LeBron James: Morey ‘wasn’t educated on the situation’ when he tweeted in support of Hong Kong protests

LeBron James said he thinks Houston Rockets general manager Daryl Morey “wasn’t educated on the situation at hand” when he tweeted in support of Hong Kong.

James told reporters Monday that people need to be careful about what they tweet and say, as there can be ramifications. 

“I don’t want to get into a … feud with Daryl Morey, but I believe he wasn’t educated on the situation at hand and he spoke,” James said.

Lakers’ LeBron James on NBA’s China controversy: “I don’t want to get into a … feud with Daryl Morey but I believe he wasn’t educated on the situation at hand and he spoke.” pic.twitter.com/KKrMNU0dKR

— Ben Golliver (@BenGolliver) October 14, 2019

He added that people could have been harmed “not only financially but physically, emotionally, spiritually.”

{mosads}James tweeted later clarifying his comments, saying he did not think “there was any consideration for the consequences and ramifications of the tweet.”

“I’m not discussing the substance,” he tweeted. “Others can talk about that.”

Let me clear up the confusion. I do not believe there was any consideration for the consequences and ramifications of the tweet. I’m not discussing the substance. Others can talk About that.

— LeBron James (@KingJames) October 14, 2019

Sen. Ben Sasse (R-Neb.) called out the basketball star for his comments, saying he was “parroting communist propaganda.”

.@KingJames — you’re parroting communist propaganda. China is running torture camps and you know it. #GoogleUyghurs https://t.co/BExRpi02EB

— Senator Ben Sasse (@SenSasse) October 14, 2019

The NBA has been embroiled in a controversy involving China after Morey tweeted his support for pro-democracy Hong Kong protesters. Since the tweet, several Chinese businesses have broken ties with the NBA and NBA events in China were canceled last week. 

Lawmakers criticized the NBA’s response to the tweet, in which they called the post “regrettable.”