NBA's Adam Silver invokes Henry Kissinger during tangent on role in international diplomacy

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NBA Commissioner Adam Silver delivered a lengthy response to a question from ESPN host Pat McAfee about his participation in international relations, including rival countries like China, and invoked former U.S. Secretary of State Henry Kissinger.

Silver initially touted the sport of basketball’s reach on a global scale as it has become one of the most popular sports in China and has an increasingly growing interest there. McAfee asked Silver whether he felt obligated to be a part of international relations after mentioning a "country we’re not the tightest with right now."

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NBA Commissioner, Adam Silver speaks to the media during a press conference before the Atlanta Hawks game against the Orlando Magic as part of 2023 NBA Mexico Games on November 9, 2023 at Arena Ciudad de Mexico in Mexico City, Mexico. (David Dow/NBAE via Getty Images)

"I get pulled in, though not always in a positive way. I will say, I was reading a lot of those obituaries around Henry Kissinger’s death at 100 where was sort of an exemplar of a great global diplomat," Silver said. "I wanna say, I understand. This is going too far off field maybe from your question — I, of course, believe we have to have a strong military. I’m a big believer. At the same time — call it soft power or call it diplomacy — I think through sport, through culture and through arts, it brings connectivity with people of diverse cultures and backgrounds. Basketball is one of those sports."

Silver then went on to talk about basketball’s influence around the world and what values it teaches before making a point about the importance of