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Hong Kong Protesters Burn LeBron James Jerseys After Controversial Tweets

James’ criticism of Daryl Morey’s tweet has angered some of his fans in China.

Pro-democracy protesters in Hong Kong have trampled and burned LeBron James jerseys in reaction to the NBA star’s criticism of a tweet by Houston Rockets manager Daryl Morey in support of the protests. After receiving swift backlash from Chinese sponsors, Morey deleted the tweet and wrote that he “did not intend to cause any offense to Rockets fans and friends of mine in China.” His statement did not quell the issue. Before the NBA shut down future press conferences, NBA players were asked to comment on the situation. In response to a question about whether Morey should be punished, James offered a response that angered some of his fans in China. “Yes, we do have freedom of speech,” James said. “But at times, there are ramifications for the negative that can happen when you’re not thinking about others, when you only think about yourself.”

James then added: “So many people could have been harmed, not only financially but physically, emotionally, spiritually. So just be careful what we tweet and what we say and what we do. Even though yes, we do have freedom of speech, it can be a lot of negative that comes with it.” He then made matters worse by offering a follow-up on Twitter. “Let me clear up the confusion. I do not believe there was any consideration for the consequences and ramifications of the tweet,” James wrote. “I’m not discussing the substance. Others can talk About that.”