NBA statement different in English and Chinese

BEIJING (AP) — The National Basketball Association says on its official Chinese social media account that it was “extremely disappointed” by Houston Rockets general manager Daryl Morey’s “inappropriate” tweet about Hong Kong, which “severely hurt the feelings of Chinese fans.”

The NBA’s Chinese-language post Monday on the Twitter-like Weibo microblogging platform was labeled a statement, originally published in English, from the association’s Chief Communications Officer Mike Bass.

But the language in Chinese differs from that used by Bass.

Bass’ original statement does not call Morey’s remarks “inappropriate” or mention “hurt feelings” — a phrase commonly used by Chinese authorities to describe perceived gaffes by foreign parties. In English, Bass said it was “regrettable” that Morey’s views “deeply offended” many in China.

Morey tweeted a now-deleted image in support of ongoing protests in Hong Kong.