“I don’t know Daryl personally. Houston Rockets general manager Daryl Morey is reportedly leaving the NBA. Dwight Howard stands on a boat at East Lake Scenic Area while visiting Wuhan, in the Hubei Province of China in September 2018. What’s happening in Hong Kong? CCTV quickly halted its relationship with the NBA after Morey’s tweet, even though the post was quickly deleted. “There have already been fairly dramatic consequences from that tweet, and I have read some of the media suggesting that we are not supporting Daryl Morey, but in fact we have.”, Silver added that “what I am supporting is his freedom of political expression in this situation.”, NBA Commissioner Adam Silver says players, executives are free to comment on China, A statement posted on the league’s Weibo social media network in China, meanwhile, was translated to say that the league is “extremely disappointed in the inappropriate comment” and appeared to use the sort of language often used by state media in China. To top it all off, the league's handling of the situation simultaneously managed to spark a backlash back at home, with US fans and politicians alike calling out the league for pandering too much to China. One of the NBA’s other owners, Brooklyn’s Joe Tsai, defended China’s reaction in a lengthy Facebook post that categorized Hong Kong as a “third-rail issue” in China. Silver is reportedly surprised by low ratings of the NBA Finals. I can’t ultimately run the NBA based on trying to satisfy everyone on Twitter.”. Speaking to the media for the first time since Morey's tweet on Oct. 4 set off a firestorm, James declined to comment about the politically tense situation between China and the NBA … By clicking subscribe, I agree to receive news updates and promotional material from Mediacorp and Mediacorp's partners. Share. ESPN will also be broadcasting programming from China this week. “I realize, as I said again, these are complex issues they don’t lend themselves easily to social media. “We recognize that the views expressed by Houston Rockets general manager Daryl Morey have deeply offended many of our friends and fans in China, which is regrettable,” the NBA said in a statement. The broadcaster abruptly ended the year-long blackout on Saturday for Game 5 of the NBA Finals, eventually won by the LA Lakers, and now days later Morey has departed after guiding the Rockets' basketball operations since the 2007-2008 season. Elliott: Eliminating plucky Rays in World Series Game 6 a tall order for the Dodgers. A tweet of support for Hong Kong protesters, sent by Houston Rockets General Manager Daryl Morey, elicited a flurry of apologies and a wave of criticism, both of Morey and of the league’s response. The NBA sought to distance itself from Morey’s comments, starting with Rockets owner Tilman Fertitta, who posted his own tweet saying his general manager “doesn’t speak for the Houston Rockets” and that the Rockets are “not a political organization.”. NBA players have long made trips to China in the offseason where they’re met with “Beatle-mania” levels of excitement. Share. "After returning from Orlando and reflecting on what has been an amazing 14 years with the Houston Rockets, and after discussing my thoughts with family and close friends, I've decided I’ll be stepping away from the Rockets organisation effective Nov 1," Morey said. Hiltzik: In caving to the Chinese, the NBA reminds everyone that it’s a business like any other. With the opportunity to win their first World Series in 32 years on the line, the Dodgers will start Tony Gonsolin in Game 6 of the World Series. The crisis playbook then follows a familiar pattern: the foreign brand in question issues an apology, keeps a low profile and tries to work its way back into the good graces of those consumers. According to ESPN, Morey is stepping down from the Rockets and leaving the NBA after the “sides quietly worked through an exit agreement to conclude his 13 seasons running the franchise’s basketball operations.” (RELATED: David Hookstead Is The True King In The North When It Comes To College Football), ESPN reported that Morey isn’t ruling out a return at some point down the road, and is interested in spending “time with two college-age children who are each taking a gap year academically during the coronavirus pandemic.”, The decision comes barely a year after Morey famously defended and supported freedom in Hong Kong and kicked off a massive storm between the NBA and China. It felt like a watershed moment — a professional sports league coming to the aid of a marginalized group and helping effect change. What has been the political response in the United States? Some key questions, answered. Tweet. Video, Malcolm X: From civil rights to Smethwick, Swimming with sharks at Bondi Beach. The Rockets, who have been among the most popular teams in China since they drafted Yao Ming with the first pick of the 2002 draft, were soon being erased from an enormous and still relatively untapped market the league and American apparel companies have coveted for years. By subscribing, you are agreeing to Yahoo's Terms and Privacy Policy. Tencent Sports (TCEHY), which is the NBA's exclusive digital partner in China, said it would suspend live streaming for Houston Rockets games, and … Houston Rockets general manager Daryl Morey tried Sunday to defuse the rapidly growing fallout over his deleted tweet that showed support for Hong Kong anti-government protesters. The bill was later partially repealed. The CBA is a supplementary, complementary league, but in no way is it ready to replace the NBA as the league of choice for Chinese fans. The Rockets are about to play two games in Japan, and the Los Angeles Lakers and Brooklyn Nets play Thursday in Shanghai and Saturday in China. “Julián, glad to agree with you on this one,” he wrote. Disgusting. If consumers are annoyed with a fashion brand, hotel or airline, they can easily switch to another option; but the NBA stands apart in China. Tony Gonsolin to start for the Dodgers vs. Rays in Game 6 of World Series. This was a team’s relatively anonymous general manager — not a star player, not a Chinese icon, not even a celebrity — voicing an opinion. One year after Daryl Morey tweet, China’s state television to air NBA Finals originally appeared on NBCSports.com Our goal is to create a safe and … Former NBA basketball player Yao Ming is the president of the Chinese Basketball Association, which announced over the weekend it is suspending ties with the Houston Rockets in retaliation for a tweet by general manager Daryl Morey showing support for Hong Kong anti-government protesters. Get all the sports news you need, direct to your inbox. In a short reaction, CCTV suggested that Morey may have been forced out. It added that Morey “has undoubtedly seriously hurt the feelings of Chinese basketball fans.”. And I will just add that the fact that we have apologized to fans in China is not inconsistent with supporting someone’s right to have a point of view.”. Morey also tweeted an explanation: “I did not intend my tweet to cause any offense to Rockets fans and friends of mine in China. He had the audacity to tweet, “fight for freedom, stand with Hong Kong.” China just started playing NBA games again on state TV during the Finals. We love playing there. Meanwhile, Rockets merchandise has been cleared from various e-commerce platforms in China, while almost every Chinese sponsor of the league, plus others associated directly with the team, have suspended those partnerships. Given the timing, it appears the suspension of NBA coverage by that network was designed to last one year; CCTV announced on Oct. 8, 2019, that it was beginning an immediate investigation into its relationship with the NBA, stemming from the network being “strongly dissatisfied” over the league’s decision to not sanction Morey. Yeah, we’re going to need a bit of an explanation on that one. “We have great respect for the history and culture of China,” the NBA said in its statement, “and hope that sports and the NBA can be used as a unifying force to bridge cultural divides and bring people together.”. Video, Dr Fauci: Vaccine result could come by December, Malcolm X: From civil rights to Smethwick.

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