A day after reports surfaced that LeBron James had published an Op-Ed in the Chinese state-run People’s Daily newspaper, the James camp is correcting the record.
Over at The Athletic, longtime James chronicler Joe Vardon reports that the paper published a transcript of a press event he conducted with its reporters:
Despite James’ name being attached to the story, two sources close to James confirmed that he did not submit an essay to People’s Daily. Instead, he conducted group interviews with reporters in the two cities he visited. Those sources stated that the words attributed to James in the article were accurate, but they were not exclusive to any news outlet. They were not submitted to anyone as an essay or opinion editorial.
Early Monday, snippets of James’ supposed Op-Ed made the rounds on American news outlets, with coverage predictably split along partisan lines. James’ comments reportedly amounted to appreciation for the country and its people.
Considering James’ role in the NBA’s relationship with China, this so-called “essay” carried special weight. James is on an anniversary tour of the country with Nike, but six years ago, he was one of the most vocal supporters of the country’s leadership after then-Houston Rockets executive Daryl Morey expressed support for the independence of the city of Hong Kong.
Given that LeBron James has a lifetime contract with Nike and is increasingly involved as a Hollywood executive and business investor, it is understandable that James would be mindful of his reputation in China. It has proven harder to manage amid this latest tour than he likely expected.
About Brendon Kleen
Brendon is a Media Commentary staff writer at Awful Announcing. He has also covered basketball and sports business at Front Office Sports, SB Nation, Uproxx and more.