- The NBA and China are locked in an escalating feud sparked by a tweet that voiced support for protests in Hong Kong.
- The feud began on Friday after Daryl Morey, the general manager of the Houston Rockets, tweeted out an image that voiced support for protests in Hong Kong.
- Since the tweet, Chinese leagues, streaming services, sponsors, and partners, have cut ties with the Rockets and the NBA.
- Here's how the controversy started - and all of the events that have happened since.
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The NBA and China are locked in an escalating feud sparked by a tweet that voiced support for protests in Hong Kong.
For over 18 weeks, millions of people in Hong Kong have taken to the streets for increasingly violent protests. Initially, protests centered around a proposed bill that would have allowed for the extradition of Hong Kong residents to China to face trial. Now, demonstrations have ballooned into a fight against police brutality and Chinese encroachment on the semi-autonomous city.
Though the bill has since been withdrawn, protests continue and have recently seen a spike in violent clashes between police and protesters as China marked its 70th anniversary on October 1. The topic of Hong Kong protests remains a sensitive issue for China, and China has been known to take harsh action against companies that so much as reference its domestic affairs or appear to threaten its authority.
As described by The New York Times, basketball is China's most popular sport, with a market representing hundreds of millions of fans. According to CNBC, more than 640 million people in China watched the 2017-2018 NBA season.
On Friday, Daryl Morey, the general manager of the Houston Rockets, tweeted out an image which voiced support for protests in Hong Kong. In the days following, Chinese leagues, streaming services, sponsors, and partners, have cut ties with the Rockets and the NBA.
Here's everything you need to know about the feud, from the initial tweet to the escalating backlash.