The National Basketball Association on Sunday broke its silence on a brewing controversy between China and the Houston Rockets — and was promptly denounced by several Capitol Hill lawmakers and 2020 presidential hopefuls for “kowtowing” to the foreign power.
Rockets general manager Daryl Morey waded into geopolitical tensions Friday, posting an image on Twitter that said “fight for freedom, stand with Hong Kong,” in the midst of ongoing pro-democracy protests and clashes with police in the region.
He quickly deleted it, but Rockets owner Tilman Fertitta publicly rebuked him, and a Chinese sponsor and sportswear maker suspended working with the team, according to Reuters.
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On Sunday, the NBA released its statement: “We recognize that the views expressed by Houston Rockets General Manager Daryl Morey have deeply offended many of our friends and fans in China, which is regrettable.”
“We have great respect for the history and culture of China and hope that sports and the NBA can be used as a unifying force to bridge cultural divides and bring people together,” it continued.
Immediately, politicians on both sides of the aisle took to social media.
“It’s clear that the @NBA is more interested in money than human rights. Tonight’s statement from Commissioner Silver is an absolute joke,” Florida Republican Sen. Rick Scott tweeted, referring to Adam Silver. “The NBA is kowtowing to Beijing to protect their bottom line and disavowing those with the temerity to#standwithHongKong. Shameful!”
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