Opinion | Why the invasion of ‘socially conscious’ NBA coaches and stars in China may not be cause for worry
- As China prepares to host the FIBA Basketball World Cup, defending champions Team USA will be led by two of the most opinionated coaches in NBA history
On behalf of the 60 million residents of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macau Greater Bay Area, I would like to extend the heartiest of welcomes to Team USA as they prepare to defend their championship, and hopefully their freedom, this coming week at the FIBA Basketball World Cup. And a very special welcome to China as well for two men who have redefined the genre of leadership, head coach Gregg Popovich and assistant Steve Kerr.
A graduate of the US Air Force Academy, Coach Pop has won five championships in his 23 seasons with the San Antonio Spurs. His assistant Kerr has been coaching the Golden State Warriors for the past five seasons and led his team to the finals every year, winning three of five.
However, both are so much more than their numbers and have used their pulpit of fame to relentlessly voice their opposition towards the US president and his “divisive, hate-filled agenda”. Naturally, it has inspired a massive chorus of “keep politics out of sports” from their detractors. But, sorry folks, politics and sport are as intertwined as tear gas and Hong Kong.
A few weeks back a Hong Kong ice hockey team were up 11-2 over the China team at the National Youth Games. With a minute remaining, the Chinese players broke every code in the game by ganging up in groups of two and three to pummel individual Hong Kong players. But do not make it a political issue, apologists on the mainland were quick to counter. However, everything between China and Hong Kong is political these days, which is why the wumao troll army was out in full force earning their five cents by blaming the sport, not the players. Fighting is part of the game, they said, it’s just hockey.
No, it’s not hockey, it’s China. Gang up to pummel someone in hockey and you will never get on the ice again. Gang up to pummel someone in China and they will give you a stick and shield and send you to Hong Kong to “police” the streets. The greatness of sports lies in the fact that it is a window into a culture. How you play the games is who you are.
