By US star LeBron James?
Article in China’s “Volkszeitung” triggers vertebrae
Updated on 10.09.2025 – 07:32 a.m.Reading time: 2 min.
In China’s state “Volkszeitung” there is an article that NBA star LeBron James is said to have written. But is the text really from him?
US media report that US basketball players LeBron James is said to have written an essay for China’s state-controlled “Volkszeitung” after a PR trip as a brand ambassador for Nike. The text published in the sports part under James’ name had caused amazement and criticism in the USA and Hong Kong.
There are now doubts about the authenticity of the article. According to the “New York Times” and the AP news agency, the basketball superstar of the Los Angeles Lakers did not write the text at all. This is said to have confirmed two sources from his environment. James only made statements about basketball in China in media rounds, as was common on advertising tours.
His comments, which he made in Shanghai and Chengdu, were printed on Mandarin by the newspaper. According to three Chinese translators of the sports portal “The Athletic”, James is given as “author” at the end of the article. In the text it also says that James interviewed by a reporter of the “People’s Daily” and the article was edited.
“The enthusiasm and friendliness of Chinese friends touches me deeply, and I can only do my best in every game to express my gratitude,” said James’s supposed article in the Chinese newspaper. “I hope I can contribute to the development of Chinese basketball.”
It was James’ first trip to China since 2019. At that time, the NBA was under pressure in China because the then manager of the Houston Rockets, Daryl Morey, expressed his support for the Protemocratic protests in the Chinese special administration region Hong Kong.
The central government in Beijing reacted upgrade. China’s state television then no longer transferred NBA games until 2022. The league, one of the most important US culture exports in China, lost sponsorship contracts. According to reports, the damage may have been hundreds of million US dollars.
James’ statements in his latest trip and his supposed article were rated by US media as an attempt to improve the relationships between US basketball to China. “Six years later, despite renewed trading tensions between the USA and China, James’ Essay’s publication in the ‘Volkszeitung’ shows that the relationship between the NBA is on its most important market outside of North America shortly before the full restoration,” said Reuters report.