Silver backs Morey

NBA commissioner Adam Silver said Monday the league backs the free speech rights of Rockets general manager Daryl Morey.

But Silver, speaking to Kyodo News in Tokyo, acknowledged the impact of Morey’s tweet, which supported anti-government protesters in Hong Kong.

“There is no doubt, the economic impact is already clear,” Silver said. “There have already been fairly dramatic consequences from that tweet, and I have read some of the media suggesting that we are not supporting Daryl Morey, but in fact we have.”

The NBA is enormously popular in China: Oft-cited figures from basketball executives in both the U.S. and China say that 300 million people play the game recreationally there and that about 500 million Chinese watched at least one NBA game last season.

Also Monday, Rockets star James Harden seemed to distance himself from Morey.

“We apologize,” Harden said in Japan. “We love China. We love playing there. I know for both of us individually we go there once or twice a year. They show us the most support and love. So we appreciate them as a fan base and we love everything they’re about and we appreciate the support that they give us.”

The Raptors and All-Star G Kyle Lowry agreed to a one-year, $31 million extension through the 2020-21 season. Lowry, 33, averaged 14.2 points and a career-best 8.7 assists last season for the league champs.

College football: Kansas coach Les Miles fired offensive coordinator Les Koenning. KU (2-4) ranks 101st nationally in scoring. Brent Dearmon, who had served as a senior offensive analyst for the Jayhawks, was promoted to offensive coordinator and QBs coach.

Soccer: France and Tottenham goalkeeper Hugo Lloris likely will miss the rest of the year with a dislocated left elbow. He won’t need surgery.

— News services