Houston Rockets general manager Daryl Morey surprisingly resigned on Thursday, leading Chinese state media to take a victory lap.
Morey inadvertently stirred up a controversy last October when he tweeted his support for protesters in Hong Kong. China subsequently pulled all NBA broadcasts from the country until the end of the NBA Finals, and Nike’s China store removed all Houston Rockets merchandise. NBA Commissioner Adam Silver estimated at the time that the league could lose up to $400 million.
Now, just over a year later, Morey is walking away from the franchise he turned into a perennial contender. CCTV, China’s state broadcaster, released a statement Friday in response to Morey’s resignation, saying, “We reiterate that any words and deeds that attempt to hurt the feelings of the Chinese people will have to pay a price.”
Morey said that he wants to spend time with his two children, who are both taking gap years thanks to the effects of the coronavirus on universities across the country. While Morey has turned the Rockets into an annual championship threat, the team has never been able to get over the hump and reach the NBA Finals. Rockets head coach Mike D’Antoni also stepped down after the team was eliminated from the playoffs.
While China (probably) was not the reason for Morey’s departure, it’s still a sensitive issue for the Rockets and the NBA. Rockets owner Tilman Fertitta distanced the franchise from Morey during the controversy, tweeting, “Listen….@dmorey does NOT speak for the @HoustonRockets.” The two “abruptly” ended a joint interview when asked about China, according to the New York Times.
The NBA has since bribed its way back into Chinese broadcasts. After donating $1 million and medical equipment to China during the pandemic, the league was able to get the final two games of the NBA Finals broadcast in the country. Otherwise outspoken league personalities, such as LeBron James and Steve Kerr, have still refused to condemn China’s behavior. Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban brushed it aside because other countries have human rights problems, too.
The NBA is trying to run back into the arms of the Chinese Communist Party to recoup its losses, even at the expense of alienating American viewers. While Morey was not forced into resigning, it’s a move the league will certainly welcome as it pursues the Chinese market once again.
