Notice Kanter vs The King

[THE HCP]

Wow! Kanter has taken this to a whole new level! I think they play eachother tomorrow night.
No way the league allows him to wear those shoes in the game!

 

[wizenheimer]

Wow! Kanter has taken this to a whole new level! I think they play eachother tomorrow night.
No way the league allows him to wear those shoes in the game!

I haven't paid attention so I don't know what this is about...

but reading down that twitter page there's a whole bunch of extremely dumbass posts

 

[blazerkor]

As long as Kanter is still making millions of dollars in a league that makes money off of media distribution in China and owns a Chinese league in conjunction with the "People's Republic" of Xi Jinping and enslaving Muslims, he can step the fuck off his hypocritical soapbox. Just because he doesn't have a shoe deal with a major sportswear company, the dude is clean? The idea that any of us are separating ourselves from China and not feeding their economy is ridiculous and targeting people that are more involved in Chinese business is just foolishness.

 

[EL PRESIDENTE]

Really regret not buying the Brown Kanter jersey last year now.

 

[MadeFromDust]

This is fantastic.

 

[blazerkor]

Oh, Enes likes to take their money (who wouldn't?), but I respect that he doesn't kiss their ass. Getting paid is one thing, getting paid by kissing asses is quite another.

LeBron is a cheap target. Why doesn't Kanter put a whole bunch of shit about CJ on his shoes since CJ is the one with the shoe deal with an actual Chinese apparel company? LeBron isn't blameless but if Kanter was serious he would stop targeting LeBron and start targeting the league. I think this article is pretty on point.

https://www.nbcnews.com/think/opini...-about-china-nearly-everyone-else-ncna1069131

 

[Orion Bailey]

LeBron is a cheap target. Why doesn't Kanter put a whole bunch of shit about CJ on his shoes since CJ is the one with the shoe deal with an actual Chinese apparel company? LeBron isn't blameless but if Kanter was serious he would stop targeting LeBron and start targeting the league. I think this article is pretty on point.

https://www.nbcnews.com/think/opini...-about-china-nearly-everyone-else-ncna1069131

Question. How many more common people do you think look into it if he targets lebron vs if he targets cj?

I dont think he is trying to bring lebron down per say, but using him as a platform for a much larger audience than what cj could provide.

lebron isnt a cheap target, he is the biggest target to create waves. Smart move by Kanter.

 

[SlyPokerCat]

I miss Kanter.

 

[Orion Bailey]

I miss Kanter.

o

me too and i think he would have been fine as a third string center for us. Wish we could have kept him even though i know he is unplayable at times.
Impossible to not want to root for a guy like him.

 

[Wizard Mentor]

As long as Kanter is still making millions of dollars in a league that makes money off of media distribution in China and owns a Chinese league in conjunction with the "People's Republic" of Xi Jinping and enslaving Muslims, he can step the fuck off his hypocritical soapbox. Just because he doesn't have a shoe deal with a major sportswear company, the dude is clean? The idea that any of us are separating ourselves from China and not feeding their economy is ridiculous and targeting people that are more involved in Chinese business is just foolishness.

No disrespect, but I don't agree with you at all.

Yes, we're all complicit, no argument. HOWEVER, people who make 100s of millions of dollars are in a position to do something about it. My salary? Not so much.

Again, as a Laker hater, I certainly don't mind LBJ being targeted, but yeah, it should apply to Lillard, and everyone else making gynormous $$$ deals with shoe companies.

 

[blazerkor]

No disrespect, but I don't agree with you at all.

Yes, we're all complicit, no argument. HOWEVER, people who make 100s of millions of dollars are in a position to do something about it. My salary? Not so much.

Again, as a Laker hater, I certainly don't mind LBJ being targeted, but yeah, it should apply to Lillard, and everyone else making gynormous $$$ deals with shoe companies.

I think as long as we're not calling out all of the companies making billions off of their corporate relationships with China then leave the small fish like LeBron alone. It's either Kanter being stupid about who he's targeting or just targeting the name with the most fans that won't get him blackballed, so he can heighten his status as an activist. Protesting LeBron is like having a philosophical problem with Comcast and screaming at one of their customer service reps about it.

 

[Minstrel]

I think as long as we're not calling out all of the companies making billions off of their corporate relationships with China then leave the small fish like LeBron alone. It's either Kanter being stupid about who he's targeting or just targeting the name with the most fans that won't get him blackballed, so he can heighten his status as an activist. Protesting LeBron is like having a philosophical problem with Comcast and screaming at one of their customer service reps about it.

