NBA in No-Win Situation as Protest Tweet Sparks China Furor
- Rockets manager backs off tweet about Hong Kong demonstrations
- Controversy puts NBA’s heavy investment in China at risk
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The NBA finds itself caught between two cultures, after a tweet about Hong Kong protests sparked criticism from China that threatens the U.S. basketball league’s expansion efforts in its most important international market.
The controversy erupted after Daryl Morey, general manager of the Houston Rockets, one of the most popular U.S. basketball teams in China, appeared to support Hong Kong demonstrators in a tweet late Friday. While the message was deleted and both Morey and the National Basketball Association tried to distance themselves from it, the damage reverberated across both China and the U.S.