<div>
LeBron James, the NBA’s self-anointed “King,” has once again traded American values for Communist applause — this time by authoring a fawning op-ed in People’s Daily, the Chinese Communist Party’s flagship propaganda paper.
</div>
<div>
James fawned over China’s basketball culture and praised the “friendliness” of his “Chinese friends,” all while the NBA attempts to reopen its lucrative market in the authoritarian state fully, NBC News <a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/world/asia/lebron-james-china-nba-build-bridges-rcna230007">reported</a>.
</div>
<div>
“Basketball is not just a sport. It’s a bridge that connects us,” James wrote, as if quoting directly from the CCP’s global harmony playbook.
</div>
<div>
James is the first NBA player ever to publish in People’s Daily — a paper infamous for rubber-stamping CCP talking points and suppressing political dissent.
</div>
<div>
Now 40 and entering his record-breaking 23rd NBA season, James did not use the platform to speak about democracy, freedom, or the Uyghur genocide, but to wax poetic about China’s “passion,” “friendliness,” and “impressive basketball atmosphere.” He gushed about how “moved” he is by China’s support and vowed to “give his all” in every game — as if his performance on the court were a debt owed to Beijing.
</div>
<div>
This isn’t new behavior for LeBron. Back in 2019, when then-Houston Rockets GM Daryl Morey dared to speak up for democracy in Hong Kong, James didn’t stand for freedom — he attacked it. Calling Morey “misinformed,” LeBron <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2019/10/14/us/lebron-james-nba-china-intl-hnk-scli">warned</a> about the supposed “ramifications” of exercising free speech. He stated:
</div>
<div>
<blockquote>We all talk about this freedom of speech. Yes, we all do have freedom of speech, but at times there are ramifications for the negative that can happen when you&#8217;re not thinking about others, and you&#8217;re only thinking about yourself. I don&#8217;t want to get into a word or sentence feud with Daryl Morey, but I believe he wasn&#8217;t educated on the situation at hand, and he spoke. And so many people could have been harmed, not only financially, but physically, emotionally, spiritually. </blockquote>
</div>
<div>
In other words: speak up for liberty, and you might hurt LeBron’s brand deals.
</div>
<div>
James later said Morey’s pro-Hong Kong tweet could have caused harm “financially, physically, emotionally, spiritually.” But the only real harm? A dent in NBA profits from China.
</div>
<div>
LeBron’s lifetime Nike deal is <a href="https://www.gq.com/story/lebron-james-nike-deal-bilion-maverick-carter">reportedly worth</a> $1 billion. His signature shoes? Among the top sellers in China.
</div>
<div>
The NBA has billions at stake in China. In 2019, the league signed a <a href="https://www.sportsbusinessjournal.com/Daily/Global/2019/07/29/Tencent-NBA/?utm_source=chatgpt.com">$1.5 billion streaming contract</a> with Chinese tech giant Tencent and has <a href="https://www.isportconnect.com/cctv-agrees-new-deal-with-nba-china/?utm_source=chatgpt.com">business ties</a> to state-run CCTV, which famously <a href="https://www.cnbc.com/2019/10/08/china-state-tv-suspends-nba-broadcasts-after-morey-hong-kong-tweet.html?utm_source=chatgpt.com">yanked NBA games</a> after the Morey incident.
</div>
<div>
Actor James Woods may have said it best during the 2020 NBA playoff protests, when LeBron first threatened to boycott, then backed off. Woods tweeted: “His China handlers didn’t like the optics?”
</div>
<div>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
His China handlers didn’t like the optics? <a href="https://t.co/PsbhIXHd9E">https://t.co/PsbhIXHd9E</a>
&mdash; James Woods (@RealJamesWoods) <a href="https://twitter.com/RealJamesWoods/status/1299356993061179394?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 28, 2020</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
</div>
<div>
The NBA is preparing to play its first preseason games in China since 2019.
</div>
<div>
When does a basketball player stop being just an athlete and start becoming a mouthpiece for a regime that crushes freedom?
</div>
<div>
Apparently, when the checks are big enough.
</div>

NBA Star LeBron James 2025 China Tour In Chengdu

LeBron James Pens Love Letter to China, Waxes Poetic About ‘Impressive Basketball Atmosphere’

