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CCTV pulls NBA China Games broadcast in response to Adam Silver’s support for Houston Rockets GM Daryl Morey’s right to free speech
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Chinese state broadcaster CCTV has announced that it will not broadcast the upcoming NBA China Games between the Brooklyn Nets and Los Angeles Lakers.
In a statement published on their Sina Weibo account on Tuesday, CCTV Sports stated that they have decided to suspend the broadcast of Thursday’s game in Shanghai and the rematch in Shenzhen on Saturday. The Nets cancelled a media event on Tuesday but several players did take part at another fan event.
This is in response to the NBA’s stance on the ongoing fallout over Houston Rockets GM Daryl Morey’s since-deleted tweet supporting the Hong Kong protesters.
NBA head Adam Silver had told press in Tokyo, where the Rockets are playing the Toronto Raptors, that the league supported Morey’s right to free speech.
“There are the values that have been part of this league from its earliest days, and that includes free expression,” Silver told Japan’s Kyodo news agency.
CCTV has taken issue with this statement, saying they are “strongly dissatisfied” and opposed to Silver’s claim.
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