The NBA free speech row has come back to haunt the Basketball establishment in the US after Chinese state media repeated on Saturday that those who offended Chinese interests will face retribution. The broadcaster said NBA commissioner Adam Silver fabricated "lies out of nothing and has sought to paint China as unforgiving" in order to please some American politicians.
Chinese state broadcaster CCTV said National Basketball Association COmmissioner Adam Silver will be punished for demafing China. The state broadcaster said Silver crossed the lines by defend Daryl Morey, the general manager of the Houston Rockets. Morey had started the controversy when he posted an image on Twitter on October 4 that said "Fight for Freedom. Stand with Hong Kong".
"Silver has spared no effort to portray himself as a fighter for free speech and used freedom of speech as an excuse to cover for Morey, who voiced his support for the violent actors in Hong Kong ... This has crossed the bottom line of the Chinese people," CCTV said.
The sequence of events started on Friday when NBA team Houston Rockets' General Manager Daryl Morey tweeted a post that read "Fight for Freedom. Stand with Hong Kong." In the immediate backlash, Chinese businesses cancelled sponsorship deals while the Chinese Basketball Association said it was suspending association with the Rockets. According to the LA Times Tencent, which has a partnership deal with NBA until 2024, decided to not air the team's games.
Initially the NBA explained that it did not share the views of the Rockets official. However, NBA commissioner Adam Silver said last week he supported Morey's views on "freedom of political expression". The turnaround came after severe backlash from NBA fans who criticised the softer line adopted by the NBA establishment.
Many in the Us pointed out that the National Basketball Association was capitulating before the financial prowess of China when it refused to support to Morey. Politicians across the spectrum also criticised NBA. "No one should implement a gag rule on Americans speaking out for freedom ... I stand with the people of Hong Kong in their pursuit of democratic rights. I stand with Americans who want to voice their support for the people of Hong Kong. Unacceptable," Senate Minority leader Chuck Schumer (D-New York) tweeted.
With more support gravitating towards free speech and support for protesters in Hong Kong, China felt the heat. NBA match venues have of late turned into protests grounds, with free speech supporters turning up wearing T-shirts with slogans such as "Free Tibet" and "Stand With Hong Kong", causing embarrassment to Beijing.
