A scandal continues to pick up at the National Basketball Association (NBA), triggered by a post on social media to Houston Rockets general manager Daryl Mori in support of the Hong Kong protests. Her commissioner Adam Silver expressed his willingness to meet with the head of the Chinese Basketball Association, Yao Ming, to resolve all differences.
“I hope that Yao Ming and I will manage to find a compromise, but now it is extremely heated, and I understand that. We will not apologize for the fact that Daryl Mori has exercised the right to freedom of expression, ”journalist Rachel Nichols reports.
An ambiguous post appeared on Twitter on October 5th. Mori posted a photo titled “Fight for freedom, be with Hong Kong.” She caused a wave of indignation mainly among Chinese users of social networks. Subsequently, the tweet was deleted, and the owner of the Rockets, Tilman Fertitt, explained that the record reflected the personal position of the general manager, and not the entire club. The culprit of the conflict also apologized, but his words did not convince either ordinary fans or basketball functionaries of the Celestial Empire.
Several large Chinese companies immediately announced the termination of sponsorship contracts with the Texans. In addition, Ming announced the cancellation of the traditional pre-season matches of the Houston Rockets and Dallas Mavericks farm clubs, held in late October. In an official statement, representatives of the Chinese Basketball Association expressed disappointment at Mori's post, calling it inappropriate.
Many coaches and athletes took the Silver position. So, the head coach of “San Antonio Spurs” Gregg Popovich supported the NBA commissioner, noting that he knows how to deal with ambiguous situations.
“In this regard, he is a cool leader, and very brave to the same,” - quotes Popovich USA Today.
In turn, the Los Angeles Clippers head coach Doc Rivers stated that everyone has the right to express their position.
“We are free to disagree. I may not agree with everything that you say. I have such a right, as well as the right to report it. And this is good. Freedom of speech is the basic principle of this country. She should always be with us. At the same time, I warned the players that freedom of speech does not imply freedom from consequences, ”the Los Angeles Times expert quotes.
One of the brightest stars in the league, Houston defender James Harden tried to defuse the situation, along with teammate Russell Westbrook, turning to Chinese fans.
"We apologize. We love China and love to play there. We both come there once or twice a year. Local fans greet us with great love. We cherish them. We love everything that is connected with them and appreciate their support provided personally to us and the team as a whole, ”said the defender.
However, the Chinese side was unsatisfied with the reaction of the leadership of the league. On the eve it became known that the major state television channel CCTV intends to suspend the broadcast of all pre-season meetings of the NBA teams.
In addition, two friendly matches between the Los Angeles Lakers and the Brooklyn Nets, scheduled for October 10 and 12 in Shanghai and Shenzhen, were called into question. Several festive events dedicated to the arrival of North American basketball players in China have already been canceled, as well as NBA banners and meeting posters.
All over Shanghai, they're taking down banners and signs for the NBA in general, and for Thursday's Lakers-Nets game specifically.
Game is still officially “on” ... as of now. Lots of shrugged shoulders over whether it will actually happen. pic.twitter.com/6MFqnWGjFN
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the PRC did not remain aside from the conflict. His spokesman, Geng Shuang, condemned the actions of the NBA leadership, which, in his opinion, is short-sighted, defending Mori.
“What kind of exchange and cooperation with China can we talk about without understanding its public opinion?” We have been cooperating with the NBA for a long time, so they are well aware of what needs to be said and done, ”said Shuang.
The deterioration of relations with the Chinese side can not only negatively affect the image of the NBA, but also result in large financial losses, as the matches of the North American league are very popular in the Middle Kingdom. It is worth noting that the NBA owes this popularity mainly to Mina, who spent most of his career playing for the Rockets and was inducted into the League Hall of Fame in 2016.
In addition to television broadcasts, part of the revenue comes from advertising campaigns, sponsorship arrangements, the sale of club attributes, as well as the participation of teams in pre-season events in the country. It is believed that the loss of such a generous market could seriously damage the association’s budget.