one-way city bus fare costs more, it looks like the e-bike has the common man’s vote.

So if you make it to China and the thought of actually straddling an e-bike (you’ll need a license) and jostling handlebars with the locals isn’t your cup of tea, grab a Snow beer and sit back. Watching the scooters and their riders is a fun way of getting to see a way of life in China.

More photos:

Tyler Johnson's goal as called by Chinese broadcast crew (VIDEO)

NBC's NHL crew had a little fun Saturday night by offering a glimpse of how the Stanley Cup Finals sounds during a broadcast half way around the world.

In the second period, NBC play-by-play man Mike Emrick told the national TV audience that they were about to hear how the goal Tampa Bay Lightning forward Tyler Johnson scored to give his team a 3-2 lead sounded to those watching in China.

As Emrick noted, the Johnson goal would have been scored at 9 a.m. in China, where it was already Sunday.

You didn't need a translator to know someone scored a goal but, if you did, this guy is available.

Photo by Tony Mangia

Tony Mangia on assignment in China

A message to the readers of The Other Paper:

I will be in China  for the next month working with the kids for a couple of weeks before heading north to photograph the eagle hunters of Mongolia.

And, depending on the availability of the Internet, Facebook and blog postings will probably be difficult — specially while on a Li river raft or on horseback with the native Kazakh people. 

Keep checking to see if any photos or stories appear on The Other Paper site. Regular postings should return around May 20.

Hopefully, I’ll be able to catch the Pacquiao-Mayweather fight in some Shanghai saloon. And, as for those dramas with A-Rod and Don Draper, I’ll just have to wait and see how they play out.

Thanks for the support — Zaijian — Tony Mangia

Badminton World Federation Shelves Sexy Outfit Makeover; Does The Sport Need It?

The Badminton World Federation has reversed a decision making it mandatory for female shuttlers to wear skirts in an effort to raise the profile of the sport.  China--that leader in human rights-- led the world-wide outcry, along with other major badminton countries, calling the original ruling sexist and unfair and sparked the BWF to bow to the howls of protests.

The sport has been an Olympic event since 1992 and is one of the most popular activities in the world besides men looking at sexy women.

The controversial ruling which proposed making it compulsory for women to wear only skirts instead of shorts or tights was initiated to get more people (i.e. men)  interested in watching the sport.  Look at what the hotties from  the Danish and Swedish curling teams did for that sport in the last Winter Games.

It could be that the marketing men for the BWF weren't thinking with shuttlecocks in mind.

The BWF (shouldn't it be called the World Badminton Federation anyway) Deputy-President, American Paisan Rangsikitpho, explained the importance of forcing girls as young as thirteen wear skirts to draw more leering eyes to the sport.

"We just want women to look feminine and have a nice presentation so they'll be more popular," he said.