NBA players face questions over shoe deals with Chinese companies linked to forced labor

NBA players have deals with Chinese companies accused of using forced labor. China is accused by the U.S. of waging a campaign against Muslims in Xinjiang. Enes Kanter Freedom has condemned his NBA brethren for not doing more to draw attention to human rights abuses in China. Rep. James McGovern (D-Mass.) called the situation a genocide. China hosts the Beijing Olympics in February. The U.,S., and human right groups are concerned about the use of forced labour in the Xinjian region. XinJian produces polysilicon, used in solar panels and smartphones.

Congressional-Executive Commission on China called out NBA players with ties to Chinese brands. Lawmakers want the products from those brands banned from entering the U.S. NBA commissioner Adam Silver says the league has no authority over player endorsements. Uyghur Human Rights Project director says athletes risk tarnishing their reputations when they stand up for human rights at home but ignore them abroad. The league and players' track record of leadership in social justice speaks for itself, Silver adds. "The players choose which sportswear companies they partner with and those partnerships are not subject to approval by the NBA," he says.

ESPN has a content-sharing partnership with Chinese company Tencent since 2016. Ten Cent pulled Celtics games off its streaming service after Freedom criticized the government in October. ESPN is a non-voting board observer and owns a small stake in NBA China. Disney and other Hollywood studios have come under fire for editing shows and films for Chinese markets. NBA players earn big money and are not subject to the same pressures as other multinational brands. Uyghur genocide is not a problem for players profiting from shoe deals with China firms. U.S. lawmakers and human rights monitors say NBA stars could make a difference in curbing China's behavior.