‘It wouldn’t be appropriate’ – Adam Silver slams Chinese newspaper for falsely publishing LeBron James quotes in pro-communist op-ed

LeBron James is a transcendent star whose comments attract the attention of countries around the world. Recently, James found himself caught in a situation in which his quotes were allegedly used by a publication for an entirely different purpose.

In an article published by The New York Times On Saturday, Mara Hvistendahl and Tania Ganguli reported that a Chinese newspaper published an opinion piece purportedly written by James last month. According to Hvistendahl and Ganguli, it was no less than NBA Commissioner Adam Silver who criticized the newspaper’s decision to use James’ quotes during an interview in China and turn the soundbites into a fraudulent composition.

“Taking the words that someone said and then passing them off as a first-person opinion piece would not be appropriate,” Silver was quoted as saying.

Although comments from James, who took a trip to China during the offseason, were deflected, the LA Lakers superstar was not spared from the criticism. According to Hvistendahl and Ganguli, a number of “conservative commentators” in the United States are attacking James for allegedly “letting Beijing use his fame to whitewash the image of an authoritarian government.”

The NBA itself has not remained unscathed. According to the Times report, one website accused the league of “groveling before the communists.” Notably, the NBA brought the Brooklyn Nets and Phoenix Suns to Macau, a special administrative region of China, for two preseason games this month.

A Reuters article called the Macau games “a test for China’s broader comeback.” It remains to be seen, however, whether the recent controversy surrounding James will impact the NBA’s plans in this regard.

Report: LeBron James will ‘monitor’ Lakers situation during his absence

James, of course, already has a lot on his plate as he suffers from sciatic nerve pain that he reportedly developed over the summer. On top of that, NBA insider Dave McMenamin reported that James is closely monitoring his team’s performance.

“LeBron needs to watch while he’s out. If they struggle, it could lead to the next step,” McMenamin reported.

McMenamin added that a lackluster performance by the Lakers could lead James and his agent Rich Paul to consider joining another team.