China

LeBron James

NBA Hall of Famer Charles Barkley harshly condemned supporters of men playing in women’s sports, calling them “stupid.”
Barkley made his comments speaking with Dan Dakich on Outkick’s “Don’t @ Me.” Dakich asked about rumors that Nike had funded a so-called &#8220;gender-affirming care&#8221; study.
“Did you see this? I don’t know if you saw this,” Dakich said. “Nike’s been really good to me; Nike would take me on trips, I’d make some money, but they’re helping fund a gender-affirming care study on young boys with the goal is impairing (sic) boys to be able to come down, to participate against women. Have you seen this thing?”
“I have not, but I’m gonna make this very simple for you, Dan. Men should not play sports against women,” Barkley answered. “I’m not gonna get into all the bulls*** that’s going on out here in the world today.”
“You know, it’s interesting; I always sit back and look at stuff. And let me tell you something: I love gay people; I love transgender people. I’m against any form of discrimination, period. &#8230; I love my gay friends; I love my transgender friends. But, I’m not gonna get into all this stuff that’s going around, men should not play sports against women. If anybody thinks that, I think they’re stupid. I support the gay community 100%. I support the transgender community 100%. But I do not, under any circumstances … think that men should play sports against women. If anybody has a problem with that, they’re gonna have to get over it because I’m not gonna change. I just think it’s wrong, period.”
“I’m never gonna think it’s all right for men to play sports against women. I don’t even think that’s controversial,” he continued. “I don’t wanna hear you try to explain it to me. No, no, no, I don’t wanna hear it. I’m not gonna argue with you. Men shouldn’t play sports against women. I’m done. Don’t try to tell me this, or this, or this, period.”
The study supposedly funded by Nike was referred to in a recent New York Times <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2025/04/20/magazine/trans-athletes-women-college-sports.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">article</a> that mentioned Joanna Harper, a man who identifies as a transgender woman who is also a PhD researcher at Loughborough University in England. The Times stated:
<blockquote>
Harper is currently helping to lead an ambitious study of trans adolescents that measures their results on a 10-step fitness test before they start hormone therapy and then, after they have begun to medically transition, every six months for five years. But, she told me when we talked in February, “the current climate makes the study somewhat uncertain.” I assumed she was referring to the Trump administration’s cuts to National Institutes of Health research grants, but she said money was not a problem: The study is being funded by Nike.
</blockquote>
“I don’t even think anybody knows who they are as a young kid. So I think we have to be very careful because you don’t want to put kids in a disadvantageous situation, because, hey, when you get older, you can make your own decision,” Barkley said. “I think we have to be very careful screwing around with kids because they’re not fully developed as a person.”
<iframe loading="lazy" title="YouTube video player" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/Gmf-ggwCvtw?si=bM_TCLhJgYylf3CY&amp;start=1706" width="560" height="315" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe>

Charles Barkley

Charles Barkley Dunks On Supporters Of Men In Women’s Sports: ‘They’re Stupid’

Celebrities

Transgender

U.S.

Women's sports

After Los Angeles Lakers star Lebron James — who has a long-standing history of flopping on the floor to draw unwarranted fouls from the opposition — flopped one time too many in Wednesday’s playoff game against the Minnesota Timberwolves, as a Minnesota combat veteran and former state representative who had both of his legs blown off in Iraq offered a deathless response on X.
“I had less of a reaction when my legs were blown off,” John Kriesel, who now serves as director of veteran services for Anoka County, reacted. Kriesel was awarded the Purple Heart and Bronze Star medal after serving in Iraq; in 2006, he was injured by an Improvised Explosive Device (IED) that blew up. He is also the author of the autobiography Still Standing.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
I had less of a reaction when my legs were blown off. <a href="https://t.co/2gWk1EtRzH">https://t.co/2gWk1EtRzH</a>
— John Kriesel (@johnkriesel) <a href="https://twitter.com/johnkriesel/status/1917976625112584332?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 1, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
The Timberwolves won the game 103-96, eliminating the Lakers from the playoffs.
There were multiple hilarious responses to Kriesel’s post, including:
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
A player for the Dallas Stars hockey team died on the bench (flatlined for 2 minutes), was resuscitated in the hallway, and asked to go back into the game.<a href="https://t.co/XfSdKgHlo3">https://t.co/XfSdKgHlo3</a>
— Slim Tidings (@drfeedbacker) <a href="https://twitter.com/drfeedbacker/status/1918096265818083701?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 2, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Falls can be deadly for elderly men like LeBron. He could break a hip, be hospitalized and contract staphylococcal infection.
— Greg Brown (@the_Greglodon) <a href="https://twitter.com/the_Greglodon/status/1918109860270653733?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 2, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
He is a DIVA &#8211;his name should never be in the same sentence as MJ, Bird or Barkley &#8211;seriously <a href="https://t.co/xBKPVbkSEo">pic.twitter.com/xBKPVbkSEo</a>
— AJH (@UnamedLocation) <a href="https://twitter.com/UnamedLocation/status/1918082924622082507?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 1, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
“Poor LeBron, all 6’9, 250 pounds of him, ran into Minnesota’s Donte Divincenzo, 6’4, 203 pounds, during Wednesday’s Lakers playoff exit and…couldn’t get up.&#8221;
&#8220;Divincenzo, 47 pounds lighter, had no such problem,” Outkick <a href="https://www.outkick.com/sports/lebron-james-has-hall-fame-worthy-flop-sad-lakers-playoff-exit">mocked</a>. “LeBron was on the ground for more than 20 seconds. Men have been hit by prime Mike Tyson and stayed on the canvas for less time than LeBron sprawled himself out on the hardwood.”
Earlier in the series, James got caught after a flop, taking a surreptitious look, apparently to see if the refs had called a foul.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
LeBron think he slick 🤣 
(h/t bonbaguy23/TT) <a href="https://t.co/10OAMCcEJS">pic.twitter.com/10OAMCcEJS</a>
— Overtime (@overtime) <a href="https://twitter.com/overtime/status/1915127592258310587?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 23, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
“James was hit in the face by Timberwolves forward Julius Randle, 30, in the fourth quarter of Game 2 in Los Angeles&#8217; first-round playoff series, and stayed on the floor for several minutes as referees discussed the call,” People Magazine <a href="https://people.com/lebron-james-caught-flopping-fans-think-lakers-playoff-win-11721511">reported</a>.
In a loss to the Boston Celtics during the regular season, James flopped again. Sports Illustrated wrote that he “may have added a lamentable lowlight to his highlight reel with a brutal flop late in the game.”
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Don’t ever compare this man to Jordan again <a href="https://t.co/Il9ccLztkt">pic.twitter.com/Il9ccLztkt</a>
— Samantha (@SN1onX) <a href="https://twitter.com/SN1onX/status/1898585868106870808?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 9, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
There have even been videos featuring James’ legendary flopping habits:
<iframe loading="lazy" title="Lebron FLOPS from Level 1 to 100" width="500" height="281" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/N7cZn9bgATE?feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" allowfullscreen></iframe>
<blockquote class="tiktok-embed" cite="https://www.tiktok.com/@instabucketz/video/7337784992405277994" data-video-id="7337784992405277994" data-embed-from="oembed" style="max-width:605px; min-width:325px;">
<section> <a target="_blank" title="@instabucketz" href="https://www.tiktok.com/@instabucketz?refer=embed">@instabucketz</a> 
1 minute of LeBron James flopping 😂 Le🩴 <a title="instabucketz" target="_blank" href="https://www.tiktok.com/tag/instabucketz?refer=embed">#instabucketz</a> <a title="basketball" target="_blank" href="https://www.tiktok.com/tag/basketball?refer=embed">#basketball</a> <a title="basketball" target="_blank" href="https://www.tiktok.com/tag/basketball?refer=embed">#basketball</a> 
 <a target="_blank" title="♬ original sound - Instabucketz" href="https://www.tiktok.com/music/original-sound-7337785051411647274?refer=embed">♬ original sound &#8211; Instabucketz</a> </section>
</blockquote>
 <script async src="https://www.tiktok.com/embed.js"></script>

