China asked NBA: Fire Rockets executive

NEW YORK: China demanded that a Houston Rockets executive be sacked for supporting pro-democracy protesters in Hong Kong, NBA commissioner Adam Silver said on Thursday (Friday in Manila), adding that the league’s row with Beijing had “substantial” financial consequences.

Rockets general manager Daryl Morey ignited a firestorm earlier this month with a tweeted image captioned “Fight for Freedom. Stand with Hong Kong.”

It came right before the Los Angeles Lakers and Brooklyn Nets arrived in China for what proved to be a tense two-game exhibition tour, with broadcasters there refusing to air the games, public protests against Morey’s comments and local sponsors cutting ties with the NBA.

Hong Kong has been rocked by months of demonstrations by citizens who accuse Beijing of chipping away at its freedoms, but China has portrayed the protesters as violent separatists and bristled at any foreign interference in the matter.

The backlash in China against Morey’s comments has cast a cloud over the NBA’s lucrative broadcasting, merchandising and sponsorship interests in the country, where it has legions of fans.

“We were being asked to fire him by the Chinese government, by the parties we dealt with, government and business. We said there’s no chance that’s happening. There’s no chance we’ll even discipline him,” Silver said.

But the NBA chief said the dispute over Morey’s actions had taken a big toll on the league’s bottom line.

“I don’t know where we go from here. The financial consequences have been and may continue to be fairly dramatic. The losses have already been substantial,” he added.