Rockets GM's Tweet Angers China

Houston Rockets general manager Daryl Morey tried Sunday to defuse the rapidly growing international fallout over his deleted tweet that showed support for Hong Kong anti-government protesters, saying he did not intend to offend any of the team’s Chinese fans or sponsors.

Morey apologized on Twitter over a now-deleted tweet that spoke in support of the Hong Kong protests, after his remarks were attacked by the Chinese Consulate-General in Houston and the Chinese Basketball Association.

The NBA finds itself caught between two cultures after a tweet about Hong Kong protests sparked criticism from China that threatens the U.S. basketball league’s expansion efforts in its most important international market.

The controversy erupted after Daryl Morey, general manager of the Houston Rockets, one of the most popular U.S. basketball teams in China, appeared to support Hong Kong demonstrators in a tweet late Friday. While the message was deleted and both Morey and the National Basketball Association tried to distance themselves from it, the damage reverberated across both...