Brooklyn draw backers as NBA-China row simmers

● Brooklyn Nets were caught in the middle of the NBA’s rift with China ● Supporters of Hong Kong protests made their presence felt in their game

New York, Oct. 19: Supporters of Hong Kong’s pro-democracy movement made their presence felt on Friday as the Brooklyn Nets played their first game in New York since they were caught in the middle of the NBA’s rift with China.

Tensions between Beijing and the American basketball league erupted this month after Houston Rockets general manager Daryl Morey tweeted an image in support of the demonstrations that have rocked the financial hub for months.

China has portrayed the protesters as violent separatists and the backlash 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.

The Nets found themselves in the thick of the controversy as they arrived in China to play two preseason games against the Los Angeles Lakers days after Morey’s tweet.

Several hundred people clad in T-shirts that read “Stand with Hong Kong” chanted slogans in support of the protesters from the Barclays Center stands during the Nets’ pre-season showdown against the Toronto Raptors, the reigning champions.

“We want to use our performance art to show our support for Hong Kong and the NBA,” 55-year-old author Chen Pokong told The New York Post.

Nets star Kyrie Irving, who played just one minute of the first game in China against the Lakers after aggravating a facial injury he had suffered in practice, said he understood why the activists were protesting Chinese policies.

“The reality is that as individuals, it’s our job to stand up for what we believe in,” he said after the game.