Oregon Sen. Jeff Merkley sent a letter to National Basketball Association Commissioner Adam Silver on Tuesday, raising concerns over the organization’s reported ties to dictators.
In the letter, which was obtained by KOIN 6 News, Sen. Merkley and Sen. Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.) expressed “deep concern” over the NBA’s growing relationship with Rwanda and its President Paul Kagame.
“It seems that the NBA – which has long positioned itself as a beacon of social justice – is choosing to continue developing relationships with dictators and despots, all in the name of putting profit over principle,” the senators wrote.
Citing reporting from ESPN, the lawmakers said the NBA’s relationship with the Rwandan president began in 2018 as Commissioner Silver “shot free throws” with the president in Kigali.
Merkley and Blackburn state that the NBA also gave Kagame advice and “support” on building a massive $104 million arena to establish the Basketball Africa League, expanding the NBA’s presence in the continent.
The senators stated in their letter that the NBA’s presence in Africa was valued at nearly $1 billion as of 2021.
“The relationship does not stop there; the NBA has hosted President Kagame in Toronto, Los Angeles, Charlotte, Oakland, and at various other NBA sponsored events across North America, treating him like a friend and dignitary,” the senators wrote. “The league profits from this relationship, but at what cost?”
According to the senators, Kagame has ruled Rwanda for more than 20 years “with impunity,” noting freedom of expression and internet freedom are extremely limited in the country.
“Anyone who dares question Kagame’s rule – whether it be opposition candidates or the free press – is jailed, disappeared, or brutally assassinated,” the senators said.
The lawmakers also claimed Kagame has provided military support to M23, a rebel group in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, which has led tens of thousands of Congolese people to flee their homes in fear as the group has been accused of recruiting child soldiers, torturing civilians and using sexual violence as a weapon of war.
Merkley and Blackburn added that the Rwandan government is known for murdering and kidnapping dissidents living overseas, including people in the United States, noting, “The NBA should not remain silent as Kagame exports his authoritarianism.”
Their concerns extend beyond Rwanda. According to the senators, the NBA has also engaged with Chinese Communist Party officials.
The senators concluded by asking the NBA to outline its relationship with the NBA, how the NBA is helping the Rwandan people and its relationship with China.
“Playing ball with dictators and brutal regimes should not be the NBA’s business model. Instead, the league should use its influence to advocate for governance reforms, including respect for the rule of law. The NBA should also put energy into making life better for all Rwandans, not just those who finance the league’s expansion. At no time—and especially when strongmen are on the rise across the globe—should the NBA ignore human rights atrocities in the name of profit,” the senators said.
KOIN 6 News reached out to the NBA. This story will be updated if we receive a response.
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