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The N.B.A. is now embroiled in the Hong Kong protests

A tweet by the general manager of the Houston Rockets in support of pro-democracy protesters in Hong Kong set off a firestorm in China, Sopan Deb and Marc Stein of the NYT report. Daryl Morey on Friday tweeted an image with a message to “stand with Hong Kong,” before quickly deleting it.

Mr. Morey walked back his comments on Twitter, saying that his views were not representative of the Rockets or the N.B.A. But in doing so he stirred up another dispute domestically, “since the apology runs counter to the N.B.A.’s reputation as a sports league that encourages free speech and commentary on politics and other social issues,” Mr. Deb and Mr. Stein write.

An N.B.A. spokesman said it was “regrettable” that the tweet had “deeply offended many of our friends and fans in China,” but he defended Mr. Morey’s right to express his views.

But the league changed its stance in a statement posted in Chinese on Weibo, saying it was “extremely disappointed in the inappropriate comment.”