Minnesota Timberwolves v Los Angeles Lakers – Game Five

LeBron Flops One Time Too Many, Provoking Deathless Response From Iraq Combat Vet

Iraq

Los Angeles Lakers

Minnesota

Veterans

Canadian fans booed the singing of the U.S. national anthem at NHL and NBA games following President Donald Trump’s threat of putting tariffs on their goods.
In a <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v0yTsFijc9A">video</a> from Sunday night’s hockey game in Vancouver, British Columbia, between the Detroit Red Wings and the Canucks, Agasha Mutesasira started singing the words “The land of the free” and some fans at the game began to boo, the <a href="https://apnews.com/article/fans-boo-national-anthem-tariffs-canada-2c7210574c0373348870a94445814407">Associated Press</a> reported. However, by the end of the song, the crowd cheers for the singer’s performance.
It happened after Trump announced increased <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/tariffs" target="_blank" rel="noopener">tariffs</a> on goods from Canada, China, and Mexico over the lack of sufficient action against human and drug trafficking that has poured into the U.S., as previously <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/canada-mexico-slap-tariffs-on-u-s-after-trump-uses-trade-to-force-border-security">reported</a>.
“I mean, it’s too bad, right? It is what it is,” Red Wings&#8217; Patrick Kane said after <a href="https://apnews.com/article/red-wings-canucks-score-6f872c067c635cb24de06a2da1eccc4d">Detroit’s win</a>. “I guess you can maybe understand it from this side but, seems like it’s a thing that’s going around the league right now.”
<iframe loading="lazy" title="Amid Trump tariffs, fans in Canada boo U.S. national anthem before Red Wings vs. Canucks game" width="500" height="281" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/v0yTsFijc9A?feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" allowfullscreen></iframe>
Over the weekend, Canadian fans attending an NBA game between the Toronto Raptors  and the Los Angeles Clippers at Scotiabank Arena had a similar reaction when a 15-year-old female singer started singing “The Star Spangled Banner.&#8221;
In one <a href="https://x.com/william_lou/status/1886151383268626636">clip</a>, fans in the crowd can be heard booing from the second the young singer starts to sing the words, “Oh say can you see…” By the end of the performance, most of the loud booing subsided and the crowd applauded the young singer, as this <a href="https://www.youtube.com/shorts/SWlZ6hn_SRM" target="_blank" rel="noopener">video</a> showed.
Raptors’ Chris Boucher, a Canadian citizen, was asked about the booing after beating the Clippers and whether he’d ever experienced something like it, the <a href="https://nypost.com/2025/02/02/sports/toronto-raptors-fans-continue-trend-of-booing-us-national-anthem/?utm_campaign=nypost&amp;utm_source=twitter&amp;utm_medium=social">New York Post </a>noted.
“No, no, no,” Boucher replied. “But have you ever seen us getting taxed like that?”
A Toronto resident, who was at the game, said that while he doesn’t agree with the tariffs, he also thought the booing was the wrong approach, the AP noted.
“I have a bunch of American family, friends that live in the states that are Americans, we travel to America all the time, but I thought chanting, ‘Canada,’ would be a more appropriate stance,” Joseph Chua explained. “Usually I will stand. I’ve always stood during both anthems. I’ve taken my hat off to show respect to the American national anthem, but today we’re feeling a little bitter about things.”
“We were already talking about what businesses are Canadian, specifically, what are American, specifically, what to avoid,” he added. “When I go grocery shopping, I will definitely be trying to avoid American products and groceries.”

