[Mr KLC]

The backlash in China to a tweet from Houston Rockets general manager Daryl Morey supporting Hong Kong protesters has accelerated over the weekend, now to include formal consequences. The Rockets, long one of the most popular NBA teams in China, are now seeing their foothold in the country swiftly eroded and destabilized, and they appear headed for a possible blackout.

Morey posted a tweet Friday night that said, “Fight for Freedom. Stand with Hong Kong.” Rockets owner Tilman Fertitta sort of clumsily tried to distance his team from Morey’s tweet later that night, and Morey deleted it overnight, but the damage has apparently been done. Sunday the Chinese Basketball Association announced that it was suspending cooperation with the Rockets organization, as a reaction to Morey’s comments. Tencent Holdings, the massive Chinese conglomerate that operates as the “exclusive official digital partner of the NBA in China,” announced that it will indefinitely suspend media coverage of anything related to Morey, and is reportedly offering a “switch home teams” option for fans who purchased a Rockets single team plan on China’s version of NBA League Pass. Yu Fu, a former Rockets reporter for Tencent, says at least one Chinese business has suspended a sponsorship arrangement with the Rockets.

Tencent’s refusal to cover anything related to Morey and the move to facilitate a viewership exodus suggest that a blackout could be on the horizon. Even without a blackout, this is a dramatic turn of events for the Rockets, who’ve been one of the most popular teams in China since the ascension of Hall of Fame center Yao Ming, who was drafted by Houston in 2002 and quickly became one of the best at his position in the league. Yao is now an executive with the CBA, which this morning all but gave the finger to the Rockets and cut off an important link between the franchise and its Chinese fans. According to a study released just last month, the Rockets were the second-most popular NBA team in China, as measured by online engagement, behind the Golden State Warriors.

Fertitta told ESPN’s Tim MacMahon that he’s still committed to Morey, who has been one of the NBA’s best and most successful personnel honchos for more than a decade:

“I have the best general manager in the league,” Fertitta said. “Everything is fine with Daryl and me. We got a huge backlash, and I wanted to make clear that the organization has no political position. We’re here to play basketball and not to offend anybody.”

The fact that Morey even needs a vote of confidence from his owner over a single tweet demonstrates both the outsized importance of China as a growth opportunity for the NBA, and the power that the Chinese government wields to kneecap a team or even an entire league over something as benign as a relatively innocent endorsement of civil liberties, from a non-political figure based in the other hemisphere. It’s also a reminder that all that extraordinary authoritarian power, and its misuse and overuse, is exactly the substance of the protests in Hong Kong, as well as a reminder that placating that government in the interests of expanding a business opportunity is an inherently political act. It just happens to express the opposite position from that taken by Morey.

[Hman]

We think we're living in an oversensitive country but it sounds like China is even far worse.

They're always overreacting about something.

[ChiLLx]

Where is LeBron and Pop to defend the Hong Kong protestors? Oh never mind they hate America and bow to China like good boys

[DrunkHorseplayer]

Typical NBA; they'll back trannys' "right" to use any restroom but they won't back democracy vs. commie rats.

[Hman]

Where is LeBron and Pop to defend the Hong Kong protestors? Oh never mind they hate America and bow to China like good boys

Haha yep

Ship those two outta here

[GUMMO77]

Where is LeBron and Pop to defend the Hong Kong protestors? Oh never mind they hate America and bow to China like good boys

Larry Bird, too!

penetrate that Libtard!

[VeggieDog]

Tilman says he's not going to fire him, but I think he's going to have to.

[kidcudi92]

Larry Bird, too!

penetrate that Libtard!

[jjgold]

Typical NBA; they'll back trannys' "right" to use any restroom but they won't back democracy vs. commie rats.

classic but true

[Hman]

Typical NBA; they'll back trannys' "right" to use any restroom but they won't back democracy vs. commie rats.

Now even dikes are thinking they have the right to use men's bathrooms.

I was at a wings restaurant recently and saw this.

I wanted to say something badly but she/he had a pretty large group.

[reigle9]

Now even dikes are thinking they have the right to use men's bathrooms.

I was at a wings restaurant recently and saw this.

I wanted to say something badly but she/he had a pretty large group.

even better

[Mr KLC]

In other words… the Rockets will not support the human rights of a people who are being oppressed by a fascist communistic government because that fascist communistic government got mad at them… and Hardens step back is not a travel.

[spro23]

Liberals criticize white christians because theyre nice and meek.

So steve kerr, lebron, adam silver, etc will take shots at white people all day because its safe to do.

But Muslims, mexican gangs, brutal chinese get a pass because they dont apologize nor back down to liberals.

So the liberal mindset is more about destroying white Christians than anything.

They will never criticize these other cultures.

[Hman]

Liberals criticize white christians because theyre nice and meek.

So steve kerr, lebron, adam silver, etc will take shots at white people all day because its safe to do.

But Muslims, mexican gangs, brutal chinese get a pass because they dont apologize nor back down to liberals.

So the liberal mindset is more about destroying white Christians than anything.

They will never criticize these other cultures.

This is what makes our current President so special.

He doesn't back down.

He understands that we have been too nice for too long.

