NBA's China mess

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Donn Beach
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Re: NBA's China mess

Post by Donn Beach » Mon Oct 21, 2019 12:15 am

withdrawing would probably increase the risk of a war...don't really disagree with your assessment of china but I think its going to be more accepting they are in fact a world power and engaging them, rather than withdrawing.

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Donn Beach
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Re: NBA's China mess

Post by Donn Beach » Mon Oct 21, 2019 12:31 am

and actually the Chinese economy is showing cracks, really in the long run I think I might put my money on India, it sort of gets ignored. Its becoming a economic force and is a lot more innovative, less central control

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D-train
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Re: NBA's China mess

Post by D-train » Mon Oct 21, 2019 1:17 am

Donn Beach wrote:
Mon Oct 21, 2019 12:31 am
and actually the Chinese economy is showing cracks, really in the long run I think I might put my money on India, it sort of gets ignored. Its becoming a economic force and is a lot more innovative, less central control
At the new company I am consulting for, there are 6 people from India working within about 30 feet of my desk.

Merck is coming to Seattle for a meeting this week and 4 of the 5 people are from India. And that is an American company based in NJ.
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Re: NBA's China mess

Post by D-train » Wed Oct 23, 2019 2:42 am

dt

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Re: NBA's China mess

Post by Donn Beach » Wed Oct 23, 2019 1:37 pm

the situation in HK is serious, but this deal with Morely kills me, I am with LeBron on this one, if Morely understood the situation he never hits send on his phone. Sure there is freedom of speech, he has the freedom to send ill advised tweets. It really is fascinating, this has to be the biggest tweet blowup ever? That is the thing about freedoms, they come with responsibilities, to use them wisely, to engage your brain. All this stuff about freedom and supporting it is after the fact. That is what he was thinking about when he sent it? That he wanted to show support for HK, the relationship between the NBA and their biggest foreign viewership unit be damned? The outcome to me would have been obvious, there is nothing deep or unexpected about it. If I had been sitting there next to him, I would have told him he was nuts to involve himself in chinese politics when he worked for the NBA. What would he have told me, I know that, this is going to throw the relationship between the NBA and China into turmoil but its worth it, because this is about Freedom! Or on the other hand, would he have looked at with a puzzled expression and asked, why? I just think it would be a bit closer the latter, rather than the former.

What was he thinking... Sure, i can understand someone that isn't that familiar with the situation tweeting personally, not understanding the ramifications, that is a function of our freedom of speech. But this is what Morely does for a living. It was a shot across their bow from a high ranking employee with a major American company they have worked close ties with. The NBA has spent years building its relationship with China, its got to be one of the biggest international business relationships in the world, and his rockets has been at the forefront of it. And this is not just about the chinese government, it would have been obvious with anybody that was familiar with the situation, that showing support for HK demonstrators would be deeply offending to the Rocket fans in china.

And how did the conversation go with with his bosses. What do you say to a guy that sends out a tweet that costs you a billion fans? Its not like you get angry, more shock and awe. Yeah, China and the NBA will work things out, but the Chinese rocket fans, what do the Rockets do about them? Sure it will eventually pass but man, the rockets must of gone from being a leading fan favorite to the end of the pack overnight. Fans will forgive and forget, but those fans are tied to a team generally because of a city, you have to be loyal to your hometown team. The rockets have a huge following but they have no particular hold on them, they can easily move to other teams. And their jersey sales, wow, I could go on and on. A Rocket jersey has suddenly been equated with supporting HK over China. Jerseys are fashion, branding and image, and it just evaporated. Nobody is going to want to be caught dead in one, even if you continue to support the team, I am figuring you are leaving your jersey in the closet.

What was he thinking...he sends the tweet understanding the consequences, that it would be a hugely unpopular in China, or he doesn't realize it. I would have assumed he knows a heck of a lot more about China than i do, i am just a casual observer, and i am sure he he is a lot brighter than me, but he just didn't seem to understand,

I think i have figured it out, I think he is a basketball nerd. He is so single minded about basketball he ignores politics, that even though his employer is attempting to navigate the minefield that is china affairs he has never bothered to focus on it. He decides to send a tweet dealing with some politics, that is HK, without understanding the relationship of the HK issue to Rocket fans in China, that seems amazing to me, but that has to be it. His brain works in a way that is deeply singular. But then why is he sending a political tweet in the first place? I don't know, maybe someday i will run across the backstory, in fact i will ask my brother, he is a Spurs fan but he could be hearing what the heck is going on up in Houston.

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Re: NBA's China mess

Post by D-train » Wed Oct 23, 2019 3:27 pm

Donn Beach wrote:
Wed Oct 23, 2019 1:37 pm
the situation in HK is serious, but this deal with Morely kills me, I am with LeBron on this one, if Morely understood the situation he never hits send on his phone. Sure there is freedom of speech, he has the freedom to send ill advised tweets. It really is fascinating, this has to be the biggest tweet blowup ever? That is the thing about freedoms, they come with responsibilities, to use them wisely, to engage your brain. All this stuff about freedom and supporting it is after the fact. That is what he was thinking about when he sent it? That he wanted to show support for HK, the relationship between the NBA and their biggest foreign viewership unit be damned? The outcome to me would have been obvious, there is nothing deep or unexpected about it. If I had been sitting there next to him, I would have told him he was nuts to involve himself in chinese politics when he worked for the NBA. What would he have told me, I know that, this is going to throw the relationship between the NBA and China into turmoil but its worth it, because this is about Freedom! Or on the other hand, would he have looked at with a puzzled expression and asked, why? I just think it would be a bit closer the latter, rather than the former.

