The NBA has shown immense interest in the Chinese market over the last few years and considers China to be the next big frontier for the NBA.
Things went a little sour over the weekend between the NBA and China that forced NBA Commissioner Adam Silver to get involved and try to put out fires.
The on-going tensions between Hong Kong and China have made global headlines as Hong Kong residents have launched massive protests which included storming the Hong Kong International Airport, leading to the suspension of all flights.
Houston Rockets GM Daryl Morey decided to get involved in the dispute by tweeting “Fight for Freedom. Stand with Hong Kong”. It did not take long for his tweet to cause a backlash as the Chinese Basketball Association took offense and announced that it had suspended all ties to the Rockets.
CGTN
Morey realized how serious his tweet was taken and decided to delete it but the damage was already done. He tried to rectify things by tweeting that he meant no offense to his Chinese friends and Rocket fans and apologized for offending any of the Chinese fans.
2/ I have always appreciated the significant support our Chinese fans and sponsors have provided and I would hope that those who are upset will know that offending or misunderstanding them was not my intention. My tweets are my own and in no way represent the Rockets or the NBA.
— Daryl Morey (@dmorey) 7 October 2019
Given the importance of the Chinese market to the NBA, Commissioner Silver tried to rectify things quickly by releasing a statement on the matter.
In a statement, the NBA said
While Daryl has made it clear that his tweet does not represent the Rockets or the NBA, the values of the support individuals’ educating themselves and sharing their views on matters important to them. We have great respect for the history and culture of China and hope that sports and the NBA can be used as a unifying force to bridge cultural divides and bring people together.
This statement might have pacified Chinese basketball fans but it certainly did not go down well with American fans including senior politicians.
Senator Rick Scott did not mince any words and called the statement an absolute joke which showed that the NBA had more interest in its bottom line than human rights. Texas Senator Ted Cruz who is a long-time supporter of the Houston Rockets said he was pleased to see the tweet from Morey but was disappointed to see the NBA quickly denounce Morey’s tweet in order to play safe and ensure it does not damage its financial prospects in the Chinese market!
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