Nashville Predators v Dallas Stars

Canadian Fans Boo U.S. National Anthem At Sporting Events

Canada Fans Booing US National Anthem At Sporting Events

Canada

Donald Trump

Sports

Tariffs

U.S. National Anthem

Federal prosecutors have launched an investigation into Miami Heat guard Terry Rozier for allegedly manipulating his performance in a 2023 NBA game as part of an illegal gambling conspiracy.
Federal investigators are <a href="https://www.wsj.com/sports/basketball/terry-rozier-illegal-betting-probe-nba-63a7170b">focusing</a> on a March 23, 2023, game that Rozier exited early with a reported foot injury, finishing with five points, four rebounds, two assists, and one steal after playing under 10 minutes, according to The Wall Street Journal. Rozier did not play a game for the rest of the season.
Authorities became suspicious when a known gambling ring placed massive bets on his performance that night, prompting several sports books to stop taking bets on Rozier and a review of betting records.
“In March 2023, the NBA was alerted to unusual betting activity related to Terry Rozier’s performance in a game between Charlotte and New Orleans … and did not find a violation of NBA rules,” NBA spokesman Mike Bass said. 
The league is now cooperating with prosecutors as they investigate Rozier’s possible ties to a gambling scheme involving Jontay Porter, who was banned from the NBA last year after pleading guilty to criminal conspiracy similar to Rozier’s case.
According to <a href="https://www.cbsnews.com/boston/news/terry-rozier-nba-investigation-illegal-gambling-celtics-heat-hornets/">CBS</a>, “An investigation found that Porter relayed confidential information to bettors and agreed to feign an injury or illness to remove himself early in two games to ensure bettors would win wagers on his individual statistics. Porter pleaded guilty to criminal conspiracy last year and is currently awaiting sentencing.”
Rozier, a 10-year veteran with 642 career appearances, joined the Miami Heat after stints with the Boston Celtics and Charlotte Hornets. He has averaged nearly 12 points per game this season while coming off the bench for Miami.
The same suspicious shift that led to sports books dropping wagers on Rozier also raised red flags for federal authorities, who are now examining whether Rozier’s early departure was part of a deliberate plan. Although the NBA’s own review initially concluded that Rozier had not violated league rules, officials have acknowledged that the federal probe may uncover new information tied to alleged collaborators outside the league.
While Porter’s role in an illegal betting operation led him to <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2024/07/11/us/jontay-porter-guilty-plead-wire-fraud-conspiracy/index.html">plead guilty</a> to wire fraud conspiracy last July, the circumstances surrounding Rozier’s alleged involvement will be scrutinized in the context of his more established NBA career. As the inquiry progresses, league officials and federal prosecutors will continue collaborating in an effort to determine whether any further legal or disciplinary action is warranted.

New York Knicks v Miami Heat

Feds Probe NBA Star’s Alleged Role in Illegal Betting Scheme

Fantasy Sports

gambling

The NFL&#8217;s Christmas Day games on Netflix set a record as the most streamed games in NFL history with around 24 million people tuning in for each game, Axios <a href="https://www.axios.com/2024/12/26/netflix-nfl-ratings-beyonce" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported</a>.
The NFL&#8217;s Christmas doubleheader kicked off with the Kansas City Chiefs vs. Pittsburgh Steelers, which drew 24.1 million viewers, according to Nielsen. A Netflix spokesman told Axios that around one-third of the streaming service&#8217;s global concurrent viewers were watching the game at one point, which made the Chiefs-Steelers game the most-watched concurrent stream of the past four years for Netflix.
Later in the day on Wednesday, the game between the Houston Texans and Baltimore Ravens had an average audience of 24.3 million viewers. According to Nielsen figures dating back to 2001, the Texans-Ravens game was the most-watched Christmas Day game for the coveted 18-34-year-old demographic. The game&#8217;s viewership peaked at 27 million when Beyonce took the stage to perform at halftime.
Both Christmas Day games drew more viewers than the 2023 AFC wild card matchup between the Chiefs and the Miami Dolphins, which streamed on Peacock. Combined, both NFL Christmas Day games — along with pre-game shows and Beyonce&#8217;s halftime performance — drew in around 65 million people, the Associated Press <a href="https://apnews.com/article/nba-nfl-christmas-b59bd2a3cc1bf94d351d8db6fbe030c8" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported</a>. The successful NFL streams on Netflix came a month after the streaming giant was criticized during the Jake Paul and Mike Tyson fight when many viewers complained about the stream freezing and buffering.
<a href="https://get.dailywire.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">50% OFF ALL DAILY WIRE ANNUAL MEMBERSHIPS FOR A LIMITED TIME!</a>
The NBA, which has scheduled games on Christmas Day for decades, saw a bump in viewership on Wednesday, but its numbers came nowhere close to the NFL&#8217;s. The NBA, which broadcasted its games on ABC and ESPN, averaged around 5 million viewers for its five-game Christmas Day slate. This year&#8217;s Christmas Day NBA games saw an 84% rise in viewership compared to last year.
Following the Los Angeles Lakers win over the Golden State Warriors on Wednesday night, LeBron James quipped, &#8220;I love the NFL, but Christmas is our day.&#8221;
NFL Media Executive Vice President Hans Schroeder responded to James&#8217; comment, saying, “The numbers speak for themselves and LeBron can have his own view, and I’m sure more people will look at that because of this.&#8221;
&#8220;But, you know, we’re focused on the NFL and we’re thrilled with the results this year with the Christmas on Netflix and we’re excited to continue to build that over the next couple of years,&#8221; Schroeder added.

