Los Angeles Lakers

China demanded that a Houston Rockets executive be sacked for supporting pro-democracy protesters in Hong Kong, NBA commissioner Adam Silver said Thursday, adding that the league's row with Beijing had "substantial" financial consequences.

Luol Deng, who made a journey from South Sudan to NBA stardom, is calling it quits after a 15-year career after signing a one-day contract with the Chicago Bulls.

The Brooklyn Nets defeated the Los Angeles Lakers 91-77 on Saturday to conclude a pre-season China tour that leaves behind big questions over the future of a key market worth billions of dollars to the NBA.

The National Basketball Association (NBA) said Friday it had cancelled all remaining press events for its current China tour, citing the "complicated and unprecedented" controversy over Hong Kong protests and free speech.

The National Basketball Association (NBA) said Friday it had cancelled all remaining scheduled press events for its pre-season games in China, citing the "complicated and unprecedented" controversy over Hong Kong protests and free speech.

For two raucous hours on Thursday night, Chinese fans and US basketball stars called a timeout on the increasingly bitter clash of values between their countries and let sport take over.

The NBA's lucrative interests in China are under threat, but the league enjoys an important piece of leverage that could carry it through the crisis: it's the only game in town.

The general manager of the Houston Rockets said Monday a tweet backing Hong Kong protests that caused a major backlash was not meant to offend the NBA team's massive Chinese fanbase.