The Brooklyn Nets now have company.
The Los Angeles Lakers’ NBA Cares event in Shanghai was canceled Wednesday just hours before it was scheduled to begin, according to multiple reports. The cancellation is the latest fallout from a recent tweet by Rockets GM Daryl Morey that showed support for anti-government protesters in Hong Kong.
The NBA said the cancellation off the Lakers event, which was supposed to benefit the Special Olympics, was not its decision.
This came a day after the Chinese government canceled the Nets’ NBA Cares event.
The Nets face the Lakers on Thursday in Shanghai and in Shenzhen two days later. Shenzhen is close to Hong Kong, a city that may well be at the root of the issues. Commissioner Adam Silver is expected to address the Lakers and Nets later on Wednesday, according to ESPN.
Though there has been no word about whether the two preseason games would be canceled, Chinese state broadcaster CCTV previously said it will no longer air the games because they vehemently disagreed with comments Silver made Monday in Japan backing Morey’s right to free speech.
“We’re strongly dissatisfied and oppose Adam Silver’s claim to support Morey’s right to freedom of expression,” the statement read. “We believe that any remarks that challenge national sovereignty and social stability are not within the scope of freedom of speech.”
CCTV is also reviewing all of its cooperation and exchanges involving the NBA, it said in a statement posted to CCTV Sports’ official social media account.