The Brooklyn Nets' scheduled visit to a Shanghai-area school has been canceled by the Chinese government, according to a league official.
The cancellation is the latest in a series of fractures between the NBA and one of its largest markets after Houston Rockets general manager Daryl Morey tweeted support for protesters in Hong Kong on Friday evening.
And while the tweet was quickly deleted, the reaction from China has been swift and severe, with the Rockets going from one of the country's favorite teams to a blacklisted one almost overnight.
Sponsors and broadcast partners have cut ties with the Rockets while the NBA has come under fire for not supporting Morey's right to freedom of speech, a story that's led to politicians from both sides of the aisle to criticize the NBA.
A report from The Athletic said teams from the Chinese Basketball Association have canceled scheduled games with the NBA G-League affiliates.
Tuesday, Nets players and coaches were scheduled to attend a ceremony dedicating a refurbished basketball court and reading room at the Shanghai New World Experimental Primary School. That event has now been called off.
The Nets and Los Angeles Lakers are still scheduled to play two games in China, meeting Thursday in Shanghai before playing again in Shenzhen on Saturday.
