Why China Went to War With the N.B.A.

A seven-word tweet supporting Hong Kong protests by Houston Rockets GM Daryl Morey ignited a global controversy, exposing the NBA's complex relationship with China. The NBA's decades-long cultivation of the Chinese market, beginning with YMCA missionaries introducing basketball in the late 1800s and later boosted by figures like Michael Jordan and Yao Ming, has created a multibillion-dollar enterprise. However, this lucrative partnership clashes with China's authoritarian politics, forcing the NBA to navigate unspoken rules against addressing sensitive topics like Taiwan, Tibet, and Tiananmen Square. Morey's tweet triggered backlash from Chinese companies and a divided response in the U.S., leading to commissioner Adam Silver's defense of free speech amidst potential economic repercussions, highlighting the growing tensions between U.S. values and Chinese interests.