NFL/Netflix

NFL Breaks Streaming Record With Christmas Day Games On Netflix

Christmas

Netflix

The NBA is seeing its viewership plummet in the first half of the 2024-2025 season while the NFL enjoys some of its best ratings in the past decade.
As of last week, NBA ratings were down 17% across its main networks, ABC, ESPN, and TNT, according to <a href="https://www.cnbc.com/2024/12/19/cnbc-sport-falling-nba-ratings-and-directvs-christmas-day-nfl-deal.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">CNBC Sport</a>. The problem has become big enough for NBA Commissioner Adam Silver to address it, but Silver seems positive that the negative viewership trend isn&#8217;t &#8220;a lack of interest in the game.&#8221;
The NFL, meanwhile, recorded its highest average of viewers per game (17.3 million) through the first 10 weeks of the season, Front Office Sports <a href="https://frontofficesports.com/nfl-tv-ratings-up-big-on-major-networks-but-theres-a-caveat/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported</a> last month. That average doesn&#8217;t include a few games that were available exclusively services Peacock and ESPN+ or international games broadcast on NFL Network. The NFL is also seeing a 7% increase in viewership on streaming service Amazon Prime this year compared to last year.
So, what&#8217;s behind the NBA&#8217;s struggles?
There are a few theories.
Some argue that the league has become &#8220;woke,&#8221; as players and coaches focus too much on politics when fans just want to watch basketball. Since 2020, the NBA has been one of, if not the most, pro-social justice sports leagues. After the 2020 death of George Floyd in police custody, the NBA allowed players to put phrases such as &#8220;Black Lives Matter&#8221; and &#8220;I Can&#8217;t Breathe&#8221; on their uniforms.
That decision clearly left a bad taste in the mouths of many fans. While the NBA has dialed back its league-wide push for social justice, some of the most notable players and coaches in the league — such as LeBron James, Stephen Curry, and Steve Kerr — are still openly political and openly Left-leaning.
If woke culture is a culprit for the NBA&#8217;s ratings decline, it&#8217;s probably not the sole reason. The NFL has also pushed <a href="https://www.nfl.com/causes/inspire-change/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">social justice</a> causes in recent years, and still allows players to place social-justice-inspired phrases on the back of their helmets. The wokeness in the NFL hasn&#8217;t gone completely away, but the pro football league&#8217;s ratings are spiking again.
<a href="https://get.dailywire.com/">50% OFF ALL DAILY WIRE ANNUAL MEMBERSHIPS FOR A LIMITED TIME!</a>
Others say the NBA&#8217;s viewership has declined because a handful of star players throughout the league haven&#8217;t been playing as much this season due to injuries. Stars like Joel Embiid, Zion Williamson, Kevin Durant, Steph Curry, Chet Holmgren, Paolo Banchero, Luka Doncic, and Victor Wembanyama have all missed multiple games this season.
The NBA commissioner has another theory. He pointed to the decreasing number of people watching traditional cable TV as a reason for the numbers the NBA is seeing this year.
“We’re almost at the inflection point where people are watching more programming on streaming than they are in traditional television,” Silver said, according to <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/6002603/2024/12/17/adam-silver-nba-tv-ratings/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Athletic</a>.
Other sports are also struggling with viewership declines. Men&#8217;s and women&#8217;s college basketball, along with the NHL are all down this year, Sports Media Watch reported, a fact that appears to bolster Silver&#8217;s argument that the ratings decline has a lot to do with the overall decline in cable TV subscriptions.
Silver added that beginning next year, the NBA is going to make every game &#8220;available on a streaming service.&#8221;
Some fans complain that the NBA&#8217;s 82-game season is just too long to stay interesting, so it&#8217;s impossible for the league to keep its ratings up all year. To address this and bring more viewers in during the first half of its long season, the NBA started an in-season tournament where all 30 teams face off in a round-robin group play followed by a single-elimination playoff. The in-season tournament began last year and recently finished its second go-round. Ratings for this season&#8217;s tournament, however, were 10% lower than last year&#8217;s, Outkick <a href="https://www.outkick.com/sports/ratings-new-nba-tournament-failure" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported</a>.
In all likelihood, each theory for the NBA&#8217;s tanking ratings is partly correct. It&#8217;s true, as Silver points out, that the way people watch TV is rapidly changing, as streaming services gain more prominence, and injuries to any league&#8217;s star players won&#8217;t help with ratings.
But it&#8217;s also true that the NBA has been vocal about politics, and Americans just don&#8217;t want their favorite sports teams and players lecturing them about cultural issues and presidential candidates.

