LeBron James co-wrote an op-ed published in the People's Daily, the official newspaper of the Chinese Communist Party, praising Chinese fans and describing basketball as a bridge between the United States and China.
In the opinion piece, published Monday and translated by the South China Morning Post, James wrote, "Basketball is not only a sport, but also a bridge that connects us. The passion flows in our hearts." He thanked Chinese fans for the "incredible reception" he received during a recent visit and said he hoped to contribute to the development of basketball in China, noting that he has three children and sees the sport as a way to inspire young people.
The op-ed comes shortly after James completed a multi-city tour of China that included stops in Shanghai and Chengdu. The trip was the 15th of his career to the country, where he praised the enthusiasm for the sport and highlighted young Chinese players.
James' piece was co-authored with a reporter from the People's Daily. The publication is the Chinese Communist Party's official newspaper, and the op-ed appears amid renewed efforts to maintain ties between Chinese sports audiences and the National Basketball Association, which has extensive commercial relationships in China.
The new outreach also recalls a high-profile dispute from October 2019, when then-Houston Rockets executive Daryl Morey posted a message supporting Hong Kong pro-democracy protesters. James drew criticism at the time after he publicly suggested Morey was "misinformed" and criticized the timing of the post, comments that many saw as taking Beijing's side. The episode triggered protests in Hong Kong and doctored images of James, and it led to a temporary blackout of NBA broadcasts in China. The league later estimated losses between $200 million and $400 million from the fallout, though games eventually returned to Chinese networks and Commissioner Adam Silver did not force an apology from Morey.
James' commercial ties to China include his long-standing relationship with Nike. He has been one of the company's highest-paid athletes since breaking into the NBA in 2003, a period that coincided with the expansion of apparel manufacturing in China. Nike has faced scrutiny over labor practices in its global supply chain, including reports from 2020 that linked a supplier to the use of forced labor among Uyghurs in China's Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region. The company has denied sourcing from the Xinjiang region and has said it works with the Fair Labor Association and other monitoring programs to address labor concerns, while acknowledging challenges in auditing some suppliers.
The NBA has continued to pursue business in China despite periodic disputes. The league recently announced a multi-year arrangement to stage preseason games in Macau, featuring retired NBA players, as part of ongoing efforts to maintain and grow its Chinese audience.
In his op-ed, James reiterated gratitude for the welcome he and his family receive in China and emphasized the role of basketball in connecting people. "Every time I come here, my family and I are warmly welcomed," he wrote. "All I can do is give my all in every match and express my gratitude to everyone."
The publication of the piece in the People's Daily adds a prominent sports voice to diplomatic and commercial conversations between American athletes and Chinese audiences, and it revives debate about the intersection of sports, commerce and political sensitivity that has marked relations between the NBA and China in recent years.