Out of trouble over a Houston Rockets manager's Hong Kong Tweet, China has stopped broadcasting some NBA games. As the Chinese state broadcaster CCTV announced on Tuesday, he will refrain to show some played in China Test matches the American Basketball League.
Rockets manager Daryl Morey had expressed his support for the pro-democracy demonstrators on Friday via Twitter. He posted a picture with the words "Fight for Freedom - Stand with Hong Kong" - Fights for Freedom, supports Hong Kong. This triggered a wave of outrage in China. The Chinese Basketball Association and several sponsors immediately stopped working with the NBA team.
CCTV justified his decision with the fact that also NBA boss Adam silver manager Morey jumped aside. "We express our strong dissatisfaction and rejection of Adam Silver," says the channel's message. Basketball is an extremely popular sport in China. Millions of Chinese fans follow the NBA.
Futile attempts of de-escalation
On Monday, Rockets star James Harden asked China for forgiveness. "We apologize, we love China," Harden said on the sidelines of two of his team's preparatory games in Tokyo, Japan, distancing himself from the controversy: "We love to play there."
Morey himself had relativized his statements in the face of the wave of indignation from the Far East. He did not intend to upset his tweet with Rocket fans and friends in the People's Republic.
1 / I did not intend to join Rocket fans and friends of mine in China. I just voiced one thought, based on one interpretation, of one complicated event. I have had a lot of opportunity since that.
- Daryl Morey (@dmorey) October 7, 2019The two-time basketball champion Rockets have had a large fan base in the Asian country since 2002, the year Texans hired a Chinese basketball idol.
Escalation in the metropolis of millions
In Hong Kong's Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, mass protests have been ongoing for months against China's growing influence and curbing civil rights. Since its return to China in 1997, the former British Crown Colony has been governed autonomously by its own Basic Law, based on the principle of "one country, two systems". The seven million Hong Kong residents are under China's sovereignty, but enjoy more rights, such as freedom of expression and assembly, which they now fear.
At the weekend, the violence in the metropolis was escalating again. Protesters ravaged subway stations and prochinese shops and set fire to the streets. Prime Minister Carrie Lam threatened the demonstrators on Tuesday to end the protests with military support from China.