NFL/NBA

NBA Ratings Tank While The NFL Jumps. What’s Behind The Viewership Contrast?

NBA Ratings Tank While The NFL's Jump. What's Behind The Viewership Contrast?

Adam Silver

Former NBA player <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/charles-barkley" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Charles Barkley</a> slammed the Democratic Party in a recent rant about the its losses in the 2024 elections and the subsequent blame-game that it has played in trying to explain why it came up short.
The 61-year-old commentator, who is a staunch <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/charles-barkley-attacks-americans-boycotting-bud-light-rednecks-and-aholes" target="_blank" rel="noopener">defender</a> of transgender rights, made the remarks during a recent episode of &#8220;The Steam Room&#8221; podcast with his NBA on TNT co-host Ernie Johnson.
He started his rant by congratulating President-elect Donald Trump on his election victory and wishing him success for his upcoming term in office.
&#8220;I just want to say this to the Democrats, which I&#8217;m an independent who voted Democratic, do me this favor: Shut the f*** up!&#8221; he said.
&#8220;When you win, you get to say what you want to,&#8221; he continued. &#8220;When you lose, you need to shut the hell up.&#8221;
He chided those who were making excuses by saying things like, &#8220;Oh, President Biden, they didn’t get out of the race soon enough,&#8221; or &#8220;Kamala didn’t do this.&#8221;
&#8220;We lost because we had no game plan,&#8221; he said. &#8220;We still haven&#8217;t solved the immigration problem, have no viable answers, never addressed inflation.&#8221;
<a href="https://www.amiracist.com/?_gl=1*jtghwp*_gcl_au*ODQ1NjYzNTg2LjE3Mjg5MDk3OTE.*_ga*MTc2NzM0NDQ2NS4xNzI4OTA5Nzkx*_ga_CZKR9ZYKJP*MTczMDEyMDgwOS40OS4xLjE3MzAxMjA4MzkuMzAuMC4w" target="_blank" rel="noopener">MATT WALSH’S ‘AM I RACIST?’ NOW STREAMING ON DAILYWIRE+</a>
He also slammed the Harris campaign and the Democratic Party for focusing its efforts on &#8220;bringing all these stupid stars out to rally the vote.&#8221;
&#8220;Hey, I love Beyonce. What is bringing her out? That ain&#8217;t gonna make me vote a certain way,&#8221; he said. &#8220;Cardi B. I like Cardi B, that ain&#8217;t gonna make me vote a certain type of way.&#8221;
&#8220;You guys lost because y&#8217;all stupid,&#8221; he added.
Barkley added that he does not believe that &#8220;everybody who voted for Trump is racist,&#8221; and although he is not a fan of Trump, &#8220;he’s the president&#8221; and &#8220;I’m gonna have to respect the office.&#8221;
WATCH:
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Sir Charles Barkley on 2024: “I just want to say this to the Democrats…Do me this favor: shut the f**k up! When you win, you get to say what you want to. When you lose, you need to shut the hell up.” <a href="https://t.co/6PCCY3riMD">pic.twitter.com/6PCCY3riMD</a>
— Steve Guest (@SteveGuest) <a href="https://twitter.com/SteveGuest/status/1859058103284887669?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 20, 2024</a></blockquote>

2024 Steve Harvey Charity Golf Classic

Charles Barkley’s Advice To Democrats After Losing: ‘Shut The F*** Up!’

