（观察者网讯）

蔡崇信已经出离愤怒。不单单是莫雷事情涉及到无数中国球迷，不单单是他身为NBA30支球队老板之一，而是“作为一个在中国度过了我职业生涯大部分时光的炎黄子孙，我必须发声音”。

莫雷发表支持香港示威言论的事件持续发酵，篮网老板蔡崇信10月7日在其推特上发表公开信，“数以亿记的中国球迷感到这件事情充满政治色彩，他们的感情受到了严重的伤害。”

蔡崇信社交媒体截图

公开信中，蔡崇信阐释了为何中国球迷对莫雷如此愤怒的原因，“支持中国领土上发生的分离主义就是一个雷区。这不仅仅是对中国政府如此，而且对所有中国人民也是如此。”

蔡崇信向美国球迷普及了香港的基本历史，“学过历史的人会明白，中国人对任何试图分裂中国领土的企图，不管来自国内还是国外，都有沉重的心理阴影，当出现分离主义运动的话题时，因为外国侵占的历史，所以中国人感到屈辱和愤怒。”

“作为一支NBA球队的老板，我会继续在涉及中国的重要问题上发表看法，我也请我们的中国球迷继续相信NBA和篮球，相信我们会团结全世界人民的力量。”

今年9月，蔡崇信全资收购了布鲁克林篮网队，这也是他首度以篮网老板的身份对外公开发声。

以下为蔡崇信公开信全文（中英文）：

对所有NBA球迷的公开信：

我在9月份收购布鲁克林篮网队的时候，没有预料到我向我们的球迷发出的第一条公开声明，会是评论这件刚刚发生的事情，为什么数以亿计的中国球迷感到这件事情充满政治色彩，他们的感情受到了严重伤害。

大家现在想必都已经知道，中国的球迷对休斯顿火箭队总经理莫雷在推特上发表的支持香港示威的言论反应非常负面。火箭队在这之前是中国最受欢迎的球队，但现在可以说被驱逐出了中国市场。球迷不再喜欢这支球队，转播商拒绝播放火箭队的比赛，中国的赞助商也大量取消他们的赞助合作。中国的球迷要求有一个解释——如果火箭队拿不出解释，那么他们自然就会要求其他与NBA有关的人士来发表看法。

NBA是一个球迷第一的联盟。当数以亿计的球迷对某个问题愤怒的时候，联盟及与NBA有关的人都必须高度关注。作为NBA30支球队其中一支的老板，也作为一个在中国度过了我职业生涯大部分时光的炎黄子孙，我必须发声。

人们自由发表观点的问题是什么？这种自由是美国文化中天然的一部分，NBA也有很开放的价值观，允许球员和其他人士有平台就各种各样的话题发表看法。但是问题是，有的话题在有的国家、社会和群体中是雷区。

支持中国领土上发生的分离主义运动就是一个雷区。这不仅是对中国政府如此，而且对所有中国人民也是如此。西方媒体和对中国持批判态度的人经常严重误解及忽略的一件事情，就是14亿中国人在涉及中国领土完整和国家主权的问题上，紧密地团结在一起。这个问题是没有余地讨价还价的。

有必要了解一下历史。在19世纪中叶，英国强迫与中国进行非法的鸦片贸易，中国和英法之间爆发了两次鸦片战争。虚弱不堪的清政府战败，被迫割让香港成为英国殖民地。

由于清政府软弱，没有力量反抗，列强对中国领土的侵略不断继续，后来导致了19世纪末20世纪初的义和团运动。对此，日本、俄罗斯、英国、法国、美国、德国、意大利和奥匈帝国组成的八国联军打着人道主义干预的幌子，侵占中国领土。八国联军开进中国首都北京，击败了义和团并在北京大肆掠夺。

在抗日战争期间，日本侵华并于1937年占领了北京、上海和当时的首都南京。日军在南京制造了骇人听闻的南京大屠杀，几十万平民死亡。在抗战中，几千万中国人献出了生命，美国后来也是在珍珠港事件之后对日开战。

我回顾这些历史，是因为学过历史的人就会明白，中国人对任何试图分裂中国领土的企图，不管来自国内还是国外，都有沉重的心理阴影。当出现分离主义运动的话题时，因为外国侵占的历史，所以中国人民感到强烈的屈辱和愤怒。

