The aftermath of the pro-Hong Kong tweet sent by Houston Rockets general manager Daryl Morey included a swift rebuke from the Chinese government, while several companies and broadcasters pulled out of business arrangements with the NBA.

But China's response to Morey's tweet also directly impacted several NBA players, according to Shams Charania of The Athletic and Stadium:

"Sources told The Athletic that several Lakers and Nets players lost money over broken deals in Shanghai that involved sponsorship appearances. China was fully halting business with the NBA and its players. As The Athletic's Bill Oram reported from Shenzhen, Kyle Kuzma was set to announce new sponsorship deals while in China, but they were scrapped once the team arrived in Shanghai because of the controversy.

"This coincides with what happened to the Rockets. Sources told The Athletic that at least two Houston players had sponsorship negotiations stall out in China after the impact of Morey's post began to spiral."

Morey, in a since-deleted tweet, posted "Fight for freedom, stand with Hong Kong" in support of the Hong Kong protestors. Those protests began in response to an extradition bill that would have allowed for Hong Kong prisoners to be extradited to China, but the demonstrations have since extended to push back against Chinese influence and control in Hong Kong. 

Since being turned back over to Chinese control in 1997 after being a British colony, Hong Kong exists under "one country, two systems" that allows its citizens to have their own legal and legislative system and operate as a capitalistic region within communist China.  

In China, the protests have operated as a challenge to Chinese sovereignty. Morey's tweet did the same, causing a rift between the NBA and China at a time when the league continues to grow in popularity in the region.

The Rockets, in particular, have been massively popular in the country since they drafted Yao Ming, the Hall of Fame Chinese center who played with the team for the entirety of his career. But the NBA now has deep business ties in the country in general, and the efforts of NBA Commissioner Adam Silver to soothe over the tensions caused by Morey's tweet were met with backlash in the United States, with many calling out the league for kowtowing to Chinese censorship in an effort to protect its business ties. 

Morey has not been punished by the NBA or been fired from the Rockets—and Silver has publicly asserted that Morey has the right to freely express his opinions—but the league's image has undoubtedly taken a hit in the United States. Meanwhile, the collective wallets of several players and owners have taken a hit due to Chinese businesses cutting ties with the league and those involved with the NBA.

In that regard, it's been a lose-lose situation for the league.