The NBA has been forced to issue a grovelling apology to China after a team’s general manager tweeted support for Hong Kong’s pro-democracy movement.

Daryl Morey, manager of the Houston Rockets, tweeted the umbrella logo of a protest movement in the city alongside the slogan: “Fight for freedom. Stand with Hong Kong.” The tweet has since been deleted.

But the backlash in China has been swift and comprehensive. Chinese state television and Tencent, the two major broadcasters of NBA matches in China, have both said they will not be showing any Rockets games in future.

The club’s sponsor and sportswear partner in China, Shanghai Pudong Development Bank and the brand Li-Ning respectively, said they would be suspending cooperation with the team, as did the Chinese Basketball Association.

The threat of commercial damage – the Tencent streaming deal alone is worth $1.5bn to the association over the next five years – forced both the NBA and Mr Morey to make public apologies.

Speaking early on Monday from Tokyo, where the Rockets have a game coming up, Mr Morey said he had reconsidered his stance “hav[ing] had a lot of opportunity since that tweet to hear and consider other perspectives”.

In a new Twitter thread, he said his posts did not represent the team or the league. “I did not intend my tweet to cause any offence to Rockets fans and friends of mine in China. I was merely voicing one thought, based on one interpretation, of one complicated event.”

In an English-language statement, the NBA said it was “regrettable” that Mr Morey’s views “deeply offended” many in China.

But on its main Chinese-language social media pages, the NBA went much further, saying it was “extremely disappointed” by Mr Morey’s “inappropriate” tweet about Hong Kong, which “severely hurt the feelings of Chinese fans”.

That phrase – “hurt feelings” – is commonly used by the Chinese authorities when taking umbrage on behalf of the nation to a perceived gaffe by a foreign brand or party.

And the NBA is just the latest global brand forced to conform to a political position set out by Beijing, or else risk losing out on the increasingly lucrative consumer market that China represents.

In August, Versace apologised for selling a T-shirt that failed to identify Hong Kong and Macau as part of China. The company was forced to issue a statement saying it “resolutely respect[s] China’s territory and national sovereignty”, and all the offending items of clothing – valued at almost £350 each – were symbolically destroyed.

Last year, Dolce & Gabbana suffered a backlash after running an advert depicting a model eating spaghetti with chopsticks. The company has since reportedly struggled to get Chinese web retailers to stock its clothes.

The NBA and the Houston Rockets’ attempts to backtrack have themselves been met with anger and disappointment online.

