This archive report was first published on 8 October 2019.
On October 8, 2019, China suspended the broadcast of NBA exhibition games in response to a tweet by Houston Rockets general manager Daryl Morey supporting Hong Kong protesters.
The crisis began on October 4, 2019, when Morey tweeted support for protesters in Hong Kong who are demanding greater freedoms.
China's state-run broadcaster, CCTV, announced it had shelved plans to broadcast a pair of pre-season exhibition games to be held in China this week and was considering more punishments.
"We believe that any comments that challenge national sovereignty and social stability are not within the scope of freedom of speech," CCTV said on its social media account.
Several popular Chinese acting and singing stars said they would boycott the exhibition games, putting the Los Angeles Lakers against the Brooklyn Nets.
Meanwhile, the Global Times, a nationalist paper known for communicating the ruling Communist Party's attitudes to the world, issued a blunt warning to global firms that speaking out on human rights and other sensitive issues would cost them market access.
NBA Commissioner Adam Silver insisted his organisation supported Morey's right to express his opinions, saying "Daryl Morey is supported in terms of his ability to exercise his freedom of expression."
