NBA commissioner Adam Silver reported that the Chinese government asked him to fire Houston Rockets general manager Daryl Morey, after Morey tweeted his support of the pro-democracy protests in Hong Kong. The tweet, which Morey deleted, read “Fight for freedom, stand with Hong Kong” according to CNN. While the Chinese government denied the claim, and Silver stated that Morey would not be fired, the tweet did spark backlash against the NBA by Chinese companies and state media. The New York Times reports that several companies based in China cut ties with the Rockets, the most popular team in the country, and that the Beijing-controlled China Central Television network canceled its broadcasts of NBA games. The league was additionally criticized by American government officials as being too beholden to Beijing after it released an initial statement expressing regret over Morey’s tweet. 10% of the NBA’s 2019 revenue originates from the Chinese market, and according to CNN, that revenue could grow to 20% by 2030.