An op-ed about basketball and diplomacy incorrectly stated that LeBron James wrote the piece for Chinese state media,  causing a wave of controversy.

According to ESPN, the Los Angeles Lakers star spoke with reporters at multiple stops during his Nike tour to promote his latest sneakers and compilation of his remarks were compiled from each of those interviews.

First, appearing  on Sept. 8 in The People’s Daily, the mouthpiece of China’s communist party, several other Chinese state media outlets published an article titled “Basketball is a Bridge Connecting Each Other” that was falsely attributed to James. Subsequently, the article was picked up by numerous international media outlets.

One of James’ representatives noted that  he made the comments during media sessions but that he did not write the op-ed.

The NBA is seeking to repair its relationship with China after a diplomatic feud in 2019.

Former Houston Rockets GM Daryl Morey showed support for pro-democracy protesters in Hong Kong in a now-deleted tweet. He apologized for causing the controversy.

In preparation for his 23rd NBA season, James  expressed his gratitude for the reception he received in China.

"It's super humbling for me to be able to come here, so far away from home, and get the reception and the love, I just wanted to pour it back to the community and to this country," James told  Xinhua, the official news agency in Chengdu.