NBA Commissioner Adam Silver's remarks reveal a growing respect for the sports community's right to advocate for the causes they care about. And yes, that includes international human rights.
Earlier this week, Houston Rockets General Manager Daryl Morey unwittingly ignited a firestorm when he shared a since-deleted tweet,"Fight for freedom, stand with Hong Kong," in response to pro-justice protests that have been taking place in the region since June.
After initially acknowledging the complexity of the situation and expressing regret to those who were offended, NBA Commissioner Adam Silver said in a statement that"the NBA will not put itself in a position of regulating what players, employees and team owners say or will not say on these issues." Last month, the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Committee announced that it would induct Tommie Smith and John Carlos into its hall of fame, in part for how they"courageously stood up for racial equality during the civil rights movement." That announcement came nearly 51 years after the organization expelled the Olympic champions for protesting racism during the medal ceremony at the 1968 Games in Mexico City.
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