Houston Rockets Apologise For Manager's HK Tweet

Houston Rockets star James Harden has apologised to China over a controversial tweet by the team's general manager backing the protests here in Hong Kong

He made the apology standing alongside fellow Rockets guard Russell Westbrook at a press event in Tokyo on Monday.

"We apologise. We love China," he said. "We love playing there. Both of us, we go there once or twice a year. They show us most support so we appreciate them."

The Rockets have been fiercely criticised in on the mainland after general manager Daryl Morey posted a tweet on Friday featuring the message "Fight for Freedom. Stand with Hong Kong." The tweet was later deleted.

Yesterday state broadcaster CCTV said it will stop showing Rockets games, and sponsors including sportswear brand Li Ning and the Shanghai Pudong Development Bank said they would stop cooperating with the team.

The NBA issued its own statement, saying it recognised Morey's views "have offended so many of our friends and fans in China, which is regrettable".

However, the NBA found itself under fire for the apology, which Texan Democrat presidential candidate Beto O'Rourke called "an embarrassment".

"The only thing the NBA should be apologizing for is their blatant prioritization of profits over human rights," he tweeted. (AFP)