LeBron James voted with his wallet when he claimed that certain tweets that supported the Hong Kong democracy movement weren't educated enough about the "negative effects of free speech.
That's OK. I hope LeBron can take home crates of that Red Army cash. He's making a rational decision here--voting with his wallet.
Which is something I would expect other Americans to do as well. Vote with their wallets. Market place democracy is the purest form of democracy around these days, if you exempt some small towns voting on whether or not they need a leash law.
LeBron talked about the now infamous tweet in which he supported the Hong Kong demonstrators for the first time, and he said that uneducated speech could get people physically harmed. Which is interesting because President Ji also warned the protestors over the weekend that the hammer might be dropping soon.
LeBron has used his platform as being the best player in the league to speak out on social justice issues for years now. He's used to having his words taken seriously (although why we should care what a guy with a high school education who makes jillions of dollars (and renminbi) playing ball for a living thinks on various topics is beyond me). And it's interesting that he is choosing to side with the ChiComs.
I'm sure someone has whispered in his shell-like ear that China frequently locks people up in re-education camps, has put nearly a million Muslims in concentration camps, and possibly harvests the organs of the recalcitrant citizens who don't take to correction. I'm sure he knows all this.
I'm also sure Comrade James understands that the concept of "taking a knee" in China would get him a trip to one of the aforementioned camps.
Comrade James represents the new woke. They will take a knee where it won't hurt their wallets, and will bend the knee where it will.
Like reeds bending in the wind, Comrade James will sway towards the money.
Like I said, rational. And the New Woke. Money over principle.