The NBA is getting backlash from China after a tweet from the general manager of the Houston Rockets, Daryl Morey, sparked issues between the two entities. 

  “Fight for freedom. Stand with Hong Kong,” wrote Morey in a now deleted tweet.  

  Earlier this year, plans to allow extradition from Hong Kong to mainland China emerged, prompting civil unrest. The plans were withdrawn but protests continued as the people now rallied for democratic reform, according to Helier Cheung and Roland Hughes, journalists for BBC News.  

  Morey’s apparent support for the people of Hong Kong did not sit well with China, prompting action not only from the government but from the Chinese Basketball Association (CBA).  

  Several of the NBA Cares events were canceled. NBA Cares is a program dedicated to addressing important social issues both within and outside of the United States, according to the program’s mission statement on the official website. Through the program, the Brooklyn Nets had an event scheduled dedicated to opening a learning center at an elementary school, and the Los Angeles Lakers had another to benefit the Special Olympics, both of which were cancelled.  

  Rachel Nichols, a journalist for ESPN, arrived in Shanghai earlier this week to attend the Lakers and Nets game, which was on the verge of being cancelled. The game went on as normal, but according to Nichols, “it was played without sponsors, and media sessions for both teams were canceled.”  

  Nichols was shocked to see the dramatic change from the city compared to previous years. When she first arrived, the front cover of the Shanghai Daily read, “Rockets in flames after HK comments.”  

  “That’s not what the NBA expected when they got here. Also, if you go around the city, you can physically see cranes pulling NBA banners down that were supposed to promote and decorate the game,” said Nichols.  

  According to NBA Commissioner Adam Silver, the NBA will not be firing Rockets GM Daryl Morey, but will be aiming towards fixing their relationship with China. 

  “The league isn’t apologizing for Morey’s freedom of expression,” but instead “regret that so many people are upset,” Silver commented on the tweet.    

  Silver also reported that Yao Ming, who played his entire career, spanning from 2002 to 2011 with the Houston Rockets and is now chairman of the CBA, is “extremely hot” about the entire situation.  

  Katrina Brewer, a long-time basketball fanatic and Rockets fan, believes the whole situation is “a mess.”  

  “We have the right to express ourselves in any given situation. Especially being on Twitter. From what is clear to everyone is that the GM tweeted what he felt, not the entire NBA organization. So, why punish everyone for it?” said Brewer.  

  As of now, no Houston Rockets games will be broadcast in China, and Nike in China has officially removed all Houston Rockets gear off the website. Also, Li-Ning, a sponsor wear brand which endorses several NBA players, announced that they would cancel all business with the league.