希望现在大家能够理解，为什么莫雷的推特对与我们中国球迷的关系产生了如此巨大的破坏。我不认识莫雷。我想他应该是一个还不错的NBA球队总经理，对他后来发表的道歉，说自己对问题的了解不够，我也愿意接受他字面表达的意思。但是此次事件造成的伤害需要很长时间才能弥补。

我希望联盟可以从此次事件中走出来。作为一支NBA球队的老板，我会继续在涉及中国的重要问题上发表看法，我也请我们的中国球迷继续相信NBA和篮球，相信我们团结全世界人民的力量。此致

敬礼！

蔡崇信

Open letter to all NBA fans:

When I bought controlling interest in the Brooklyn Nets in September, I didn’t expect my first public communication with our fans would be to comment on something as politically charged and grossly misunderstood as the way hundreds of millions of Chinese NBA fans feel about what just happened.

By now you have heard that Chinese fans have reacted extremely negatively to a tweet put out by Houston Rockets GM Daryl Morey in support of protests in Hong Kong.

The Rockets, who by far had been the favorite team in China, are now effectively shut out of the Chinese market as fans abandon their love for the team, broadcasters refuse to air their games and Chinese corporates pull sponsorships in droves.

Fans in China are calling for an explanation – if they are not getting it from the Houston Rockets, then it is natural that they ask others associated with the NBA to express a view.

The NBA is a fan-first league. When hundreds of millions of fans are furious over an issue, the league, and anyone associated with the NBA, will have to pay attention. As a Governor of one of the 30 NBA teams, and a Chinese having spent a good part of my professional life in China, I need to speak up.

What is the problem with people freely expressing their opinion? This freedom is an inherent American value and the NBA has been very progressive in allowing players and other constituents a platform to speak out on issues.

The problem is, there are certain topics that are third-rail issues in certain countries, societies and communities.

Supporting a separatist movement in a Chinese territory is one of those third-rail issues, not only for the Chinese government, but also for all citizens in China.

The one thing that is terribly misunderstood, and often ignored, by the western press and those critical of China is that 1.4 billion Chinese citizens stand united when it comes to the territorial integrity of China and the country’s sovereignty over her homeland. This issue is non-negotiable.

A bit of historical perspective is important. In the mid-19thcentury, China fought two Opium Wars with the British, aided by the French, who forced through illegal trade of opium to China. A very weak Qing Dynasty government lost the wars and the result was the ceding of Hong Kong to the British as a colony.

The invasion of Chinese territories by foreign forces continued against a weak and defenseless Qing government, which precipitated in the Boxer Rebellion by Chinese peasants at the turn of the 20th century. In response, the Eight Nations Alliance – comprised of Japan, Russia, Britain, France, United States, Germany, Italy and Austria-Hungary – dispatched their forces to occupy Chinese territories in the name of humanitarian intervention. The foreign forces marched into the Chinese capital Peking (now called Beijing), defeated the peasant rebels and proceeded to loot and pillage the capital city.

In 1937, Japan invaded China by capturing Beijing, Shanghai and the then-Chinese capital Nanjing. Imperial Japanese troops committed mass murder and rape against the residents of Nanjing, resulting in several hundred thousand civilian deaths. The war of resistance by the Chinese against Japan ended after tens of millions of Chinese casualties, and only after America joined the war against Japan post-Pearl Harbor.

I am going into all of this because a student of history will understand that the Chinese psyche has heavy baggage when it comes to any threat, foreign or domestic, to carve up Chinese territories.

When the topic of any separatist movement comes up, Chinese people feel a strong sense of shame and anger because of this history of foreign occupation.

By now I hope you can begin to understand why the Daryl Morey tweet is so damaging to the relationship with our fans in China. I don’t know Daryl personally. I am sure he’s a fine NBA general manager, and I will take at face value his subsequent apology that he was not as well informed as he should have been. But the hurt that this incident has caused will take a long time to repair.

I hope to help the League to move on from this incident. I will continue to be an outspoken NBA Governor on issues that are important to China. I ask that our Chinese fans keep the faith in what the NBA and basketball can do to unite people from all over the world.

Sincerely,

Joe Tsai