The NBA is my name,
Is hypocrisy my game?

Floyd’s killing, a reckoning it did create,
Race and policing were the center of debate.

Protests and ideological violence ensued.
Subjective social morality became unglued.

NBA players felt empowered to speak.
The atrocity caused their emotions to pique.

Players joined the protests with Black Lives Matter;
The topic required more than mindless chatter.

A commitment to social justice was made.
Messages on jerseys were displayed.

“Say Their Names,” and “Liberation” were among those shared.
Emulate the league, it was declared.

We’re fighting racial injustice,
Who’d dare challenge us?

‘Til two of their own crossed an implicit line,
Making waves with hullabaloo bylines.

What terrible thing, you may ask, did they do?
They spoke of a topic that is taboo.

They gave unapproved voice to transnational protests,
Causing the league financial distress.

Daryl Morey tweeted in support of Hong Kong.
Lebron countered he was ill-informed before long.

On Uyghurs, Enes Kanter followed suit.
His NBA family tried to render him mute.

Teamless he became for not succumbing to pressure.
Then suddenly the league became the transgressor.

You may wonder if Morey and Kanter were wrong.
Are Hong Kongers and Uyghurs thriving and strong?

Rights watchers say freedom has been suppressed,
Leaving many Hong Kongers sad and depressed.

A powerful message followed on Hong Kong:
We’re the NBA. We’ll decide who’s right and who’s wrong.

To “re-education camps” the Uyghurs were sent.
Forced labor or education, depends on your media content.

On the Uyghurs, a Golden State owner decreed:
“Nobody cares” about Uyghur pleas.

The NBA’s stance after all the clamor?
Close one training camp, that’ll stop the yammer.

It’s the red herring they’re using to achieve
Obfuscation, for the Chinese billions they receive.

Since the NBA profits from global friends,
There too, should their morals and ethics extend.

Otherwise, don’t pretend to place rights over greed
If endorsements and sportswear deals cause you to cede.

If actions and alliances are fairly assessed,
Silent complicity is all you’ve “expressed.”

League activism appears fully backed,
As long as there’s no impact on their greenbacks.

Before spending on tickets or jerseys of choice,
Recall those the League deemed unworthy of voice.

To this end, the NBA and its self-anointed King
Have kowtowed at the feet of Beijing.