Democratic Party

Kamala Harris

Politics

The recent unveiling of a statue to honor <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/nba">NBA</a> star <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/dwyane-wade">Dwyane Wade</a> by the Miami Heat quickly sparked reactions from fans, who mostly agreed the tribute looks nothing like the man himself.
The statue was commissioned by the Heat and created by sculptors Omri Amrany and Oscar León from Rotblatt Amrany Studio. It was intended to celebrate Wade’s lasting impact on the franchise, but many fans saw nothing but the fact that the features didn’t resemble Wade.
Wade was honored with a ceremony, and the new statue was unveiled outside the Kaseya Center in Miami on Sunday. The statue is supposed to be of Wade doing the &#8220;This is my house&#8221; pose, per <a href="https://www.si.com/nba/miami-heat-dwyane-wade-statue-roasted">Sports Illustrated</a>.
“The Miami Heat should’ve had a contest where they showed this picture to 1,000 fans — and anyone who guesses it’s Dwyane Wade gets to keep the statue,” one social media user <a href="https://x.com/JeffDarlington/status/1850668926671241616">wrote</a> on X.
“This statue is so bad it’s making me forget what Dwayne [sic] Wade actually looks like,” another comment <a href="https://x.com/OG_Rad_Hatter/status/1850663483488239826">said</a>. “The longer I look, the harder it is for me to picture his real face.”
“They did him dirty with that sculpture. In no way does that remotely look like Dwyane Wade,” another wrote.
“Why is Dwayne Wade [sic] unveiling a statue of Laurence Fishburne??” another wondered.
<a href="https://www.amiracist.com/?_gl=1*jtghwp*_gcl_au*ODQ1NjYzNTg2LjE3Mjg5MDk3OTE.*_ga*MTc2NzM0NDQ2NS4xNzI4OTA5Nzkx*_ga_CZKR9ZYKJP*MTczMDEyMDgwOS40OS4xLjE3MzAxMjA4MzkuMzAuMC4w">MATT WALSH’S ‘AM I RACIST?’ NOW STREAMING ON DAILYWIRE+</a>
Wade also seemed to react to the lack of resemblance, saying during his speech, “Like that’s crazy, I can’t believe it, like who is that guy?” while gesturing towards the statue. 
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
Dwayne Wade on his statue: 
“WHO’S THAT GUY.” 😭😭😭 <a href="https://t.co/NGL7ZN2NYX">pic.twitter.com/NGL7ZN2NYX</a>
&mdash; NBACentel (@TheNBACentel) <a href="https://twitter.com/TheNBACentel/status/1850662727477235726?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 27, 2024</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Wade was not the first athlete to see a statue meant to resemble him go viral for the wrong reason.
A bronze bust of NFL star Peyton Manning made headlines after its unveiling in 2021, with fans saying it didn’t even come close to capturing the look of the former top pick of the NFL draft. 
Soccer legend Cristiano Ronaldo was honored with a bronze bust that was mocked for looking nothing like him, leading to his brother having a new statue <a href="https://bleacherreport.com/articles/2781589-ronaldo-sculptor-emanuel-santos-devastated-as-bust-swapped-at-madeira-airport">commissioned</a> just one year after its unveiling in 2017. 
&nbsp;

Dwyane Wade

Dwyane Wade Statue Mocked By Fans Who Say It Looks Nothing Like Him

Florida

Miami

Statues

NBA legend Dikembe Mutombo, who was inducted into the Hall of Fame as a dominant 7-foot-2 center, died Monday after losing his battle with brain cancer. He was 58.
NBA commissioner Adam Silver said in a statement that he was surrounded by his family when he died.
Mutombo played 18 seasons in the NBA, where he was one of the most feared shot blockers of all time and taunted opponents with a signature finger wag.
&#8220;Dikembe Mutombo was simply larger than life,&#8221; Silver said. &#8220;On the court, he was one of the greatest shot blockers and defensive players in the history of the NBA. Off the floor, he poured his heart and soul into helping others.&#8221;
<a href="https://www.amiracist.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.amiracist.com/&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1726313279401000&amp;usg=AOvVaw115_qPFFEePDP86-Fvo-Vd">Am I Racist? Is In Theaters NOW — Get Your Tickets Here!</a>
Silver continued:
<blockquote>There was nobody more qualified than Dikembe to serve as the NBA&#8217;s first Global Ambassador. He was a humanitarian at his core. He loved what the game of basketball could do to make a positive impact on communities, especially in his native Democratic Republic of the Congo and across the continent of Africa. I had the privilege of traveling the world with Dikembe and seeing first-hand how his generosity and compassion uplifted people. He was always accessible at NBA events over the years &#8212; with his infectious smile, deep booming voice and signature finger wag that endeared him to basketball fans of every generation.
Dikembe&#8217;s indomitable spirit continues on in those who he helped and inspired throughout his extraordinary life. I am one of the many people whose lives were touched by Dikembe&#8217;s big heart and I will miss him dearly. On behalf of the entire NBA family, I send my deepest condolences to Dikembe&#8217;s wife, Rose, and their children; his many friends; and the global basketball community which he truly loved and which loved him back.</blockquote>
The league announced in October 2022 that Mutombo was undergoing treatment in Atlanta for a brain tumor.
His career in the NBA included stints for the Denver Nuggets, Atlanta Hawks, Philadelphia 76ers, New Jersey Nets, New York Knicks, and Houston Rockets, ESPN <a href="https://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/34800443/dikembe-mutombo-starting-treatment-brain-tumor-diagnosis">reported</a>.
The sports publication noted that Mutombo was named the league&#8217;s top defensive player four times and finished his career ranked second all-time in blocks (3,289).
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
NBA Global Ambassador and Naismith Basketball Hall of Famer Dikembe Mutombo passed away today at the age of 58 from brain cancer. He was surrounded by his family.
NBA Commissioner Adam Silver issued the following statement. <a href="https://t.co/uHgZgSBDUJ">pic.twitter.com/uHgZgSBDUJ</a>
— NBA (@NBA) <a href="https://twitter.com/NBA/status/1840769152144887869?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 30, 2024</a></blockquote>

