The NBA released a carefully worded statement with respect to Houston Rockets General Manager Daryl Morey's recent tweet that supported pro-democracy protests in Hong Kong. His tweet was simply "Fight for Freedom. Stand with Hong Kong."
The NBA released the following 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. While Daryl has made it clear that his tweet does not represent the Rockets or the NBA, the values of the league support individuals' educating themselves and sharing views on matters important to them. 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"
Houston Rockets owner Tilman Fertitta also distanced himself from the tweet via twitter saying "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."
The NBA is likely concerned with Chinese partnerships like it's 5 yr/$1.5B streaming deal with Tencent. The NBA, headed by commissioner Adam Silver, usually does the right thing especially with regard to US domestic issues. In this case, it seems like there is too much money at stake.