President Trump criticized the NBA on Wednesday for "pandering to China" after the league issued an apology to Chinese fans over a controversial tweet from Houston Rockets General Manager Daryl Morey supporting pro-democracy protests in Hong Kong, CNBC reports.

Between the lines: Trump has made similar concessions with China before, including in June when he reportedly told Chinese President Xi Jinping that the U.S. would remain silent on Hong Kong protests while trade talks continued, according to CNN.

What he's saying: "They have to work out their own situation. The NBA’s — they know what they’re doing," Trump told reporters.

Go deeper: Daryl Morey debacle raises awareness of threat of Chinese censorship