NBA in damage-control mode as more Chinese partners cut ties in Hong Kong protest tweet storm
- Adam Silver to meet Chinese stakeholders after social media post by Houston Rockets general manager Daryl Morey prompts uproar in China
- Firms including tech giants Tencent and Vivo, and Starbucks competitor Luckin Coffee, say they will be cutting ties with the NBA altogether
The National Basketball Association is still scrambling to salvage its future in China, with the fate of at least two preseason games scheduled for this week uncertain, and more Chinese business partners cutting ties with the league amid a tweet-induced row.
A fan event due to be held on Wednesday evening was cancelled, while the NBA postponed media sessions for the Brooklyn Nets and Los Angeles Lakers, the teams slated to play preseason games this week. The two teams also closed their practice sessions to the public on Wednesday without explanation, and the NBA had yet to confirm whether their two games would go ahead as scheduled.
The tweet by Morey and the subsequent statements by NBA management have set off a huge backlash in China with thousands of fans, sponsors and business partners criticising them for “hurting the Chinese people’s feelings”.
Zhang Yujun, vice-president of media distribution at NBA China, said in a social media post on Tuesday that the row over Morey’s tweet could be devastating for the organisation.