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SPORTS Wednesday 16 OctOber 2019
LeBron James no longer King James for Hong Kong protesters

HONG KONG (AP) — When in the semi-autonomous
the ball smashed into a Chinese territory for having
photo of LeBron James' tweeted on Oct. 4 in sup-
face stuck above the hoop port of their struggle, infu-
and dropped into the bas- riating authorities in China.
ket, the Hong Kong protest- What the crowd of approx-
ers cheered. imately 200 people chant-
They also trampled on jer- ed about James wasn't
seys bearing his name and printable.
gathered in a semicircle to "People are angry," said
watch one burn. James Lo, a web designer
James' standing among who runs a Hong Kong bas-
basketball fans in Hong ketball fan page on Face-
Kong took a hit because book. He said he's already
of comments the NBA star received a video from a
made about free speech. protester that showed him
Fans gathered on courts burning a No. 23 jersey
amid Hong Kong's high-rise bearing James' name.
buildings Tuesday to vent He expects more, given
their anger. the backlash from protest-
The player for the Los Ange- ers who've been regularly
les Lakers touched a nerve hitting the streets of Hong Demonstrators stamp on Lebron James jerseys during a rally at the Southorn Playground in Hong
among protesters for sug- Kong and battling police Kong, Tuesday, Oct. 15, 2019.
gesting that free speech because of concerns that Associated Press
can have negative conse- the international business
quences. They have been hub is slowly losing its free- like every day. And then he quences for the NBA. people could have been
protesting for months in de- doms, which are unique in (James) just comes up with "Yes, we do have freedom harmed, not only financial-
fense of the same freedom China. something (like) that. We of speech," James said. "But ly but physically, emotion-
that James said can carry "Students, they come just can't accept that." at times, there are ramifica- ally, spiritually. So just be
"a lot of negative." out like every weekend. James made his comments tions for the negative that careful what we tweet and
The protesters chanted They've got tear gassed in response to a ques- can happen when you're what we say and what we
support for Houston Rock- and then they got gun- tion about whether Morey not thinking about others, do. Even though yes, we do
ets general manager Da- shot, like every weekend. should be punished for his when you only think about have freedom of speech, it
ryl Morey, something of a Police beating students tweet that reverberated yourself." can be a lot of negative
hero among demonstrators and then innocent people, in China and had conse- He added: "So many that comes with it."q

Continued from Page 18 opened every door in golf Griffin says he would leave
It explains why Griffin, not that I ever had — teach- the house at 7 a.m. and
long after he rolled in a ing me for free, giving me a stay at the course until 7
6-foot par putt with eerie membership. He's had my p.m.
calm to win on the PGA back my entire journey." "That's what made me fall
Tour, fought back tears Prater, who now works at in love with the game at
when asked how he got to Roanoke Country Club, re- a young age," Griffin said.
this point. members a young boy who "If Steve didn't bring me
His family always opened asked if he could come to in at that real vulnerable
one gift on Christmas Eve, the clinic. He didn't know part of my life, then there's
and Griffin was 8 when much about the family's fi- no chance that I would
he got a putter. The next nancial situation except it be playing golf in college
morning, he got the rest was clear Griffin could use — or winning the Houston
of his starter set — a 5-iron, the help and that he had a Open."
7-iron, 9-iron and a 3-wood. passion for the game. Griffin shot 51 for nine holes
No one in his family played When Griffin's father died of in his first junior event at the Lanto Griffin kisses the championship trophy during presentation
golf. Until then, his only ex- a brain tumor, Prater called club. By the time he finished ceremonies after winning the Houston Open golf tournament
perience was whacking the house that day and of- high school, he was good Sunday, Oct, 13, 2019, in Houston.
balls in a field with a per- fered the 12-year-old boy a enough to play four years Associated Press
simmons club his father had free membership to Blacks- at Virginia Commonwealth
bought from a barrel of burg Country Club. Prater's and told Prater he wanted Wilcox tied for fourth. Griffin swings," Prater said. "When
clubs that sold for $1 each. son is five years younger, to try playing for a living. made $17,000, at the time he was in Latin America,
A mile from their home in and he and Griffin became Just like everything else in his largest check in golf. he was starting to spin his
Blacksburg, Virginia, was friends. life, nothing came easily. Prater, who gleaned ev- wheels. He needed some
a nine-hole course called "He stayed at my house Griffin made $975 in his first erything he could about confidence. He needed
"The Hill" where he could quite a bit because he mini-tour event, minus the instruction during stints at other opinions."
spend all day for $9. And could walk to the course," $950 entry fee. He picked Sailfish Point and Jupiter Is- Prater hooked him up with
then one day, Griffin was Prater said. "I took him on up experience, along with land Club in Florida, kept noted instructor Todd An-
invited to Blacksburg Coun- as another son. He was plenty of debt. He thought teaching through phone derson because they have
try Club, where he noticed sad, and I think him coming about quitting more than calls and texts and when- similar philosophies, and
Prater, the head pro, con- down and staying with me once, and he might have ever he could get out to a Griffin became more pol-
ducting a clinic for a small some and getting away done that if not for Will Wil- tournament. He also knew ished. He still leans on Prat-
group of kids. from things that reminded cox — whom he met at that Griffin needed more than er for the short game, and
Prater took it from there. him of his father ... he pulled first mini-tour event — ask- he could offer. they keep in touch through
"I wouldn't be here with- from playing golf. That was ing Griffin to caddie for him "I mostly teach juniors texts, phone calls and the
out him," Griffin said. "He his way of getting away." at The Greenbrier in 2014. and members. I build golf occasional video.q