U.S. lawmakers have shown support for Houston Rockets general manager Daryl Morey after he tweeted support for Hong Kong’s pro-democracy protests drawing criticism from the team’s owner, the NBA, and a growing backlash in China.
Ahead of an 18th weekend of clashes between protesters and police in Hong Kong, Morey tweeted tweeted: “Fight for freedom. Stand with Hong Kong.” The tweet angered Chinese fans and the NBA, prompting Morey to delete the tweet, while Rockets owner Tilman Fertitta distanced himself from Morey and said the NBA is “not a political organization.” The NBA said Morey’s comments were “regrettable.”
But Morey, who later distanced himself from the tweet, found support among lawmakers including Texas senator Ted Cruz, who said he was proud to see Morey “call out the Chinese Communist Party’s repressive treatment of protesters in Hong Kong.” He added that the NBA was “shamefully retreating” in pursuit of money.
Morey later defended himself in a statement, saying: “My tweets were my own” and do not represent his team or the NBA, and that he never intended to offend Chinese fans and sponsors . He added: “I was merely voicing one thought, based on one interpretation, of one complicated event. I have had a lot of opportunity since that tweet to hear and consider other perspectives.”: “I don’t know Daryl personally.
Protesters shout slogans as they gather outside the Eastern District Courts where the first protesters arrested for wearing face masks appeared in court on MondayThe city endured another weekend of protests and violent clashes between police and protesters after Hong Kong’s leader used colonial-era emergency laws to masks being warned at demonstrations.
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