NBA drops Lakers-Nets media events in China over 'unprecedented' row

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.

Two pre-season exhibition games in China between the Los Angeles Lakers and Brooklyn Nets have been overshadowed by a Chinese backlash against a Houston Rockets executive's expression of support last Friday for Hong Kong pro-democracy protests.

"We have decided not to hold media availability for our teams for the remainder of our trip in China," the NBA said in a statement.

"They have been placed into a complicated and unprecedented situation while abroad and we believe it would be unfair to ask them to address these matters in real time."