Washington Wizards security confiscated protesters' 'Free Hong Kong' signs on Wednesday, marking the second consecutive day such placards were seized at an NBA arena amid the embattled league's growing tensions over China. Protester Jon Schweppe posted videos on Twitter showing three associates dressed in 'Free Hong Kong' T-shirts having their signs confiscated by Capitol One Arena security at Wednesday night's game against the visiting Guangzhou Loong-Lions of the Chinese Basketball Association. Security also confiscated a sign from the group reading, 'Google Uyghurs,' which is a reference to an aggrieved minority in western China. In a statement, the Wizards insisted that the team was not taking a stance on the issue, but merely executing a long-standing policy. 😳 #NBA #WTF???
Approximately 300 people wore black T-shirts that read 'Stand With Hong Kong' while others wore white T-shirts that read 'Free Tibet'. A couple of fans even wore Winnie the Pooh costumes, which has become a way to mock Chinese president Xi Jingping due to their 'similarities'. The Nets returned this week after playing exhibition games against the Los Angeles Lakers in Shanghai and Shenzhen. The games were not televised in China after relations between the NBA and Chinese officials became strained following Houston Rockets general manager Daryl Morey's tweet in support of pro-democracy protesters in Hong Kong. One fan's sign was aimed at NBA star LeBron James and Nets owner Joe Tsai, the co-founder of the Chinese e-commerce giant Alibaba, both of who were critical of Morey's tweet.🏀 #NBA #HK
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Social Justice has been one of the most important elements of the NBA's return, as players were committed to using their platform to enact positive change. The #NBA has accommodated them, allowing players to wear social justice messages on their jerseys while also painting BLM on the court. Throughout the first two days of games, every team that played knelt for the national anthem while wearing a BLM shirt as a form of silent protest. There was only one holdout. Orlando Magic forward Jonathan Isaac neither knelt nor wore a Black Lives Matter shirt, instead standing for the anthem while wearing his jersey. 🕺🏽
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Meyers Leonard of the Miami Heat chose to stand for the national anthem while the rest his teammates knelt on Saturday, during the team's reopening game against the Denver Nuggets at Walt Disney World. Leonard, whose brother served as a U.S. Marine in Afghanistan, reportedly uses a military-themed backpack and has various friends who are Navy SEALs. Despite his public support for the Black Lives Matter movement, he says he couldn't bring himself to kneel in protest. “"I love and support the military and my brother and the people who have fought to defend our rights in this country"” he said, according to the #NBA.