The statement came after China's official basketball association, headed by Hall of Famer and Rockets great Yao Ming, said earlier in the day that it would suspend cooperation with the team.
The Chinese Basketball Association said Sunday on its Twitter-like Weibo account that Morey had made "improper remarks regarding Hong Kong" to which it expressed its "strong opposition."
Morey's now-deleted tweet from Friday read: "Fight for Freedom. Stand with Hong Kong."
In a statement tweeted Sunday, Morey attempted to clarify the matter.
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