'The NBA is kowtowing to Beijing to protect their bottom line': The NBA is under fire for its response to Daryl Morey's tweet supporting protesters in Hong Kong

Bob Levey/Getty Images

Rockets GM Daryl Morey.

• On Friday, Houston Rockets general manager Daryl Morey published a tweet supporting protests in Hong Kong.
• Morey was criticized by Chinese citizens, and several Chinese companies suspended operations with the Rockets and the NBA, which has devoted significant resources to growing basketball in China.
• While Morey apologized, the NBA released a statement acknowledging that Morey's tweet may have offended Chinese citizens.
• The NBA has since been criticized in the political sphere and sports world for appearing to appease the Chinese government while caring more about the league's bottom line.
• Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories.

The NBA finds itself in the midst of an international controversy that began with a tweet.

On Friday, in a since-deleted tweet, Houston Rockets GM Daryl Morey tweeted an image that read "Fight for Freedom. Stand with Hong Kong." The tweeted featured the symbol of Stand With Hong Kong, an activist group that has been behind calls for foreign government intervention in Hong Kong amid escalating protests.

Morey's tweet drew criticism from Chinese social media users. 

In response, the Chinese Basketball Association (CBA), whose president is former Rockets center Yao Ming, announced it was suspending its relationship with the team. Several Chinese companies, including the state broadcaster China Central Television and the livestreaming platform Tencent Sports, announced they would not broadcast Rockets games.

According to The Athletic's Shams Charania, the CBA canceled a planned G League game between the Rockets' affiliate, the Rio Grande Valley Vipers and the Texas Legends.

The response from China hits the league hard. According to Sports Illustrated's Chris Mannix, the NBA signed a five-year deal with Tencent in June worth at least $500 million. China has been one of the league's growing markets, with nearly 500 million viewers watching NBA games on Tencent last season. The NBA has invested time and money into growing the Chinese fan base. The Oklahoma City Thunder, Los Angeles Lakers, and Brooklyn Nets are all set to play preseason games in China over the next week.

Houston Rockets owner Tilman Fertitta responded in a tweet saying Morey's views don't represent the Rockets and that the organization is non-political.

Morey also issued an apology on Twitter, saying, "I did not intend my tweet to cause any offense to Rockets fans and friends of mine in China," he wrote. "I was merely voicing one thought, based on one interpretation, of one complicated event."

Brooklyn Nets owner Joe Tsai also released a lengthy response on Facebook, explaining why Chinese fans might have been offended by Morey's tweet. He said, " The hurt that this incident has caused will take a long time to repair."

Read more: An NBA executive is facing major backlash in China after tweeting support for the Hong Kong protests

However, it is the NBA's response to the issue that has drawn criticisms from the sports and political world alike.

The NBA issued a statement on Sunday, saying that while Morey's tweet may have offended Chinese citizens, the league hopes sports can unify people.

However, Twitter user Yiqin Fu first noticed that the league's statement on Chinese social media app Weibo appeared to be different than the English version.

The New York Times' Sopan Deb tweeted that the New York Times also found a different translation. According to Deb, the NBA said there should be no discrepancy between the statements and that the league stands by the English statement.

In the wake of the NBA's statements, several politicians criticized the league for appeasing the Chinese government and protecting their bottom line.

Many in the sports world jumped in on the criticisms, too.

Dan Wolken of USA Today brought up Enes Kanter, who has an arrest warrant in Turkey because of his criticisms of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. Kanter has not returned to Turkey and didn't travel overseas for fear of being targeted by supporters of Erdogan.

Mannix wrote:

"The league is a strong supporter of its players and coaches taking stands on social issues, yet punts on its own opportunity to back an executive taking a position on one ... The league supports the causes of its members … just not ones that impact the bottom line."

With several Chinese basketball teams playing preseason games in the U.S. and LeBron James, one of the world's biggest sports stars, heading to China for a preseason game, the matter - which some are calling the biggest crisis of Commissioner Adam Silver's tenure - is unlikely to die down soon.

• Read more:
• Former NFL wide receiver Percy Harvin says he was high for every game he played in his 8-year career
• Jimmy Butler arrived for the first Heat practice at 3:30 a.m., and now other players are following suit
• What the NBA's biggest stars looked like when their careers began
• NFL players keep setting record-breaking contracts. Here are the highest-paid players at each position