What was he thinking... Sure, i can understand someone that isn't that familiar with the situation tweeting personally, not understanding the ramifications, that is a function of our freedom of speech. But this is what Morely does for a living. It was a shot across their bow from a high ranking employee with a major American company they have worked close ties with. The NBA has spent years building its relationship with China, its got to be one of the biggest international business relationships in the world, and his rockets has been at the forefront of it. And this is not just about the chinese government, it would have been obvious with anybody that was familiar with the situation, that showing support for HK demonstrators would be deeply offending to the Rocket fans in china.

And how did the conversation go with with his bosses. What do you say to a guy that sends out a tweet that costs you a billion fans? Its not like you get angry, more shock and awe. Yeah, China and the NBA will work things out, but the Chinese rocket fans, what do the Rockets do about them? Sure it will eventually pass but man, the rockets must of gone from being a leading fan favorite to the end of the pack overnight. Fans will forgive and forget, but those fans are tied to a team generally because of a city, you have to be loyal to your hometown team. The rockets have a huge following but they have no particular hold on them, they can easily move to other teams. And their jersey sales, wow, I could go on and on. A Rocket jersey has suddenly been equated with supporting HK over China. Jerseys are fashion, branding and image, and it just evaporated. Nobody is going to want to be caught dead in one, even if you continue to support the team, I am figuring you are leaving your jersey in the closet.

What was he thinking...he sends the tweet understanding the consequences, that it would be a hugely unpopular in China, or he doesn't realize it. I would have assumed he knows a heck of a lot more about China than i do, i am just a casual observer, and i am sure he he is a lot brighter than me, but he just didn't seem to understand,

I think i have figured it out, I think he is a basketball nerd. He is so single minded about basketball he ignores politics, that even though his employer is attempting to navigate the minefield that is china affairs he has never bothered to focus on it. He decides to send a tweet dealing with some politics, that is HK, without understanding the relationship of the HK issue to Rocket fans in China, that seems amazing to me, but that has to be it. His brain works in a way that is deeply singular. But then why is he sending a political tweet in the first place? I don't know, maybe someday i will run across the backstory, in fact i will ask my brother, he is a Spurs fan but he could be hearing what the heck is going on up in Houston.
Can't be for NFL players kneeling for the anthem and against Morey's tweet. Exact same thing only Morey did it on his own time.
dt

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Donn Beach
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Re: NBA's China mess

Post by Donn Beach » Wed Oct 23, 2019 6:50 pm

Where did i say i was against him tweeting? I said i find the situation extremely fascinating, heck if wants to blow up the China-NBA relationship its fine with me. I am happy to sit with my popcorn and watch. What i am is curious why he decided to send the tweet. In terms of being with LeBron, I meant that I can't believe he understood the ramifications. And I can't understand how someone as highly placed as he is with an organization with serious business dealings with china would't understand. I would love to know what he was thinking.

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Re: NBA's China mess

Post by D-train » Thu Oct 24, 2019 12:34 am

Donn Beach wrote:
Wed Oct 23, 2019 6:50 pm
Where did i say i was against him tweeting? I said i find the situation extremely fascinating, heck if wants to blow up the China-NBA relationship its fine with me. I am happy to sit with my popcorn and watch. What i am is curious why he decided to send the tweet. In terms of being with LeBron, I meant that I can't believe he understood the ramifications. And I can't understand how someone as highly placed as he is with an organization with serious business dealings with china would't understand. I would love to know what he was thinking.
Maybe he didn't care. Did CK care about pissing off half the NFL fanbase???? His income is based on team performance not league revenues. Only difference is he tweeted with his personal account as opposed to going down to the court at the Rockets games and kneeling for the anthem.
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Re: NBA's China mess

Post by Donn Beach » Thu Oct 24, 2019 3:53 am

well really there is a pretty big difference, this is an international issue, it involves another country. So the premise would be he understood it, and did it to cause an issue. I don't think he could have looked at it as not affecting him personally, that is, his own income, if he decided to put the wheel into play he would have no idea where it would stop. So like a dedicated politico, as opposed to being naive. Interesting, have think about that.

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Re: NBA's China mess

Post by D-train » Thu Oct 24, 2019 3:30 pm

Donn Beach wrote:
Thu Oct 24, 2019 3:53 am
well really there is a pretty big difference, this is an international issue, it involves another country. So the premise would be he understood it, and did it to cause an issue. I don't think he could have looked at it as not affecting him personally, that is, his own income, if he decided to put the wheel into play he would have no idea where it would stop. So like a dedicated politico, as opposed to being naive. Interesting, have think about that.
Yep, more worried about the feelings of a communist country with incessant and ongoing Human rights violations than American citizens including the military and their families. And people are surprised that Trump got elected. lol
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