Hours after ESPN decided to stand up to China on Wednesday by publishing a devastation piece on player abuse at the NBA’s Chinese academies, CNN and Situation Room host Wolf Blitzer brought on NBA commissioner Adam Silver for a 16-minute segment that not only ignored the league’s love affair with the communist, concentration camp-running country, but Silver’s support for Joe Biden.
Along with ESPN (and fellow Disney-owned property ABC), CNN’s sister channel TNT make up the NBA’s two national broadcasters. In other words, perhaps Blitzer was not allowed to pressure Silver on topics such as the ESPN report that alleged, according to one “former league employee,” “the atmosphere when he worked in Xinjiang” was akin “to ‘World War II Germany.’”
Blitzer’s 15 queries were, as typical with CNN, full of consternation and aimed at instilling fear in viewers.
After two lead-off questions about testing resources and the league launching a “community testing program” for Floridians right outside their bubble, the self-described NBA fan repeatedly chose to wonder whether the league will be able to finish the season without being cancelled.
Blitzer employed a classic liberal media tactic we’ve seen during this pandemic, which was emphasize the worst-case scenario while also claiming that they want everything to turn out as best as possible, whether it be cases, schools, or as we had here with the NBA season.
He hyped how their bubble is in “a hot spot” like Florida with Wednesday being “its highest single-day death toll,” so he asked: “[W]hat are the chances you make through this abbreviated season right now without an outbreak of the virus?”
Silver pointed out that the bubble has been in existence “for roughly three weeks, and we've had zero cases,” but Blitzer continued to harp on the worst possible outcome for the NBA (and the MLB) for the next five questions (click “expand”):
The NBA, as you pointed out, suspended the season in March after one positive test. Is that the same standard you'll follow to pause games that are in the so-called bubble right now down in Florida, one positive case and that you'll pause?
(….)
How many positive cases do you think it would take for, let's say, all the teams, all the NBA teams who are playing down in Florida to pause the season again?
(….)
Have you had conversations with the other major sports commissioners, for example, Major League Baseball, to get lessons from them, lessons from you? Baseball, Major League Baseball right now seems to be in huge trouble. They are not playing in a bubble, like you guys are.
(….)
I assume you would cancel the NBA season, Adam, if that was the --- that was --- that would be the right thing to do if it involved the players' health and safety and other personnel coaches, et cetera. You would just end the season, right?
(….)
Tell us a little bit, and I want to move onto some other issues, about the testing protocols, the other measures that are in place in the bubble in Florida right now?
Following two player-related questions (one on penalties for leaving the bubble, one for comments by Michael Porter Jr.), Blitzer toed the company line (without disclosing the CNN/TNT ties) by asking about the fan experience from home and whether Silver himself will go down to Orlando.
So Silver was asked about whether he will watch NBA games in-person, but not his June 18 donation of the legally-maximum $2,800 to the Joe Biden campaign. In this age of wokeness, one would have thought CNN wanted to tout it.
Predictably, it ended by focusing on how the league champion will be remembered, Black Lives Matter, and protesting the national anthem in the name of voicing dislike of America, but again, nothing about the Chinese regime or the ESPN report of abuse at one of their consulates (click “expand”):
BLITZER: This renewed season, Adam, as you well know and all of our viewers know, comes with a renewed commitment by many of the NBA players to the cause of racial justice in our country. How do you see the NBA's role and your role as commissioner when it comes to supporting those players? What will you do, for example, if some of those players decide to kneel during the national anthem?
(….)
BLITZER: So -- but if a player does kneel during the national anthem, what happens?
(….)
SILVER: But I understand this is a unique moment in our history.
BLITZER: It certainly is. Before let you go, if you make it safely to the end of the season and all of us are hoping you guys make it safely --- all of you to the end of the season, how do you think whoever wins the NBA title should be remembered compared to previous seasons? Will there be some sort of asterisk next to this season because of this deadly coronavirus?
Blitzer closed by wishing Silver luck and, despite his fear-mongering questions, expressed relief the NBA has returned:
Well, we're grateful to you, Adam Silver, for doing what you're doing. This must be --- must have been such an enormous, enormous challenge to you and your colleagues and the entire NBA, all the players and coaches, everyone else. We're looking forward to watching some games on TV. Thanks so much for joining us and good luck.
