2008 Beijing Olympics: NBA Chooses Profits Over Power of Voice

In today’s society, we are fortunate to have more outlets to information and news than any other civilization in history. Want to find out what’s happening in the town 30 miles from you? Hop on the Internet. Want to find out what’s happening in the country halfway across the world? Take your pick of TV, radio, or the Internet. It’s not a question of whether we can be informed or not, but a question of which means of communication we choose to educate ourselves. 

Because so many of us are very opinionated and steadfast in our beliefs I avoid talking about politics and race in my articles at all possible cost. Sure, if I want 5,000+ reads I could throw in a topic of race to stir the pot or put in my two cents on politics. But that’s not what I’m about and will continue to stay that way.

The only reason I have decided, after long and hard thought, to tackle this topic of China, the USA Basketball team, and the Olympics is because the events taking place in Darfur have nothing to do with politics. In my eyes, human genocide is not politics. The question of basic human rights and men, women, and children being slaughtered while being shown less respect than meat-packing factories show pigs and cows, is not politics. It’s the difference between humans and savages.

Bleacher Report’s own Sean Crowe and David Mayeda wrote superb articles discussing the power of voices in the Olympic Games (I highly recommend reading both to gain a more clear perspective on what I am discussing). Very few of us are fortunate to have a voice powerful enough for the entire world to hear; if we choose to use it. An even smaller number of us have a chance to participate in an event that showcases the best of the best from all countries, as nations come together to celebrate sports and progress. 

Combine the powerful voice with the largest possible venue and you have the ingredients to deliver a message that can impact millions, open eyes, shape and reshape opinions of all races and religions. This is why I was so excited to see two of the biggest stars, not just in the NBA, but in the United States sports landscape look as if they were getting ready to make their voices heard. 

Kobe Bryant and Lebron James had given strong indications that they would use the Olympic stage to do their part in bringing attention to a very real problem; a problem that has thus far claimed 400,000 lives (according to the United Nations).

Then I heard their answers on Outside the Lines (ESPN). Bryant’s and James’ responses were echoed (almost word for word) by others including Deron Williams, Carmelo Anthony and Dwyane Wade. All of them saying something along the lines of, “We’re here to play basketball and let the governments handle the politics.”

Hearing each and every one of the USA Basketball players utter those words made me slump back in my chair and shake my head. They squandered an opportunity not just to bring awareness to a global issue, but to also gain new fans and show so many in the United States that NBA players are not just ignorant street thugs, but young knowledgeable men who have been given a bad rap by a few thugs here and there.  This is a lost opportunity on many fronts if you ask me. 

However, after hearing the fifth and sixth players say essentially the same things, I began to wonder why all of a sudden no one had the interest to speak up. Didn’t Kobe record a commercialtalking about coming together to make a change? Didn’t Lebron give that interview in May saying that he wanted to educate himself first, then talk when the stage was set? That’s when I came back from Lala land, snapped back to reality and looked at the facts.

The United States has a population of roughly 300 million. The number of basketball fans in China alone is estimated to be 300 million. Let that sink in for a second. 

In 2007, 83% of Chinese men ages 18 to 24 claimed to be basketball fans. Close to a third of the visits to NBA.com come from China and there are 50,000 plus stores selling NBA merchandise. 

As of October 2007, David Stern estimated that the NBA profited $50 million from China alone. Not that big of a figure, right? Stern estimated that the league would make around $250 million annually from China by 2010. 

Kobe Bryant, Lebron James, Carmelo Anthony, and Dwyane Wade are all in the top 10 of jerseys sold in China. I don’t have the figures on how much each makes from the sales or how much the league does, but I can estimate that the numbers would drop significantly if any of the aforementioned players decided to voice an opinion that upset the Sleeping Giant.

It is clear that the NBA is covering its bases and banking its future success on the heels of China. After all, we all know how badly Stern wants the league to globalize. Why jeopardize all that money and all that success because a few players want to throw their two cents in on mass killings? 

I used to think genocide was reason enough.

Somewhere along the way, we lost sight of what’s important.  We pride ourselves in having civil liberties, yet quietly watch as one of our largest sports entities turns its cheek for the sake of expanding its sport. 

Why are we not upset? Why are we not screaming for David Stern’s head or calling the players hypocrites? Do you realize that there was more commotion and widespread anger when Stern instituted the dress code? That’s saying something about our priorities. 

Now I know there are a lot of you out there who are going to assume that I’m some sort of hippie and that I don’t understand about the importance of profits. Wrong. Working for the Small Business Administration of the Government, I understand how cutthroat things are, and how important it is to be in the green rather than the red. You make money or you pack your things up and make room for somebody who will. Simple as that, cut and dry. The only difference is this: 

Are having higher profit margins worth the expense of attention and awareness that could have been brought to a mass murder scene? Is saving one, two, 10, 100, or 1,000 lives worth a decrease in Kobe or Lebron’s jersey sales?

“We have the power. We have the power to unite people. If we can unite people who are willing to take a stand, miracles can happen. What do you stand for? In Darfur, hundreds of thousands have been murdered, mutilated, families torn apart.  Please take a stand with us. We have the power to save lives, to restore lives. Join us at AidStillRequired.org. Together, we have the power to change the world.”  - Kobe Bryant Commercial Transcript

I know where I stand.

Unfortunately, we also know where the NBA stands.