[Mr KLC]

Rockets star James Harden, who has participated in promotional tours in China in the past, was among those in damage-control mode this weekend, per an ESPN report. “We apologize. You know, we love China. We love playing there,” Harden said. “For both of us individually, we go there once or twice a year. They show us the most important love.”

New Nets owner Joe Tsai issued an open letter to fans (via Facebook) providing more context on the situation in Hong Kong and China and criticizing Morey for not being “as well informed as he should have been.” Tsai’s framing of the Hong Kong protests as a “separatist movement,” rather than a fight for civil rights and democracy, echoes language used by the Chinese government. It’s worth noting that no NBA owner is more invested in China than Tsai, the co-founder of Alibaba Group.

The Chinese Basketball Association has cancelled the G League exhibition games between the Rockets‘ and Mavericks‘ affiliates scheduled to take place in the country later this month, sources tell Shams Charania of The Athletic.

[Mac4Lyfe]

China more powerful than the US. It will be the most wealthiest country in the world.

Dont fuk with China.

Hey Morey... don’t press send.

[Mac4Lyfe]

Hey Morey... Shut up and dribble.

[bigtymer56]

Now even dikes are thinking they have the right to use men's bathrooms.

I was at a wings restaurant recently and saw this.

I wanted to say something badly but she/he had a pretty large group.

Why did she want to use the mens restroom? Was theresomething going on in the women's restroom(long ass line, somebody puked/shit all over it, etc.)?

Lets not act like dudes at bars are perfect when it comes to bathroom etiquette. When somebodys gotta go, all that goes out the window.

[ericc]

[ericc]

James Harden, one of the NBA’s biggest stars, apologized to the entire country of China on Monday morning after a tweet by Houston Rockets general manager Daryl Morey created problems for the organization and the league there.

https://sports.yahoo.com/james-harde...142140112.html




https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/ne...pisode-1245783
'South Park' Scrubbed From Chinese Internet After Critical Episode

[Art Vandelay]

Hey Morey... Shut up and dribble.

Exactly - Like his two cents is going to change anything over there! Well, he changed things all right... What a shitstorm!

[BigDofBA]

Maybe I do like Darel Morey.

[joeboy808]

Although it’s preseason, I’m thinking about playing the Rockets ML and Rockets -4.5.

This is the Raptors first preseason game and could be rusty...Injury Report states Lowry and Gasol are OUT. On the other hand, Rockets are 2-0 and have had two games to flow with everyone playing.

I see possibly the Raptors with a showing sort of like Clippers first game, shorthanded and rusty...

[joeboy808]

Welp, that’s what I get with the preseason....😐 Rockets bench squanders a double digit lead in the 4th and lose the game outright. So much for my two cents

[Mr KLC]

LeBron James rips Daryl Morey, says Morey was uneducated. Says, “We do have freedom of speech, but there can be a lot of negatives that come with that too.”

[King Mayan]

I just lost some respect for Lebron. Dude talks mad shit about black lives matter but won’t stand up against these communist fukks

[ChiLLx]

LeBron is a national disgrace

[IBetYou]

He says he's still not informed about the situation, so how can he possibly tell Morey was not informed?

China have apparently backed off the NBA a bit now, but you can see they have got to its players. First Harden - apologising on Morey's behalf - and now James. Funny seeing them squirm in front of the cameras like that.

[packerd_00]

Why did she want to use the mens restroom? Was theresomething going on in the women's restroom(long ass line, somebody puked/shit all over it, etc.)?

Lets not act like dudes at bars are perfect when it comes to bathroom etiquette. When somebodys gotta go, all that goes out the window.

If a guy pulls that shit they get arrested.

[packerd_00]

China more powerful than the US. It will be the most wealthiest country in the world.

Dont fuk with China.

Hey Morey... don’t press send.

Have some balls mate.

[Grits n' Gravy]

Lebron should sit this one out. With all of the millions he has made through China, he isn’t going to rock the boat. Mav and Rich need to tell him to go radio silent and focus on getting Lakers sharp. For all of his social causes how he doesn’t comprehend the HK protestors are their version of BLM is beyond me.

Having spent almost 4 years living in HK and Macau I understand the relationship between China and HK a little. Far from an expert. I do know, We as Americans would not enjoy living full time in China. It is a police state. Visiting fine, living long term...Nope. Dirty as penetrate. The streets, the air, the people. Nose pickers galore and they spit and drop cigarettes all over the place. Hong Kong is cool as shit though. Reminds me of nyc and chi. These protesters are just trying to have basic human rights.

[IBetYou]

Media always calling him a genius... Just goes to show, being bright for a jock does not mean being bright.

[IBetYou]

Enes Kanter: Wow dude! SMH -Haven’t seen or talked to my family 5 years -Jailed my dad -My siblings can’t find jobs -Revoked my passport -International arrest warrant -My family can’t leave the country -Got Death Threats everyday -Got attacked, harassed -Tried to kidnap me in Indonesia FREEDOM IS NOT FREE– viaTwitter eneskanter

[CJ]

Delete

[champlain]

LeBron James rips Daryl Morey, says Morey was uneducated. Says, “We do have freedom of speech, but there can be a lot of negatives that come with that too.”

Lebron, just say what you mean. It messes with your money and since you have a movie that will come out, it hurts you more than anybody else.