In a letter sent to Adam Silver, two senators expressed their regret at the end of August that the NBA had associated itself, in contempt of its principles and values, with Rwanda and its president Paul Kagame. A month later, also in a letter, the league responded to his accusations. It's Mark Tatum, Adam Silver's right-hand man, who defends the NBA, explaining that the league “follows the lead of the U.S. government on where it is appropriate to do business around the world.”
“If US policies were to change regarding business activities in Rwanda or any other BAL market, our actions would of course be modified accordingly”, he wrote in the letter.
For the NBA, each country “poses different challenges”
It should be remembered that the Basketball Africa League, jointly created by the NBA and FIBA, is closely linked to Paul Kagame and the Rwandan government, accused of widespread human rights violations.
In this letter, the NBA ensures that it focuses on raising awareness of gender-based violence, supporting the education of girls and encouraging participation in basketball at all levels. She adds that the league's presence in Africa helps create more jobs and economic opportunities.
“Every market poses different challenges, and we are always aware of these differences in the more than 200 countries and territories where we operate,” concludes Mark Tatum in his response to Republican Marsha Blackburn and Democrat Jeff Merkley.
