The NBA has cancelled media availability for teams for the rest of the China trip.
The league had cancelled media obligations for players and coaches following the Nets-Lakers game in Shanghai on Thursday. They are scheduled to play again on Saturday in Shenzhen at 7:30 AM ET.
"We have decided not to hold media availability for our teams for the remainder of our trip in China," the NBA said in a statement. "They have been placed into a complicated and unprecedented situation while abroad and we believe it would be unfair to ask them to address these matters in real time."
All of this controversy is in the wake of Houston Rockets GM Daryl Morey's since-deleted tweet, which supported protesters in Hong Kong. His tweet used the phrase: "Fight for Freedom. Stand with Hong Kong." He then apologized for his comments after Rockets owner Tilman Fertitta said that Houston does not take political positions.
NBA commissioner Adam Silver has issued two statements on the issue so far. Supporting Morey at first, and then in the second statement he said the NBA was not motivated solely by business interests.