Come on, James isn't a "small fish," nor is he comparable to a customer service rep. I'm not disputing that there's a bigger system that James is simply a part of, but it's like having a problem with how telecomms get regulatory breaks from the government and blasting the CEO of Comcast. Sure, the CEO of Comcast didn't create the problem and can't fix it himself, but he enriches himself off it more than almost anyone and is a very willing enabler and proponent. You can still argue that this is the wrong target for your ire, but acting like he's a cog with no agency or power (like a customer service rep) is silly.

 

[blazerkor]

Come on, James isn't a "small fish," nor is he comparable to a customer service rep. I'm not disputing that there's a bigger system that James is simply a part of, but it's like having a problem with how telecomms get regulatory breaks from the government and blasting the CEO of Comcast. Sure, the CEO of Comcast didn't create the problem and can't fix it himself, but he enriches himself off it more than almost anyone and is a very willing enabler and proponent. You can still argue that this is the wrong target for your ire, but acting like he's a cog with no agency or power (like a customer service rep) is silly.

Yeah, I went a little small with the customer service analogy but if you think that LeBron has power to change the business model of the entire apparel industry, you're the one being silly. If you can name a shoe company that LeBron could go to who will pay him close to 30M a year that doesn't do business with China, then you can claim he has agency. The fact is that Kanter is doing exactly what I said, he's targeting someone with a big name that can't possibly hurt Kanter's bottom line. It's fucking weak.

 

[Orion Bailey]

Yeah, I went a little small with the customer service analogy but if you think that LeBron has power to change the business model of the entire apparel industry, you're the one being silly. If you can name a shoe company that LeBron could go to who will pay him close to 30M a year that doesn't do business with China, then you can claim he has agency. The fact is that Kanter is doing exactly what I said, he's targeting someone with a big name that can't possibly hurt Kanter's bottom line. It's fucking weak.

lebron could unite athletes to boycott though.
That would be significant.

 

[Fairly-Hard]

"The Shoe Deal"
Talk to any kid who aspires to be an NBA great player and they will follow up with a shoe deal. It's almost the right of passage kind of thing.
You need to pick your battles wisely.

 

[theprunetang]

Really regret not buying the Brown Kanter jersey last year now.

Just wait until his new brown and plaid Blazers jersey comes out next season.

 

[Orion Bailey]

Question. How many more common people do you think look into it if he targets lebron vs if he targets cj?

I dont think he is trying to bring lebron down per say, but using him as a platform for a much larger audience than what cj could provide.

lebron isnt a cheap target, he is the biggest target to create waves. Smart move by Kanter.

Yeah, I went a little small with the customer service analogy but if you think that LeBron has power to change the business model of the entire apparel industry, you're the one being silly. If you can name a shoe company that LeBron could go to who will pay him close to 30M a year that doesn't do business with China, then you can claim he has agency. The fact is that Kanter is doing exactly what I said, he's targeting someone with a big name that can't possibly hurt Kanter's bottom line. It's fucking weak.

whats weak is not answering the question above but still ranting and ranting.

 

[Minstrel]

Yeah, I went a little small with the customer service analogy but if you think that LeBron has power to change the business model of the entire apparel industry, you're the one being silly.

I literally said he couldn't, in my post's CEO analogy. That doesn't make him blameless or immune from criticism, though, if you see him as a shill (as Kanter does).

 

[handiman]

It's not really a matter of whether someone (e.g., LeBron) can do something about international business practices, rather about the inherent human hypocrisy of ignoring similar battles that don't affect one directly, while trying to appear socially just on others.

That said, Kanter is targeting human nature, which probably isn't a winnable fight. His best chance of success is silencing the social justice campaigners, which ironically, would make him a central figure in Cancel Culture.

 

[Fairly-Hard]

Would more people buy Nike if they were union made in America?
Not sure about that? Could it benefit the country? Pretty sure it could.
Would it keep children in China out of sweat shops? Nope.
It’s a start though. Changing China might prove pretty tough.

 

[blazerkor]

whats weak is not answering the question above but still ranting and ranting.

