Igniting one of the last major sports stories of the 2010s, Morey urged his followers to "fight for freedom" and "stand with Hong Kong" amid pro-democracy upheaval in the country. That earned the NBA significant pushback from China—which governs Hong Kong as a special administrative region—and cost the league hundreds of millions of dollars.

It’s been five years since the last NBA game was held in the Asian country. Statements by Rockets GM Daryl Morey, triggered a break in relations.

Commissioner Adam Silver believes the NBA could stage games in China again, five years after a conflict over the Hong Kong democracy protests prompted a backlash against the league by Chinese broadcasters.

NBA commissioner Adam Silver said Thursday he expects his league will once more play games in China after having not done so since 2019, according to multiple media reports.Silver, speaking at Columbia University in a sports management conference,

NEW YORK - Commissioner Adam Silver believes that the NBA could stage games in China again, five years after a controversy over the Hong Kong democracy protests prompted a backlash against the top-flight North American league.

The Hall-of-Famer played 18 seasons in the NBA, including for the Houston Rockets, and won Defensive Player of the Year four times.

Five years after the NBA’s last game in China, commissioner Adam Silver believes the league will return to the country at some point. The NBA has not played a game there since 2019, when two preseason games were held in the shadow of controversy after a tweet by then-Houston Rockets general manager Daryl Morey in support of freedom for Hong Kong.