Chinese state TV suspends NBA game broadcasts after manager comments

BEIJING -- Chinese state broadcaster CCTV announced on Tuesday it would no longer air NBA pre-season China games after the sports organization’s manager defended a message of support for Hong Kong protesters.

NBA Commissioner Adam Silver said late Monday in Tokyo that his organization supported the right of Houston Rockets general manager Daryl Morey to speak out in support of anti-government protesters in Hong Kong, without endorsing the message itself.

“I think as a values-based organization that I want to make it clear ... that Daryl Morey is supported in terms of his ability to exercise his freedom of expression,” Silver told Kyodo news agency ahead of a Rockets pre-season game in Japan.

Morey found himself in the middle of a controversy on Friday after he tweeted a since-deleted message to “Fight for Freedom. Stand with Hong Kong.” His tweet sparked a wave of criticism in China, where many disapprove of the Hong Kong protests for greater democracy.

CCTV said in a statement it took note of Silver’s response to Morey’s “inappropriate Hong Kong-related remarks.”

“We believe that any speech that challenges national sovereignty and social stability is not within the scope of freedom of speech,” CCTV said, adding that the broadcaster will suspend the airing of NBA pre-season China games and investigate all its current exchanges with the NBA.

The NBA’s initial statement on Monday said it was “regrettable” that Morey’s views offended many of the NBA’s “friends and fans in China.” The position sparked criticism from US lawmakers who accused the organization of sacrificing freedom of expression in order to maintain its access to the Chinese market.