Morey shared his view on China’s Hong Kong situation. China let the NBA know they wouldn’t allow his tweet and will not televise Houston’s games. China pulled sponsors from the Rockets. Yao Ming is the best Chinese NBA player ever. He played for the Houston Rockets. Yao suspended any cooperation with the Houston Rockets as head of the Chinese Basketball Association. The NBA cares more about money than human rights it appears. Morey’s tweet that got all this started is below.
Morey failed to realize that you can’t “Stand with Hong Kong” if you want the Chinese government to televise your team’s games. China is a massive market for the NBA with billions of dollars in untapped potential. That does mean the NBA should have their tail in between their legs when dealing with China. The NBA is bowing down to a inhumane country for those dirty dollar bills. Some things are bigger than basketball. The league stood behind Kanter. Turkey won’t play NBA games with Enes Kanter in them.. Now China won’t play NBA games with the Rockets in them. The differences between China and Turkey are numerous, but the one that NBA Commissioner Adam Silver cares about the most is money.
The league said Morey’s tweet “deeply offended many of our friends and fans in China, which is regrettable.” Translation: We are losing money because of your tweet. Apologize now or be fired.
Morey has since apologized for his tweet. He shouldn’t have to apologize for standing for freedom. James Harden has apologized. This is ridiculous. Charlotte didn’t have the all-star game because of a bathroom law, yet a country that has “mass arbitrary detention, tortion, and mistreament” of citizens can hold all the power. From Harvesting Organs to falsely imprisoning citizens.. China seems to have a long-list of human rights issues. Over 20 million Chinese people watched game 6 of the NBA Finals last year. Tencent, a Chinese conglomerate, has a reported 500$ million deal with the NBA to televise games. The Rockets will no longer be televised in China. Sponsors have been pulled from the Rockets. Nike has pulled all Rockets related products off of their Chinese store. It goes on and on..
South Park was right again. China has banned South Park as well. Matt Stone and Trey Parker did acid at the Academy Awards, so I am sure they don’t care about this censorship. The NBA obviously cares. The NBA’s image has been tainted in China and America for two opposite reasons. Will Americans really care once Ben Simmons tries to shoot a 3 and Harden throws an alley-oop to Westbrook? Prolly not. The Chinese government and Rockets fans certainly care. The NBA has gone too far in trying to affect their bottom-line.