One tweet, seven words, and the fallout which has become a headache for Houston Rockets (whose all the games broadcast have been since canceled, merchandise and posters removed from all over China both online and offline). NBA is at loss as well for whom all of the pre-season broadcast has been stopped, a match at Shanghai has been called off and more actions seem to follow. China had surpassed the USA as the biggest audience segment last year. This would be a learning opportunity for many companies either doing or seeking to do business in China.
The Shanghai Sports Federation said the cancellation of the fan event ahead of Thursday’s game (Friday AEDT) between the Brooklyn Nets and Los Angeles Lakers was due to the “inappropriate attitude” of Morey and NBA Commissioner Adam Silver.
Liu Xin, CGNT anchor in one of her segment explained the reason for the reaction that followed after the tweet and statement by NBA commissioner:
The NBA commissioner, both in his interviews in Japan and in his written statement to clarify himself, missed the point of what the Chinese people are actually angry about. It’s not about the freedom of an individual to express his or her personal opinions, but about the bottom line of what is acceptable in societies. In the U.S., you support freedom of expression, but do you support openly racist remarks?
No. Just look at the outcry that erupted over former LA Clippers owner Donald Sterling’s racist remarks that went public in 2014. He was fined 2.5 million U.S. dollars and the NBA banned him for life. The NBA didn’t defend his right to express himself because what he said was unacceptable in American society.
Let’s have a look at how the event unfolded:
October 4: Tweet from Morey was first posted
The tweet has since been removed but it read, “Fight for freedom, stand with Hong Kong.”
Houston Rockets sole owner was quick to get on Twitter in an attempt to distance himself and the club from the case:
Listen….@dmorey does NOT speak for the @HoustonRockets. Our presence in Tokyo is all about the promotion of the @NBA internationally and we are NOT a political organization. @espn https://t.co/yNyQFtwTTi
— Tilman Fertitta (@TilmanJFertitta) October 5, 2019
October 5: The Fall Out
NBA over the years has had been working with China and had a number of partnerships. But one tweet from Morey jeopardized it all.
Tencent – official online broadcasting partner suspended all the Rockets broadcasts and so did CCTV who had all the broadcasting rights for television. It’s worth noting that Tencent pays the league $1.5 billion for the broadcasting rights and were able to draw almost 500 million viewers who watched at least one match of the league last year. CCTV had an even bigger viewer base at 600 million.
Shanghai Pudong Development Bank, a Chinese sponsor to Rockets ended all partnerships with a post in their social media: “SPD Bank Credit Card Center expresses strong protest and opposition to the wrong remarks made by Houston Rockets’ General Manager Daryl Morey.”
Leading sportswear companies Li-Ning and Anta both in their statement announced they would not work with Rockets any longer. Nike removed all the merchandise related to Rockets from all its stores in China and so did JD, TMall, and Alibaba.
October 6: The Apology
Morey removed the tweet within minutes of it being posted but in the current world where screenshots and rapid-news circulation – that wasn’t just enough. He released another statement in twitter mentioning that he had an opportunity to hear and consider other perceptions:
2/ I have always appreciated the significant support our Chinese fans and sponsors have provided and I would hope that those who are upset will know that offending or misunderstanding them was not my intention. My tweets are my own and in no way represent the Rockets or the NBA.
— Daryl Morey (@dmorey) October 7, 2019