Hong Kong protesters out in force after months of turmoil: In pictures Show all 32 1 /32 Hong Kong protesters out in force after months of turmoil: In pictures Hong Kong protesters out in force after months of turmoil: In pictures A protester throws a stone into a building at Hong Kong Polytechnic University on 11 November Reuters Hong Kong protesters out in force after months of turmoil: In pictures Police patrol the streets of Hong Kong the day after an officer shot a protester during a protest on 11 November EPA Hong Kong protesters out in force after months of turmoil: In pictures Riot police stand guard during a protest against police brutality in Hong Kong on 27 October EPA Hong Kong protesters out in force after months of turmoil: In pictures Protesters carry traffic cones to build a barricade during anti-government protests in Causeway Bay, Hong Kong on 11 November Reuters Hong Kong protesters out in force after months of turmoil: In pictures Protesters use obstacles and bricks to block a road in Hong Kong on 11 November AP Hong Kong protesters out in force after months of turmoil: In pictures Graffiti on a window smashed by student protesters in Hong Kong Polytechnic University AP Hong Kong protesters out in force after months of turmoil: In pictures Protesters carry US and British flags during a demonstration in Hong Kong on 11 November Reuters Hong Kong protesters out in force after months of turmoil: In pictures A protester throws a bottle of water as he is shrouded in tear gas during a demonstration in the Tsim Sha Tsui district of Hong Kong on 27 October Reuters Hong Kong protesters out in force after months of turmoil: In pictures Journalists take pictures of police officers as they move to disperse protesters in Hong Kong on 27 October Reuters Hong Kong protesters out in force after months of turmoil: In pictures An man lies injured after being attacked by protesters who suspected him of being an undercover police officer on 27 October EPA Hong Kong protesters out in force after months of turmoil: In pictures A man runs among tear gas during a protest in Hong Kong on 27 October Reuters Hong Kong protesters out in force after months of turmoil: In pictures Protesters gather on a field in the Tsim Sha Tsui district of Hong Kong on 27 October Reuters Hong Kong protesters out in force after months of turmoil: In pictures Pro-democracy protesters turn away from a fire lit outside the Causeway Bay Mass Rapid Transit (MTR) station in Hong Kong on 4 October Getty Hong Kong protesters out in force after months of turmoil: In pictures People rest near rows of riot police officers during a protest in Mong Kok, Hong Kong on 27 October Reuters Hong Kong protesters out in force after months of turmoil: In pictures Pro-democracy protesters hold umbrellas as police fire tear gas at them ouside Tai Koo MTR station in Hong Kong on 3 October Getty Hong Kong protesters out in force after months of turmoil: In pictures Hong Kong police fire a water cannon from the central government office at protesters during a mass rally on the 70th anniversary of the founding of communist China on October 1 AFP/Getty Hong Kong protesters out in force after months of turmoil: In pictures Protesters burn a Chinese national flag during a mass rally on the 70th anniversary of the founding of communist China on 1 October AFP/Getty Hong Kong protesters out in force after months of turmoil: In pictures Protesters remove signs celebrating the 70th anniversary of the founding of communist China during a mass rally in Hong Kong on 1 October AFP/Getty Hong Kong protesters out in force after months of turmoil: In pictures Cardboard boxes set alight by protesters burn in the streets of Hong Kong during a mass rally on the 70th anniversary of the founding of communist China on 1 October EPA Hong Kong protesters out in force after months of turmoil: In pictures An anti-China banner has been placed in a barricade during a mass rally on the 70th anniversary of the founding of communist China on 1 October EPA Hong Kong protesters out in force after months of turmoil: In pictures A pro-democracy protester runs away after police fire a tear gas canister in Hong Kong's Wong Tai Sin district on October 4 Reuters Hong Kong protesters out in force after months of turmoil: In pictures Protesters run after police fire tear gas during a mass rally on the 70th anniversary of the founding of communist China on 4 October AFP/Getty Hong Kong protesters out in force after months of turmoil: In pictures Pro-democracy protester take cover after police fire a tear gas canister in Hong Kong's Wong Tai Sin district on 4 October Reuters Hong Kong protesters out in force after months of turmoil: In pictures The rally comes after months of protests on the streets of Hong Kong which began in oppposition to a proposed extradition bill EPA Hong Kong protesters out in force after months of turmoil: In pictures The extradition bill would have allowed the government to extradite people to China if they were facing certain criminal charges AFP/Getty Hong Kong protesters out in force after months of turmoil: In pictures Opposition to the bill stems from the fear that the Chinese government would abuse this power for political or commercial reasons EPA Hong Kong protesters out in force after months of turmoil: In pictures Protesters soon came to demand greater freedom and universal suffrage under the One Country, Two Systems principle AFP/Getty Hong Kong protesters out in force after months of turmoil: In pictures Protesters are wearing black to symbolise opposition to China as they take to the streets in a "day of grief" while the Chinese state celebrates the 70th anniversary of its communist founding AFP/Getty Hong Kong protesters out in force after months of turmoil: In pictures A protester charges forward holding umbrellas as a mass rally breaks out in violence in Hong Kong on 1 October AFP/Getty Hong Kong protesters out in force after months of turmoil: In pictures A protester pours water on a tear gas canister fired by police during a mass rally on the 70th anniversary of the founding of communist China on 1 October Reuters Hong Kong protesters out in force after months of turmoil: In pictures A protester carries a vandalised Chinese flag through Hong Kong during a mass rally on the 70th anniversary of the founding of communist China on 1 October EPA Hong Kong protesters out in force after months of turmoil: In pictures Protesters carry a banner that denounces the celebration of the 70th anniversary of the founding of communist China on 1 October EPA

Ted Cruz, the former Republican presidential candidate, tweeted: “As a lifelong Houston Rockets fan I was proud to see [Daryl Morey] call out the Chinese Communist Party’s repressive treatment of protestors in Hong Kong. Now, in pursuit of big $$, the NBA is shamefully retreating.”

Nonetheless, the controversy comes at an awkward time for the league, with LeBron James’ LA Lakers and the Brooklyn Nets set to play games in Shanghai and Shenzhen this week.

Nets owner Joe Tsai is a co-founder of Chinese e-commerce giant Alibaba, and posted an open letter on his Facebook page saying that “the hurt that this incident has caused will take a long time to repair”.

The Rockets players in Japan have said the controversy will not affect the team’s performances, and owner Tilman Fertitta said their tour in Japan was “all about the promotion of the NBA internationally”.