“LeBron James was speaking for NBA players at risk in China”: Jared Dudley explains the mentality of the Lakers camp after Daryl Morey’s Free Hong Kong tweet

Jared Dudley highlighted the perspective of LeBron James for his criticism of Daryl Morey on Free Hong Kong in his new book – ‘Inside the NBA Bubble’.

Daryl Morey had tweeted out his support for the Free Hong Kong movement that had gained steam in October 2019. This coincided with the Lakers’ preseason tour in China. LeBron James and his teammates were practically at the mercy of the Chinese government and people.

While James didn’t necessarily have to come out and criticize Daryl Morey straightaway, it is unfair to ignore the circumstances in which he made this rushed decision. James felt genuinely threatened for the health and safety of the players with him in China.

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Jared Dudley has caught a lot of heat for his comments regarding Paul George of late. It’s not so much about him being right or wrong as it is about his standing in the league. Guys on retirement tours aren’t usually taken seriously by superstars, especially a victory cigar like Dudley.

What Jared Dudley wrote about the whole Daryl Morey-LeBron James row

The relevant excerpt from the book reads as follows:

“There are people surrounding the hotel where we’re staying. We’re getting death threats from pro-government people. We can’t leave. We didn’t practice. We didn’t take any tours. We just came over here because it’s our job to play the game, because the league wants to make money in the huge market. Now we’re not entirely sure if and when we’re going to see our families again.”

“When LeBron criticizes Daryl Morey for that tweet, everyone acts like he’s standing against free speech. But what he’s really saying is: You tweet something like that from the comfort of your own home, while actual players in your league are stranded in China – that’s not cool.”

“You need to think for a minute about what the impact of that is on other people. Everyone’s hating on Bron, talking about how disappointed they are in him, but we see where he’s coming from.”

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