U.S. Lawmakers Call on NBA and Players Association to Sever Ties with Chinese Manufacturers Over Forced Labor Concerns

U.S. lawmakers have turned up the heat on the National Basketball Association (NBA) and the National Basketball Players Association (NBPA), urging them to sever their ties with Chinese sportswear manufacturers allegedly connected to forced labor practices in China's Xinjiang region.

The Congressional-Executive Commission on China (CECC), a bipartisan group established to monitor China's human rights record, delivered a stern message to NBA Commissioner Adam Silver, highlighting the alleged association of Chinese sportswear companies with supply chains linked to forced labor in Xinjiang.

According to the CECC, these Chinese manufacturers publicly endorse the use of supply chains linked to forced labor, raising concerns about their complicity in these practices. The Xinjiang region is home to China's Uyghur population and other minority groups, where allegations of human rights abuses have sparked international outrage.

Rep. Chris Smith, the commission's chair, and Sen. Jeffrey Merkley, its co-chair, jointly signed the letters addressed to the NBA and NBPA. The CECC's message underscored the urgency of the situation, stating that "it is past time for the NBA to stand as a leader in the fight against forced labor."

NBA spokesman Mike Bass confirmed the receipt of the letter, stating, "We received the letter and are reviewing it." However, a representative for the NBPA has not yet responded to requests for comment.

This development places the NBA and its players in a challenging position, as they must navigate the conflicting viewpoints of China, the world's largest consumer market for basketball, and the United States. The U.S. State Department has declared that China is engaged in ongoing genocide in Xinjiang, and U.S. law prohibits the import of nearly all goods originating from the region due to concerns about forced labor.

The CECC's letters contained specific requests. They called on Adam Silver to prohibit the use and sale of league-branded merchandise made with forced labor or by companies endorsing Xinjiang materials. Additionally, the commission urged the NBPA to prevent players from wearing or endorsing products associated with forced labor, singling out sportswear brands Anta, Li-Ning, and Peak, which hold contracts with NBA players and face allegations of forced labor connections.

The CECC also expressed concern about whether the NBPA has adequately educated NBA players about the risks of endorsing Chinese sportswear manufacturers with alleged ties to forced labor.

One example cited in the letters was Anta's appointment of Kyrie Irving, a guard for the Dallas Mavericks, as the chief creative officer of its basketball unit in July. The Dallas Mavericks did not respond to requests for comment on this matter.

Anta's sales in China surged after the company left an industry group that had raised human rights concerns, publicly committing to continue using cotton sourced from Xinjiang. In contrast, Western sportswear companies that remained in the group faced declining sales in China.

This isn't the first time the NBA has faced challenges related to political tensions between the U.S. and China. In 2019, a tweet by the then-general manager of the Houston Rockets, Daryl Morey, expressing support for Hong Kong protesters, led to the suspension of ties with the team and the NBA by several Chinese partners. The NBA's response at the time drew bipartisan criticism from U.S. politicians.

As the NBA grapples with these complex issues, the letters from U.S. lawmakers emphasize the growing scrutiny of American organizations' ties to China and the need for a clear stance on human rights and labor practices. The NBA's response to these calls for action remains highly anticipated.