The NBA Bows To Communist China

NBA Logo
Photo credit Jeenah Moon / Getty Images

The National Basketball Association (NBA) is allowing customers to buy jerseys with approved custom slogans, but many customers have found that while certain anti-police slogans are permitted, the league is not allowing phrases such as "Free Hong Kong."

Several social media users took to Twitter to expose the fact that the league is censoring certain phrases from being used on official NBA merchandise, but allowing others.

"The NBA bans you, the fan, from putting #freehongkong on customized league jerseys even as they allow players to wear customized jerseys," Fox Sports radio host Clay Travis tweeted Monday.

Other users noted they tried inputting any number of "free" slogans into the website and all were allowed except for "Free Hong Kong."

"I just tried it and it basically lets you do 'Free Anything' except for 'Free Hong Kong,'" Washington Examiner reporter Jerry Dunleavy added.

To make matters worse, others found that the site allowed phrases such as "Kill Cops" and "Burn Jews," but not "Free Hong Kong."

According to a report from the Washington Free Beacon, numerous hateful, violent slogans were allowed by the NBA store, including:

  • F—K HONG KONG
  • DEFUND POLICE
  • ABOLISH COPS
  • BEWARE OF JEWS
  • SNEAKY JEWS
  • BAN GYPSIES
  • XI FOR LIFE
  • CANCEL ISRAEL
  • NINE 11 HOAX
  • END TAIWAN
  • ENSLAVE TIBET
  • TRUMP HAS AIDS
  • PENCE IS GAY
  • UYGHURS LIE

The league continues to bow the knee to the communist regime in China and refuses to offer any criticism despite the government's innumerable human rights violations, including its most recent move to end freedom in Hong Kong and make pro-democracy protests in the city illegal. And last week, the Chinese government sent security forces into the city and arrested nearly 400 residents protesting for democracy.

The website has since been updated to allow "Free Hong Kong" phrases on official merchandise.