ExplainerNBA-China Hong Kong tweet fallout – will Houston Rockets return?

The relationship between the NBA and China has dominated headlines since October 4, 2019, when Houston Rockets GM Daryl Morey tweeted his support for Hong Kong’s anti-government protesters. That subsequently deleted tweet started a firestorm that is still having an impact on both sides of the Pacific, even casting a shadow on the upcoming US presidential election. The NBA has been China’s favourite sports league for several decades, driven by the sport’s push from the government, games being screened live on domestic television since the 1990s and Yao Ming joining the Houston Rockets in 2002. Before the tweet, the Rockets were among the most popular teams in the country – a lasting legacy from Yao’s time in Texas. What did Morey’s tweet actually say? It was an image with the words, “Fight for freedom, stand with Hong Kong”. It was posted without comment and swiftly deleted but the damage was done. Rockets owner Tilman Fertitta quickly tried to distance the organisation from Morey, while the GM apologised for the tweet. Listen....@dmorey does NOT speak for the @HoustonRockets. Our presence in Tokyo is all about the promotion of the @NBA internationally and we are NOT a political organization. @espn https://t.co/yNyQFtwTTi — Tilman Fertitta (@TilmanJFertitta) October 5, 2019 What happened immediately after Morey’s tweet? Chinese media were critical, with People’s Daily accusing Morey of “touching China’s bottom line” and state broadcaster CCTV saying that the NBA “faced retribution”. CCTV also pulled NBA games, beginning with the October 2019 preseason meetings between the Los Angeles Lakers and Brooklyn Nets in Shanghai and Shenzhen, which were set to take place in the days after Morey’s tweet from Tokyo. NBA returns to Chinese state TV a year after Hong Kong controversy Several sponsors pulled out, too, while broadcast rights-holder Tencent also dropped games, blocking Rockets games and even removing the team from news reports. They offered fans a chance to switch teams for its “League Pass” for the season. Tencent, the digital rights holder of NBA in China, updated after they announced blacklist of Daryl Morey due to his 'Free HK' tweet: They will suspend all reports/streaming of Houston Rockets. Rockets subscribers are eligible to change service. NBA China market in trouble. pic.twitter.com/PGjWoZ8uPq — Titan Sports Plus (@titan_plus) October 6, 2019 The NBA said that there was pressure put on them to fire Morey, which they refused. “We made clear that we were being asked to fire him, by the Chinese government, by the parties we dealt with, government and business,” NBA commissioner Adam Silver told Good Morning America in October 2019 after returning from China. Game on for NBA after returning to Chinese TV “We said there’s no chance that’s happening. There’s no chance we’ll even discipline him.” The Chinese government denied they made such a request. In the US, NBA games saw protests in support of Morey and the Hong Kong pro-democracy protesters, while a cross-party group of politicians also wrote to the league on the issue. NBA player Rudy Gobert shows support for Uygurs in Xinjiang Why has the issue not gone away? An ESPN report in July highlighting abuse at the NBA’s academy in Xinjiang brought the league’s approach to China under more scrutiny. It has come from several corners, including the Muslim-American pressure group CAIR and several Republican politicians that have written to the NBA. Trump lawyer Giuliani tells Lakers to ‘celebrate in Communist China’ The NBA’s support for the Black Lives Matter movement and various other social justice causes, while players have stayed silent on China’s human rights abuses has drawn accusations of hypocrisy. Donald Trump’s lawyer Rudy Giuliani told the championship-winning Lakers to celebrate in China, while the president has been a vocal critic of the NBA. Have any NBA players been targeted? These have most notably been aimed at Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James and the league itself. James was the first player to speak about Morey’s tweet and his comments saw him criticised on social media and his jersey burned in Hong Kong. The ire has only risen as James has been a leader of the NBA’s support for US-based social justice causes and calling on fans to vote in the upcoming election. Have any NBA players spoken out about China? Utah Jazz centre Rudy Gobert tweeted his support for Uygur Muslims in China’s northwestern Xinjiang region in September, reposting a social media post from French actor and activist Omar Sy. The Frenchman was praised by the World Uygur Congress, an international organisation of exiled Uygur groups that campaign for Uygur rights and call for Xinjiang’s secession from China. Chinese NBA fans react after controversial Rockets’ chief