Hong Kong Activist Calls LeBron James A Hypocrite Who Only Cares About Money
One of the most prominent voices in sports, LeBron James, has been in the forefront of the fight against social injustice and systematic racism in the country following the death of George Floyd.
James has always been a social justice advocate, and he continues to use his platform as an opportunity to speak up on social and political issues.
But a Hong Kong democracy activist recently came up and accused James of hypocrisy for only speaking up in the United States, and being silent elsewhere, especially on China.
The Hong Kong activist named Joshua Wong, who is leading the charge of protestors against the Chinese government, took his sentiment on Twitter where he slammed the high-profile NBA athlete. Responding to a tweet regarding James’ ‘More Than A Vote’ plan, Wong called James a hypocrite who only cares about money.
“Defending democracy is vital, but @KingJames only talks loud in the US. On China, not only is he silent, he actively shuts others up. He called @dmorey “misinformed” and “not really educated” for supporting #HongKong. All he cares about is money, not human rights. Hypocritical.”
Defending democracy is vital, but @KingJames only talks loud in the US. On China, not only is he silent, he actively shuts others up. He called @dmorey "misinformed" and "not really educated" for supporting #HongKong. All he cares about is money, not human rights. Hypocritical. https://t.co/vxVMWIjsjY
— Joshua Wong 黃之鋒 😷 (@joshuawongcf) June 11, 2020
Back in October of 2019, James caught fire after he weighed in on Daryl Morey and Hong Kong situation. James has made it known where he stands in terms of issues in his own country, but his usual straightforward and bold stance came fading when further making his comments about NBA’s China controversy.
https://twitter.com/BenGolliver/status/1183917743680020480
James followed his statement with various of tweets to clarify where was he coming from, saying that he was talking about the consequences and ramifications of Morey’s Hong Kong tweet, and not the actual substance.
Still, James was heavily criticized, and many people questioned James’ advocacy as a result. Even up to this date, James is still getting picked apart, particularly by Hong Kong activists and protestors who were insulted by James’ lukewarm comments.