A Republican and a Democrat are asking Adam Silver the same question: How far is the NBA willing to go in doing business with a government accused of serious human rights abuses?
Sens. Marsha Blackburn, R-Tenn., and Jeff Merkley, D-Ore., want the league to reevaluate its partnership with Rwanda, according to ESPN’s Mark Fainaru-Wada. In a letter sent Friday, they said they are “increasingly alarmed by the NBA’s deepening relationship with Rwanda.”
Their concern is “sportswashing.” Put simply, that means using the popularity of sports to improve a government’s image while drawing attention away from alleged abuses.
For NBA fans, there’s a visible connection. The Clippers wear “Visit Rwanda” on their jerseys through a sponsorship agreement. Rwanda also pays the NBA roughly $6 million to $7 million annually for Basketball Africa League hosting and marketing arrangements, ESPN reported.
The league’s relationship with Rwanda’s government, led by Paul Kagame, has drawn scrutiny before. Accusations include abuses against political opponents and support for forces committing atrocities in the neighboring Democratic Republic of Congo.
The NBA previously said it follows the U.S. government’s guidance on where to conduct business.
“If American policies were to change regarding business activities in and relating to Rwanda … our actions would of course change accordingly,” deputy commissioner Mark Tatum wrote in 2024.
The senators argue those policies have now changed. They want to know whether the NBA’s approach will change with them.
“We received the letter on Friday and are in the process of responding to it,” NBA spokesman Mike Bass told ESPN.
One question in the letter gets directly to the point: “What is the NBA’s red line for accepting money from foreign governments that commit human rights abuses?”
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