quits How much has this cost the NBA? Commissioner Adam Silver said at February’s All-Star Weekend that it could cost up to US$400 million. The number has yet to be confirmed but there has also been a huge effect on the NBA’s finances from the coronavirus pandemic. The Walt Disney World bubble cost a reported US$180 million but might have saved them from losing US$1.5 billion in income, according to Sports Business Daily. How these concurrent concerns affect next season’s salary cap are yet to be confirmed. Despite tension with China, NBA displayed 'Good Luck Wuhan' in the advertising board during the Rising Stars Challenge, as streaming of Tencent showed. It is later pointed out the greeting is added by streaming technology, not what physically in place(shown to American audience). pic.twitter.com/G3CPFAEevJ — Titan Sports Plus (@titan_plus) February 15, 2020 What has the NBA said? Silver was confident that the NBA would return to Chinese screens at his All-Star press conference, and he was proved right eight months later. He also said that either NBA teams or the US national team would return to the country but this was before the pandemic took hold. NBA-China: one year on from Daryl Morey’s Hong Kong tweet “I know that, from the data we look at, there continues to be enormous interest for the NBA in China,” Silver said. “We’ve continued a dialogue with the Chinese, with our business partners there. In certain cases, with certain government officials,” Silver told Time on July 1. A timeline of the NBA’s China crisis as Daryl Morey quits Silver also told CNN in September that the US government – which has long supported the NBA’s efforts in China – should be the one to decide if it stops doing business there. Is the NBA back on Chinese television? Yes. The league returned for game five of the NBA Finals on October 10 (China time), a year after Morey’s tweet. This was the first game since the 2019 Finals, after the NBA China Games between the Los Angeles Lakers and Miami Heat. It is unclear if this means games will return in the new season. The return to CCTV was framed as a reward for the NBA’s support for China during Covid-19. Company refuses hoarding criticising LeBron James’ ‘silence on China’ “We have also noticed the good will continuously expressed by the NBA, especially the active efforts in supporting the Chinese people in fighting against the Covid-19 epidemic since the beginning of this year,” CCTV’s statement read. The NBA reportedly donated US$1.4 million to the fight in Hubei, where the virus was first recorded, back in February. Does that mean the NBA-China relationship back to normal? Aside from the return of games to CCTV. The NBA staged a fan event for the Finals at the Mercedes-Benz Arena in Shanghai, while it also opened the largest NBA store in the world in Guangzhou in September. This indicates a return to normality, that will only be confirmed with a return of the new season to CCTV and sponsors. A turning point would also see the Rockets return to broadcasts and online news. Thank You pic.twitter.com/oMlRwq2z8i — Daryl Morey (@dmorey) October 18, 2020 Where is Morey now? The Houston Rockets GM resigned from the team after 13 years in the role and 14 overall, with the decision announced on October 16. His resignation was accepted by team owner Tilman Fertitta, becoming effective on November 1 as he helps the team replace departing head coach Mike D’Antoni. ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski said it was Morey’s decision, while Morey later told ESPN, “It just felt like the right time.” ESPN said Houston Rockets has parted ways with Daryl Morey. China Central Television(CCTV), the state broadcaster, resumed streaming NBA last week. It is unlikely that the two events are unrelated. When will Houston Rockets return to Chinese media? Possibly soon. pic.twitter.com/6PkbgylJNw — Titan Sports Plus (@titan_plus) October 16, 2020 How has China reacted to Morey’s resignation? China’s NBA fans were overjoyed, while CCTV carried on their line in congratulating Morey’s replacement. “We congratulate Rafael Stone being appointed as the new GM. Any actions and words aimed to hurt feelings of Chinese people will pay. Wish all the best for Daryl Morey,” they said. The Mandarin for “All the best” can also be translated to mean “Rest in Peace”. China Central Television(CCTV):'Congratulate Rafael Stone being appointed as the new GM. Any actions and words aimed to hurt feelings of Chinese people will pay. Wish all the best for Daryl Morey‘. 'All the best'(一路走好): a pun also used when sb. passed away(As RIP in English). pic.twitter.com/OIKkUvvrfq — Titan Sports Plus (@titan_plus) October 16, 2020 Will the Rockets return to China? There is hope now that Morey has gone. The team had seen its box scores return online during the NBA bubble and play-offs but they remain ignored online.