Dozens of protestors at Nets game wear 'Stand With Hong Kong' T-shirts

Arthur Weinstein

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Dozens of protestors at Nets game wear 'Stand With Hong Kong' T-shirts image

What began with just a few pro-Hong Kong T-shirts and signs at arenas has morphed into a much larger social movement at NBA games.

Dozens of protestors at the Raptors vs. Nets game at Barclays Arena Friday night wore black T-shirts bearing the message, "Stand With Hong Kong." Many protestors also wore black masks. 

According to the New York Post, another nine fans seated near the Nets bench wore white T-shirts with the message, "Free Tibet," another sticky geopolitical point involving China. 

The Nets have been thrust right into the middle of the NBA's China drama ignited by Rockets GM Daryl Morey's Oct. 4 reading, “Fight for freedom, stand with Hong Kong.” That since-deleted tweet sparked a backlash in China against the Rockets and NBA, which has billions of dollars of business interests in that nation. Amid all the controversy, the Nets and Lakers played a two-game exhibition series in China last week, placing players in an uncomfortable position.

Nets owner Joe Tsai, who was born in Taiwan but lives in Hong Kong, penned an open message on Facebook after Morey's tweet, saying that freedom of speech is an "inherent American value" but the Hong Kong anti-government protesters are a "third-rail issue" for mainland China.

With the regular season set to open Tuesday, this issue isn't going away. A group of Canadians raised more than $34,000 to produce up to 7,000 T-shirts supporting Hong Kong pro-democracy protestors. The shirts, reading, "The North Stand With Hong Kong," will be distributed outside the Raptors' home opener against the Pelicans Tuesday.

NBA Commissioner Adam Silver said Thursday that Chinese officials wanted Morey to be fired for his tweet, which Silver opposed. A Chinese official denied that claim.

Arthur Weinstein