NBA responds to letter from senators regarding ties with Rwanda and BAL

In a letter to two senators accusing the NBA of “putting profits over principles” for its collaboration with Rwandan dictator Paul Kagame, Deputy Commissioner Mark Tatum detailed how the league has championed several social impact initiatives in the country.

Tatum also defended the NBA, as he did in an ESPN story that caught the attention of Congress, noting that the league “follows the lead of the United States government when it comes to doing business around the world.”

“If U.S. policy were to change regarding business activities in and involving Rwanda or any other BAL market, our actions would obviously change accordingly,” Tatum said in the letter.

The NBA’s Basketball Africa League works closely with Kagame and the Rwandan government, which has been accused of perpetrating widespread human rights abuses that are far more serious than those the NBA has been cracking down on at home.

In the letter, Tatum wrote that the NBA is focused on “raising awareness of gender-based violence,” supporting girls’ education and encouraging participation in basketball at all levels. He also said the league’s presence in Africa helps create more jobs and economic opportunities.

Tatum was responding to a bipartisan letter sent by Sens. Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.) and Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.) to NBA Commissioner Adam Silver. The letter described how the NBA “has long positioned itself as a beacon of social justice” but instead continues to “develop relationships with dictators and despots” like Kagame.

“Every market presents different challenges and we are always aware of the differences across the more than 200 countries and territories in which we operate,” Tatum wrote in his response to Blackburn and Merkley.