NBA at centre of controversy after Daryl Morey Hong Kong statement differs from English to Chinese; US politicians call foul
- NBA releases statements in English and Chinese on Twitter-like Sina Weibo as fallout from Rockets GM’s tweet continues
- Democrats and Republicans criticise NBA for ‘shameful retreating’ in face of pressure from China
The National Basketball Association has made a statement amid the ongoing fallout of Houston Rockets GM Daryl Morey’s tweet about Hong Kong but the league now finds itself at the centre of criticism from politicians in the US.
The NBA’s Chinese-language post on Monday on the Twitter-like Weibo microblogging platform was labelled a statement, originally published in English, from the association’s Chief Communications Officer Mike Bass.
But the language in Chinese differs from that used by Bass, as was pointed out by many on social media.
Bass’ original statement does not call Morey’s remarks “inappropriate” or mention “hurt feelings” – a phrase commonly used by Chinese authorities to describe perceived gaffes by foreign parties. In English, Bass said it was “regrettable” that Morey’s views “deeply offended” many in China.
Texas Senator Ted Cruz called the NBA’s apology “shameful retreating” on Twitter.
“As a lifelong @HoustonRockets fan, I was proud to see @dmorey call out the Chinese Communist Party’s repressive treatment of protesters in Hong Kong,” he wrote. “Now, in pursuit of big $$, the @nba is shamefully retreating.”
New Jersey Congressman Tom Malinowski also joined the chorus of criticism.
“An important story: China is using its economic power to censor speech by Americans in the US. And the #NBA, which (correctly) has no problem with players/employees criticizing our gov’t, is now apologizing for criticizing the Chinese gov’t. This is shameful and cannot stand,” he wrote on Twitter.
Similar charges were also levelled by Democrats.
Beto O'Rourke, a former Texas Congressman, tweeted on Monday: "The only thing the NBA should be apologizing for is their blatant prioritization of profits over human rights. What an embarrassment."
Andrew Yang, one of the Democrats’ 2020 presidential candidates, chimed in: "The Chinese government banning the Rockets is a terrible move."
Associated Press contributed to this story.
