Lei‑Long Bay Sports Fanland: Lakers, Nets & a Dash of Political Turbulence
On a blazing Saturday night in Shenzhen, the Los Angeles Lakers and Brooklyn Nets faced off in a fun‑filled NBA exhibition. While thousands of Chinese basketball buffs cheered on their favourite teams, a bunch of on‑the‑street protesters kept the event from becoming a pure sporting spectacle.
Feeling the Heat of Politics
- Houston Rockets GM Daryl Morey – last week he posted a tweet chanting “Fight for Freedom. Stand with Hong Kong.” The cue fired a flash of fire across social media, and the Chinese federation quickly severed ties with the NBA.
- China, worth 4 billion dollars to the league, is a point on the game board no one wants to risk losing.
- Outside the arena, a handful of demonstrators handed out Chinese flags and shouted slogans: “Morey must apologise to China!” and “Violations of national sovereignty will not be tolerated.”
Local Voices
A 20‑year‑old university student, who went by Andy, stayed unbothered. “Sports are pure, and I’ll keep watching. Morey’s tweets are just extra noise, not a real threat to our game,” he said. He blamed Western media for exaggerating the tale.
Another fan, Phoebe, a 22‑year‑old chemistry major wearing a Lakers tee, teeted that if the NBA keeps intruding on Parliament somewhere, she’d rather it shell out a ticket and drop the whole show. “This is the United States’ job to keep its politics tight. We can’t let MLB or any sports league jinx our… 我的发票” (a mix of English and a part of Chinese for the effect).
Cross‑border visitor Jin, 26, mindset for the game was nervous; the protest’s lingering shadows were ripe for breaching. “The Lakers and Nets look strong this year,” he reminded a friend, hoping the excitement would outweigh controversy.
Organizers on High Alert
So when a banner clashing with the message “NBA get out of China” was ripped cleanly by authorities, the event coordinator called out: “Take care of your safety and belongings. No displays allowed inside.”
In the end, the fans sang, the players dazzled, but the conference hall evoked a new lesson: sporting spirit and political grievances can throw a bit of an unexpected punch. NBA fans out there, let’s hope the next outing be smooth, or we’ll just count the nets for what it’s worth.