Washington Wizards v Golden State Warriors – NBA Japan Games

NBA Legend Dikembe Mutombo Dead At 58

On Monday, the Boston Celtics regained their status as the NBA team with the most championships, winning their 18th title with a 106-88 victory over the Dallas Mavericks.
The Celtics won the series 4-1, cementing their reputation as the NBA’s best team after having boasted the league’s best record over the regular season. Jayson Tatum led the way with 31 points, 11 assists and 8 rebounds.  Jaylen Brown, who was named the Most Valuable Player in the Finals, scored 20 points, Jrue Holiday had 15 points, and Derrick White added 14. The Celtics outrebounded the Mavericks 51-35.
Tatum and Brown have been together on the team since 2017, going as far as the NBA Finals but not winning a title until now.
The Celtics led by nine points at the end of the first quarter, then built the lead to 21 points at halftime as Payton Pritchard threw in a three-point shot from beyond halfcourt. The outcome of the game was never in doubt after that.
The title came 16 years to the day after the Celtics won their last championship in 2008, when they defeated the Los Angeles Lakers, who have 17 titles, in the Finals. Head coach Joe Mazzulla, 35, became the youngest head coach to win the NBA title since legendary player-coach Bill Russell led the team to its title in 1969 to conclude the most dominant run of titles in sports, as that was the Celtics&#8217; 11th title in 13 years, with a string of eight consecutive championships between 1959-1966.
Los Angeles Lakers Hall of Famer Magic Johnson tweeted, “I hate that the Celtics officially have more championships than us now,” adding, “Celtics GM Brad Stevens trading for Jru Holiday and Kristaps Prozingis was an MVP move that made the Celtics the best team in basketball this year! Adding Holiday made them the perimeter defending team in the league, and adding Prozingis made them the most explosive offensive and best starting 5 in basketball this year! &#8230; Joe Mazzulla really improved as a coach this season and had the Celtics prepared for every round of the playoffs, making all the proper adjustments on offense and defense.”

2024 NBA Finals – Game Five

Boston Celtics Win 18th NBA Title, Regain Spot As Team With Most Championships

Bill Russell

Boston Celtics

Magic Johnson

Jerry West, an NBA Hall-of-Famer and the man widely considered to be the player depicted in the NBA logo, died on Wednesday morning. He was 86-years-old.
West, who played his entire career with the Los Angeles Lakers, was an NBA all-star in each of his 14 seasons and won one championship in his nine NBA Finals appearances. The former Lakers guard was the third player in NBA history to reach 25,000 points and the only player to win a Finals MVP after losing the NBA championship. He was nicknamed &#8220;Mr. Clutch&#8221; for his common late-game heroics.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
RIP JERRY WEST aka Mr. Clutch aka The Logo!
The only player to ever win NBA Finals MVP on a losing team. He&#8217;s also 1 of 7 players with scoring &amp; assist titles. Of those 7, he &amp; LeBron are the only ones to make an All-Defensive 1st team. <a href="https://t.co/vNWzwc3QC0">pic.twitter.com/vNWzwc3QC0</a>
— Ballislife.com (@Ballislife) <a href="https://twitter.com/Ballislife/status/1800889448131072067?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 12, 2024</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script> 
The NBA mourned West&#8217;s death with Commissioner Adam Silver releasing a statement on Wednesday, ESPN <a href="https://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/40333628/nba-all-great-jerry-west-dies-age-86" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported</a>.
&#8220;Jerry West was a basketball genius and a defining figure in our league for more than 60 years,&#8221; Silver said. &#8220;He distinguished himself not only as an NBA champion and an All-Star in all 14 of his playing seasons, but also as a consummate competitor who embraced the biggest moments.&#8221;
&#8220;I valued my friendship with Jerry and the knowledge he shared with me over many years about basketball and life,&#8221; Silver added. &#8220;On behalf of the NBA, we send our deepest condolences to Jerry&#8217;s wife, Karen, his family and his many friends in the NBA community.&#8221;
After his storied NBA playing career, West coached the Lakers from 1976 to 1979 and then became an NBA executive, helping build the dominant Lakers teams of the 1980s, which won five NBA titles with Magic Johnson and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. West was also part of the front office, which put together the all-time great duo of Kobe Bryant and Shaquille O&#8217;Neal and hired head coach Phil Jackson.
<a href="https://onelink.to/dwapp" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" aria-describedby="sk-tooltip-9096" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://onelink.to/dwapp&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1716990157394000&amp;usg=AOvVaw33qQydjIo8bet419amChif">CLICK HERE TO GET THE DAILYWIRE+ APP</a>
Later in his life, West advised the Los Angeles Clippers and worked in the front offices of the Memphis Grizzlies and Golden State Warriors, ESPN reported.
West&#8217;s fellow NBA legend Michael Jordan also released a <a href="https://x.com/esteep/status/1800911175930229195" target="_blank" rel="noopener">statement</a> on Wednesday, saying West was &#8220;like an older brother to me.&#8221;
&#8220;I always wished I could have played against him as a competitor, but the more I came to know him, I wish I had been his teammate,&#8221; Jordan said. &#8220;I admired his basketball insights and he and I shared many similarities to how we approached the game. He will be forever missed! My condolences to his wife, Karen, and his sons. RIP, Logo.&#8221;
West&#8217;s death came just two weeks after NBA Hall-of-Fame forward <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/nba-hall-of-famer-bill-walton-dead-at-71" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Bill Walton</a> died at the age of 71. Walton was drafted by the Portland Trail Blazers in 1974, beginning his career just one season after West retired.

Jerry West

NBA Legend Jerry West Dies

Death

Menu

NBA