Jason Whitlock believes most North American sports leagues and media are left-leaning, and the veteran sports columnist points to China as the reason why.
Whitlock joined The Truth with Lisa Boothe for a lengthy interview to discuss professional athletes’ relationship with China, among other topics. Launched earlier this year, Boothe’s podcast has featured a host of prominent conservatives including; former President Donald Trump, Sens. Rand Paul (R-KY) and Tom Cotton (R-AR), actor Jon Voight and others.
“I think we’re going to have to really come to grips that China is the dominant force globally right now,” Whitlock said — after Boothe asked why he believes most North American athletes and sports media tend to lean left. “All of our corporations want to improve their relationships with China. And so in the sports world, there’s nothing more powerful than Nike. It’s a 40 to $50 billion company. It’s bigger, more financially relevant and stronger than the NFL and the NBA combined.”
Whitlock added that although Nike is based in Portland, OR, he believes the company is more concerned with Beijing — calling out three prominent Nike-sponsored athletes in particular for toeing the company line.
“That’s why LeBron James, Colin Kaepernick, even Serena Williams, there are other spokesmen, they’ve embraced an anti-American sentiment in their public stances,” Whitlock told Boothe. “Because this improves their relationship with China. And this is why they’re so fearful of ever speaking out against anything that goes on in China.”
“Nike wants to sell more shoes in China,” Whitlock said, noting the goal of late NBA commissioner David Stern to build the league into a global sport, while earning a TV deal with China.
Whitlock took his belief of China having control of American sports a step further, claiming the country in East Asia is also the reason why kneeling during the national anthem became a prominent form of protest.
North American professional sports leagues, led by the NFL and NBA have been outspoken in demanding social equality in the United States. But critics of the movement will often point to the NBA and other leagues profiting off their relationship with China, which has deplorable human rights issues of their own.
“China has a very cleverly, convinced a segment of the population, a healthy segment, that there’s no worse racism than what’s in America,” Whitlock said. “No one ever says, well, hold on, man, go look at China, go at- how do you think black people are treated in China? And not the celebrity, black people, not the basketball players, because China has a passion for basketball that’s unmatched around the world.”
*story by MEDIAite
