NBA-China: ex-Houston Rockets GM Daryl Morey says ‘James Harden changed my life’
- Departing NBA executive, whose Hong Kong tweet kicked off a firestorm with China last year, takes out full-page newspaper ad
- Also thanks fans of the team and the city of Houston as hopes for Harden to win an NBA championship
Former Houston Rockets GM Daryl Morey, the man whose tweet supporting Hong Kong’s anti-government protesters last year soured relations between the NBA and China, has thanked his former team in a full-page advertisement in the Houston Chronicle newspaper.
Morey, who spent 13 seasons at the Texas side, took out the ad in Sunday’s edition.
He paid special praise to the team’s star player James Harden: “James Harden changed my life,” he wrote in bold letters. The advertisement also featured a photograph of Morey and Harden when the player signed for Houston in 2012.
Morey shared an image of the newspaper page on his Twitter account with the message, “Thank You” and a rocket emoji.
In the open letter, Morey also thanked Rockets fans and the city of Houston.
“Your support has kept me energised and inspired. You have been the driving force to our success. I am honoured to have been a part of your story,” he wrote, but reserved much of his praise for the 2018 NBA MVP.
“An entire page could be dedicated just to James. He not only transformed my life but also revolutionised the game of basketball – and continues to do so – like almost no one has before.
“The game is played differently because of James, and on every playground in the world, the next generation of talent is studying and imitating his game.”
Morey was responsible for Harden arriving in Houston ahead of the NBA’s 2012-13 season, which ended with the Rockets reaching the play-offs.
Harden – who is an eight time NBA All-Star – has taken them to the postseason every year since, including this year when the Rockets lost to the Los Angeles Lakers.
That series was not shown on Chinese television as part of CCTV’s NBA blackout following Morey’s tweet in October, 2019. The NBA returned to terrestrial screens in time for the Lakers to win the championship.
NBA returns to Chinese state TV a year after Hong Kong controversy
“I can’t believe I won’t be able to have another strategy session with James,” Morey continued. “I loved working together on how to get his incredible Hall of Fame teammates Dwight Howard, Chris Paul and Russell Westbrook to the Rockets.
“I will be rooting for James to win a championship in Houston. It’s how this story should end.”
Many Chinese basketball fans responded to Morey’s resignation with glee on social media, speculating that his decision was related to CCTV bringing the NBA back to screens.