CNN’s Chinese regime-pleasing interview was made possible by (and thus supported by) advertisers such as Clear Choice, Crest, Humira, Progressive, Qunol, ServePro, and TheraBreath. Follow the links to the MRC’s Conservatives Fight Back page.
To see Blitzer’s questions to Silver from CNN’s The Situation Room on July 29, click “expand.”
CNN’s The Situation Room
July 29, 2020
5:22 p.m. EasternWOLF BLITZER: Amid this pandemic, the NBA is now set to resume its season tomorrow, and it's just announced very ambitious community testing program. Joining us now, the NBA commissioner Adam Silver. Adam, thanks so much for joining us. We've got a lot to discuss, but first tell us about this NBA community testing program that you just announced. How will this work, which communities will this serve?
(….)
BLITZER: Is this in part your answer, Adam, to the people who have wondered why the a has so many testing resources available while, unfortunately, so much of the country is now struggling to get tested?
(….)
BLITZER: That’s really important. Let's get to some of the major news that's unfolding. The NBA season is resuming tomorrow. It's something all of us fans have been waiting for, but this is happening in a hot spot. We're talking about Florida, Adam, right now, which just reported its highest single-day death toll, so what are the chances you make through this abbreviated season right now without an outbreak of the virus?
(….)
ADAM SILVER: And so far, we've been there for roughly three weeks, and we've had zero cases, so it seems to be holding up and working so far.
BLITZER: Let's hope it stays like that. The NBA, as you pointed out, suspended the season in March after one positive test. Is that the same standard you'll follow to pause games that are in the so-called bubble right now down in Florida, one positive case and that you'll pause?
(….)
BLITZER: How many positive cases do you think it would take for, let's say, all the teams, all the NBA teams who are playing down in Florida to pause the season again?
(….)
BLITZER: Have you had conversations with the other major sports commissioners, for example, Major League Baseball, to get lessons from them, lessons from you? Baseball, Major League Baseball right now seems to be in huge trouble. They are not playing in a bubble, like you guys are.
(….)
BLITZER: I assume you would cancel the NBA season, Adam, if that was the --- that was --- that would be the right thing to do if it involved the players' health and safety and other personnel coaches, et cetera. You would just end the season, right?
(….)
BLITZER: Tell us a little bit, and I want to move onto some other issues, about the testing protocols, the other measures that are in place in the bubble in Florida right now?
(….)
BLITZER: What are --- what sort of consequences will there be, and you know there will be these certain players. What will they face if they sneak out of the so-called bubble or break the rules that you have in place which are very strict rules?
(….)
BLITZER: We all remember, at the start of this, Rudy Gobert of the Utah Jazz, he made light of the virus and now you have Denver Nuggets forward Michael Porter Jr. saying the pandemic, in his words, is overblown being used to, “control the masses.” Does that attitude potentially endanger him and his teammates?
(….)
BLITZER: This season will be very different for those of us who are huge NBA fans, and I admit I am one of them, what will it be like watching these games on TV without fans in the stadium?
(….)
BLITZER: You’re speaking to me, Adam, from New York. Are you planning to go to Orlando to stay in that bubble over these next few months?
(….)
BLITZER: This renewed season, Adam, as you well know and all of our viewers know, comes with a renewed commitment by many of the NBA players to the cause of racial justice in our country. How do you see the NBA's role and your role as commissioner when it comes to supporting those players? What will you do, for example, if some of those players decide to kneel during the national anthem?
(….)
BLITZER: So -- but if a player does kneel during the national anthem, what happens?
(….)
SILVER: But I understand this is a unique moment in our history.
BLITZER: It certainly is. Before let you go, if you make it safely to the end of the season and all of us are hoping you guys make it safely --- all of you to the end of the season, how do you think whoever wins the NBA title should be remembered compared to previous seasons? Will there be some sort of asterisk next to this season because of this deadly coronavirus?
(….)
BLITZER: Well, we're grateful to you, Adam Silver, for doing what you're doing. This must be --- must have been such an enormous, enormous challenge to you and your colleagues and the entire NBA, all the players and coaches, everyone else. We're looking forward to watching some games on TV. Thanks so much for joining us and good luck.
