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> The NBA has a bigger fanbase in China than in the USA. Só what? Why should that dictate what letters I can or cannot put o the custom jersey I buy myself and

> The NBA has a bigger fanbase in China than in the USA. Só what? Why should that dictate what letters I can or cannot put o the custom jersey I buy myself and pay with my own money?

chongli 6y ago
Because the CCP is a totalitarian government whose dictator banned Winnie the Pooh [1] after he was offended by a couple of memes. If people started wearing “freehongkong” jerseys it wouldn’t be out of the realm of possibility that the NBA gets banned in China. Clearly the NBA does not want this. Critics are right to hold the NBA’s feet to the fire for this kowtowing behaviour. A lot of people are unaware of the degree to which China is extending its influence into Western countries. [1] https://www.theguardian.com/world/2018/aug/07/china-bans-winnie-the-pooh-film-to-stop-comparisons-to-president-xi https://www.theguardian.com/world/2018/aug/07/china-bans-win...
- throw776546 6y ago
  Winnie the Pooh is not banned, despite what that article says. You can easily buy Winne the Pooh toys, books, and entertainment in China. There’s even a huge Winnie the Pooh ride in Shanghai Disney.
  - bmn__ 6y ago
    That's the wrong point, you misunderstand the situation. The article was about caricatures and the movie, which both were definitely and verifiably censored and suppressed. (As usual, the bans are unevenly and arbitrarily enforced.) You talk about toys and books, which are not a problem.
deleted 6y ago
[deleted]
ianleeclark 6y ago
Presumably there was some risk assessment done by the NBA and they felt that allowing you to customize your jersey in such a way would risk shareholder value.
dragonwriter 6y ago
> Why should that dictate what letters I can or cannot put o the custom jersey I buy myself and pay with my own money? Because the PRC will cut them off if they allow this, and the USA won't if they don't. And, so, serving the interest of capital says “knuckle under to the PRC”. This is also why Hollywood movie studios do the same thing, and all kinds of other industries. A neoliberal international order where major players are totalitarian corporatist states is a disaster for liberty, even beyond the ways a neoliberal international order is with all “democratic” capitalist participants.
- magicsmoke 6y ago
  https://medium.com/incerto/the-most-intolerant-wins-the-dictatorship-of-the-small-minority-3f1f83ce4e15 https://medium.com/incerto/the-most-intolerant-wins-the-dict...
WiseWeasel 6y ago
Because they’re made in China, and the supplier rejects it, I assume.
runawaybottle 6y ago
It’s nuts how we’ve all managed to talk around the core issue in this discussion. ‘Free Hong Kong’ has no racial or ethnic slurs or any profanity. I wonder if I can buy a jersey that says “Free Uyghurs”. Where’s the line?

> The NBA has a bigger fanbase in China than in the USA. Só what? Why should that dictate what letters I can or cannot put o the custom jersey I buy myself and pay with my own money?

chongli 6y ago

Because the CCP is a totalitarian government whose dictator banned Winnie the Pooh [1] after he was offended by a couple of memes. If people started wearing “freehongkong” jerseys it wouldn’t be out of the realm of possibility that the NBA gets banned in China. Clearly the NBA does not want this. Critics are right to hold the NBA’s feet to the fire for this kowtowing behaviour. A lot of people are unaware of the degree to which China is extending its influence into Western countries. [1] https://www.theguardian.com/world/2018/aug/07/china-bans-winnie-the-pooh-film-to-stop-comparisons-to-president-xi https://www.theguardian.com/world/2018/aug/07/china-bans-win...

throw776546 6y ago
Winnie the Pooh is not banned, despite what that article says. You can easily buy Winne the Pooh toys, books, and entertainment in China. There’s even a huge Winnie the Pooh ride in Shanghai Disney.
- bmn__ 6y ago
  That's the wrong point, you misunderstand the situation. The article was about caricatures and the movie, which both were definitely and verifiably censored and suppressed. (As usual, the bans are unevenly and arbitrarily enforced.) You talk about toys and books, which are not a problem.

deleted 6y ago

[deleted]

ianleeclark 6y ago

Presumably there was some risk assessment done by the NBA and they felt that allowing you to customize your jersey in such a way would risk shareholder value.

dragonwriter 6y ago

> Why should that dictate what letters I can or cannot put o the custom jersey I buy myself and pay with my own money? Because the PRC will cut them off if they allow this, and the USA won't if they don't. And, so, serving the interest of capital says “knuckle under to the PRC”. This is also why Hollywood movie studios do the same thing, and all kinds of other industries. A neoliberal international order where major players are totalitarian corporatist states is a disaster for liberty, even beyond the ways a neoliberal international order is with all “democratic” capitalist participants.

magicsmoke 6y ago
https://medium.com/incerto/the-most-intolerant-wins-the-dictatorship-of-the-small-minority-3f1f83ce4e15 https://medium.com/incerto/the-most-intolerant-wins-the-dict...

WiseWeasel 6y ago

Because they’re made in China, and the supplier rejects it, I assume.

runawaybottle 6y ago

It’s nuts how we’ve all managed to talk around the core issue in this discussion. ‘Free Hong Kong’ has no racial or ethnic slurs or any profanity. I wonder if I can buy a jersey that says “Free Uyghurs”. Where’s the line?