LeBron makes far far more headlines than CJ does but targeting the wrong guy because he's famous and can't cost you anything is not admirable. LeBron does not negotiate (nor do the other 284 Nike sponsored NBA players) where the shoes are made or sold. Going after MJ would make way bigger headlines and he has a say in manufacturing and sales of some Nike apparel but MJ is pretty powerful and could affect Kanter's livelihood so I guess Kanter should single out one guy who really just wears shoes and makes ads instead of anyone who creates the problem.

 

[Orion Bailey]

LeBron makes far far more headlines than CJ does but targeting the wrong guy because he's famous and can't cost you anything is not admirable. LeBron does not negotiate (nor do the other 284 Nike sponsored NBA players) where the shoes are made or sold. Going after MJ would make way bigger headlines and he has a say in manufacturing and sales of some Nike apparel but MJ is pretty powerful and could affect Kanter's livelihood so I guess Kanter should single out one guy who really just wears shoes and makes ads instead of anyone who creates the problem.

okay but then if he singled out the show companies, where is his vocal platform? Lebron is the trampoline that provides a megaphone to attract the attention it needs and then maybe he can go from there.
But he needs a start and a loud one. None better than the biggest name in the sport.

jordan is retired and not near the megaphone size compared to lbj. Kids today only know of mj through parents conversations, etc.

 

[THE HCP]

"The Shoe Deal"
Talk to any kid who aspires to be an NBA great player and they will follow up with a shoe deal. It's almost the right of passage kind of thing.
You need to pick your battles wisely.

So once again people want players/companies to “take stands” against the very people who have put them in the very fortunate position that they are in? It’s not LeBron’s place to take a stand. Cash those checks, support his family and basically put a whole town’s youth through college. Thats his mission and I respect it. Business is all about making money. Good for him. I have a family to take care of, I’d do the exact same thing. Kanter who I’ve always supported, is WAY out of line on this one. He should do some deep digging on where his income is coming from, then talk.

 

[blazerkor]

I literally said he couldn't, in my post's CEO analogy. That doesn't make him blameless or immune from criticism, though, if you see him as a shill (as Kanter does).

Pretty much every player with a shoe deal in the league is a shill for a shoe company with similar labor practices to Nike. Something like 283 players besides LeBron shill for Nike. Their's this guy who is more famous than LeBron James who used to play and owns the Hornets who is more than a shill for Nike, he's a partner with them but MJ could probably make Kanter's life harder, just like going after Kanter's own teammates would. So, yeah he's totally justified in signalling one guy out and having a China's dictator crowning him, painted on his shoe. That's not close to the most effective way for Kanter to use his platform but it sure is safe.

 

[THE HCP]

Pretty much every player with a shoe deal in the league is a shill for a shoe company with similar labor practices to Nike. Something like 283 players besides LeBron shill for Nike. Their's this guy who is more famous than LeBron James who used to play and owns the Hornets who is more than a shill for Nike, he's a partner with them but MJ could probably make Kanter's life harder, just like going after Kanter's own teammates would. So, yeah he's totally justified in signalling one guy out and having a China's dictator crowning him, painted on his shoe. That's not close to the most effective way for Kanter to use his platform but it sure is safe.

Kanter needs to look down and see the shwoosh on his uni tonight. Hypocrite.

 

[Orion Bailey]

Kanter needs to look down and see the shwoosh on his uni tonight. Hypocrite.

on a sport so high on equal rights, id say he is about the only one NOT being a hypocrite.

Easy to boycott games for equal rights when it only costs a game pay instead of a full shoe deal.

 

[THE HCP]

People need to dig deep on where they income originates is what I’m saying. If you’re cashing the checks, you have no place to speak. You wanna stand up, it’s going to be in the unemployment line.

 

[Eastoff]

People need to dig deep on where they income originates is what I’m saying. If you’re cashing the checks, you have no place to speak. You wanna stand up, it’s going to be in the unemployment line.

So you're okay with slavery in China? And okay with slave labor in China? We can't speak out against it?

 

[Orion Bailey]

People need to dig deep on where they income originates is what I’m saying. If you’re cashing the checks, you have no place to speak. You wanna stand up, it’s going to be in the unemployment line.

why not cash the checks and use them to fight the cause until the checks stop?

 

[Hoopguru]

I think Kanter being a devout Muslim/Religious person, feels convicted enough to speak out toward China and the way they treat Muslims. It easy enough for him to use the ICON from his profession to criticize and all the shoe/apparel deals rather than blatantly / directly blasting China big time, thats what he wants to do ,but he would be out of the league in quick fashion if he does so.