The Houston Rockets and the NBA continue to navigate a now-dicey relationship with China follow Houston GM Daryl Morey’s tweet over the weekend expressing support for Hong Kong.
NBA Commissioner Adam Silver said earlier this week that the impact of the statement is becoming quite clear and called the consequences “fairly dramatic.” Now, there is a dollar estimate to quantify just how dramatic the impact of the political statement could be on the franchise.
The Houston Chronicle published a report Wednesday that cites “a person with knowledge of the situation,” which says that the Rockets could lose between $10 million and $25 million in the aftermath of Morey’s now-deleted tweet.
The tweet included a graphic which read, “Fight For Freedom. Stand With Hong Kong.” Team owner Tilman Fertitta issued a statement Saturday which explained that Morey’s opinion was not the stance of the franchise, but a number of Chinese businesses and fans took quick action indicating that the message of support for Hong Kong was received as such.
The Rockets have not disclosed the exact numbers regarding how large of a portion to the franchise’s overall business Chinese business is, but losing sponsors and the opportunity to extend partnerships with five to seven Chinese companies (per The Chronicle’s report) is sure to leave financial damage.
