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LeBron James Writes in China’s People’s Daily as NBA–China Ties Near Repair

The unusual byline is being read as a public signal that the league’s 2019 rupture with China is nearly over.

Apr 30, 2025; Los Angeles, California, USA; Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James (23) brings the ball up court against the Minnesota Timberwolves during the first half in game five of first round for the 2025 NBA Playoffs at Crypto.com Arena. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images/ File Photo
A pro-Hong Kong activist holds a poster of LeBron James with the words 'King of Chinese Money' before the Los Angeles Lakers season opening game against the LA Clippers outside Staples Center on October 22, 2019 in Los Angeles, California.
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Overview

  • James became the first NBA player to author a piece in the Communist Party’s People’s Daily, describing basketball as a bridge and saying he hopes to aid the growth of the sport in China.
  • Reuters reports the publication underscores a near-complete rehabilitation of the NBA’s position in its largest market outside North America after the 2019 Daryl Morey fallout that led to a 28‑month CCTV blackout and losses described as hundreds of millions of dollars.
  • The essay followed James’s latest China visit to Shanghai and Chengdu on his Forever King Tour, where he thanked fans for their reception during what Chinese media counted as his 15th trip.
  • The NBA is set to stage two pre-season games in Macau on October 10 and 12 between the Brooklyn Nets and Phoenix Suns at the Venetian Arena under a multi-year agreement, which would be the league’s first games on Chinese soil since 2019.
  • League promotions in the region include the first NBA House in China, a fan event in Macau from October 8 to 12 featuring former stars such as Shaquille O’Neal, Stephon Marbury and Shawn Marion.