Fans Show up to Rockets Opener Showing Support for Hong Kong Protests

A number of fans made the Houston Rockets' opening night about more than just the game itself.

Some fans at the Toyota Center expressed their support for the protests in Hong Kong against the state government, prominently seated in the arena before the opening tip.

We speak up for the rights of those who can’t not because it’s convenient but because it’s RIGHT. I’ll keep yall updated, if the NBA kicks us out for this, we’ll know where their true values stand ?#HongKong #Rockets #Bucks pic.twitter.com/ySEYH39ELL
— Newton Huynh (@huynhnewtu) October 25, 2019

The group apparently consisted of 30 fans who carried signs supporting the protests, as well as wore shirts displaying the "Fight For Freedom" insignia.

This comes after Rockets general manager Daryl Morey created controversy by tweeting his support for the Hong Kong protests earlier this month. It also comes shortly after Shaquille O'Neal became one of the few personalities within the NBA to defend Morey.

Newton Hyunh, the fan who tweeted the photo above, did not follow through on his promise to update followers if the group were later kicked out of the arena, presumably indicating they were allowed to stay for the entire game.

Hyunh also retweeted a Time Magazine article describing the group's efforts. The article says that, while people of Vietnamese descent made up most of the protestors, there were also people from Hong Kong involved.

A group of 30 fans held signs and wore shirts in support of anti-government protesters in Hong Kong. https://t.co/dqS6Qbl4NU
— TIME (@TIME) October 25, 2019

Morey has faced criticism from the NBA as a whole, Commissioner Adam Silver, LeBron James, and many others, while a series of Chinese companies have severed ties with the NBA, and suspended a number of NBA-related events in China.