China suspends broadcast of NBA games after Daryl Morey's Hong Kong tweet
China has suspended the broadcast of NBA preseason games as the league scrambles to deal with the aftermath of one tweet about Hong Kong.
Daryl Morey, the Houston Rockets' general manager, tweeted his support Friday for the pro-democracy, anti-Beijing Hong Kong protests, a tweet he quickly deleted as it sparked outrage from China. The NBA subsequently distanced itself from Morey's tweet, which in turn sparked outrage in the United States among those who said the NBA was kowtowing to China to maintain its business interests there.
Now, the fallout from the tweet continues with CCTV, China's state broadcaster, announcing Tuesday it will "immediately halt" the broadcast of NBA preseason games, with this coming ahead of a Shanghai game between the Los Angeles Lakers and Brooklyn Nets scheduled for Thursday, CNN reports. Tencent also won't live stream the games.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
NBA Commissioner Adam Silver in an interview Monday insisted the league is supporting Morey's freedom of expression, also saying at a news conference Tuesday, "I understand there are consequences from his freedom of speech and we will have to live with those consequences," The Associated Press reports. Silver additionally said in a Tuesday statement that it's "not the role of the NBA to adjudicate" the "differences" between people around the world.
But China has taken issue with these latest responses from Silver, with CCTV expressing Tuesday its "strong dissatisfaction and opposition to Silver's stated support of Morey's right to free speech," also promising to "immediately examine all other cooperation and exchanges with the NBA."
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Brendan worked as a culture writer at The Week from 2018 to 2023, covering the entertainment industry, including film reviews, television recaps, awards season, the box office, major movie franchises and Hollywood gossip. He has written about film and television for outlets including Bloody Disgusting, Showbiz Cheat Sheet, Heavy and The Celebrity Cafe.
-
'We could face disaster in the near future'
Instant Opinion Opinion, comment and editorials of the day
By Justin Klawans, The Week US Published
-
Trump fills key slots, tapping Congress, MAGA loyalists
Speed Read The president-elect continues to fill his administration with new foreign policy, environment and immigration roles assigned
By Rafi Schwartz, The Week US Published
-
6 refillable travel containers that are as stylish as they are sustainable
Pack well and carry on with these leak-proof options
By Catherine Garcia, The Week US Published
-
Boeing machinists approve contract, end strike
Speed Read The company's largest union approved the new contract offer, ending a seven-week strike
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
US economy still strong in final preelection report
Speed Read It grew at a solid 2.8% annual rate from July through September
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Boeing machinists reject deal, continue strike
Speed Read The rejection came the same day Boeing reported a $6.2 billion quarterly loss
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Ports reopen after dockworkers halt strike
Speed Read The 36 ports that closed this week, from Maine to Texas, will start reopening today
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Empty-nest boomers aren't selling their big homes
Speed Read Most Americans 60 and older do not intend to move, according to a recent survey
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Brazil accuses Musk of 'disinformation campaign'
Speed Read A Brazilian Supreme Court judge has opened an inquiry into Elon Musk and X
By Rafi Schwartz, The Week US Published
-
Disney board fends off Peltz infiltration bid
Speed Read Disney CEO Bob Iger has defeated activist investor Nelson Peltz in a contentious proxy battle
By Rafi Schwartz, The Week US Published
-
Disney and DeSantis reach detente
Speed Read The Florida governor and Disney settle a yearslong litigation over control of the tourism district
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published