Shanghai Sports Federation says NBA fan event in city cancelled

The Shanghai Sports Federation said on Wednesday that a National Basketball Association (NBA) fan event scheduled later in the day in the city has been cancelled, the latest setback for the U.S. league in a key market. Chinese sponsors and partners have been cutting ties with the league following a tweet by Houston Rockets general manager Daryl Morey last week supporting the protests in Hong Kong. NBA Commissioner Adam Silver said on Tuesday the league supports Morey's right to exercise his freedom of expression, further angering China.

The Shanghai Federation, in a statement published on Chinese social media platform Weibo, said the cancellation of Wednesday's fan event was due to the inappropriate attitude of Morey and Silver.