NBA Has Done Nothing to Solve its China Controversy and Rockets Could Suffer for it

We are a little over a month removed from Houston Rockets general manager Daryl Morey unleashing a controversial tweet regarding the ongoing protests in Hong Kong, which damaged the relationship between the NBA and China.

The NBA has subsequently done their best to cut ties with China, whose government, per commissioner Adam Silver, advocated for Morey's termination.

Over the past month, the Association has done nothing to resolve its controversy and indifference with China, and the Rockets are suffering the consequences.

One month later, the NBA is still making sense of how a tweet exploded into an international incident. A few peeks behind the scenes of a conflict that has receded from public view, but lingers.https://t.co/paXTk2o658
— Kevin Arnovitz (@kevinarnovitz) November 12, 2019

Per ESPN's Kevin Arnovitz, the Rockets have lost close to $10 million in revenue this season from terminated Chinese sponsorships. That figure is expected to reach $20 million when cancelled multiyear agreements are calculated for.

Further, what makes the Rockets predicament all the more concerning is the fact that Morey's relationship with owner Tilman Fertitta, who promptly shot down Morey's controversial tweet, is as delicate as it has ever been.

Keep in mind that Fertitta wasn't fond of Morey when he bought the franchise in 2017 so you can only imagine how strained their relationship is now.

Daryl Morey Has Long Been Considered 'Tenuous Fit' With Tilman Fertitta https://t.co/n1R3FKzWQ0
— RealGM (@RealGM) November 12, 2019

While the NBA has made its stance clear, their lack of action towards resolving the relationship with China is concerning, and no franchise is suffering more from it than the Rockets.