The backlash from Houston Rockets general manager Daryl Morey’s since-deleted tweet in apparent support of the Hong Kong protesters continues.
The Athletic’s Shams Charania reports the Chinese Basketball Association (CBA) has cancelled exhibition contests between the G League’s Rio Grande Valley Vipers and Texas Legends in China because of the former’s affiliation with the Rockets.
This comes on the heels of the CBA suspending its co-operation with the Rockets. The CBA’s chairman, Yao Ming, was a former all-star player for Houston.
China is viewed as an important market for the NBA and as such, Morey’s tweet has caused such a stir that the NBA officially addressed the matter late Sunday evening.
Also Sunday, Morey took to Twitter saying he didn’t mean to offend and that he has since heard and considered other perspectives in regards to the ongoing, and increasingly violent, protests occurring in Hong Kong.
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) October 7, 2019
[relatedlinks]
