According to a recent ESPN report, Nets owner Joe Tsai pushed for former Rockets general manager (now 76ers GM) Daryl Morey fired for his controversial 2019 tweet supporting pro-democracy demonstrators in Hong Kong.
The tweet, which read, “Fight for Freedom. Stand with Hong Kong,” was sent, and soon after deleted, while protests were going on in Hong Kong. Morey immediately received heavy criticism, including from basketball officials in China, who had previously had strong relationships with the Rockets organization since the team signed Yao Ming.
As a result, the NBA lost significant revenue after NBA games were blacked out on some China networks, but Tsai reportedly wanted Morey himself to face consequencies, lobbying for him to be fired.
According to the report by Mark Fainaru-Wada and Steve Fainaru, Tsai also denied Morey a luxury box suite at Barclays Center when the Nets hosted Morey’s Rockets.
Per the report, the Nets and the NBA deny Tsai trying to have Morey fired.
Tsai has received his own share of criticism for his ties to the Chinese Communist Party, which was being protested three years ago before Morey’s tweet was sent. Morey apologized for the tweet afterward, and a year later, moved on to the 76ers and orchestrated a blockbuster deal with Tsai’s Nets that included James Harden and Ben Simmons.
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