London (CNN Business) NBA Commissioner Adam Silver said Tuesday that he won't censor players or team owners over China or other issues, arguing that the league is motivated by much more than money, and freedom of expression must be protected.

sparking a backlash from Beijing. The NBA and its big business in China have come under intense pressure in recent days after Houston Rockets general manager Daryl Morey expressed support for pro-democracy protests in Hong Kong in a tweet,sparking a backlash from Beijing.

The league initially sought to distance itself from Morey's comments, expressing regret for offending "friends and fans in China" while saying Morey had the right to free expression. That angered both sides: The league was criticized by some fans and US politicians for appearing to compromise its principles, and condemned by others in China for offending national sensibilities.

The attacks prompted Silver to issue a statement before a press conference Tuesday in Tokyo, acknowledging that the league's initial response left people "angered, confused or unclear."

"The NBA will not put itself in a position of regulating what players, employees and team owners say or will not say," Silver said in the statement. "We simply could not operate that way."

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