LeBron James was reportedly steamed over the 2019 tweet from former Houston Rockets general manager Daryl Morey supporting Hong Kong protesters in their fight against a national security law.

Morey had tweeted in the NBA preseason about his support for Hong Kong protesters and it had a ripple effect overseas just as the Los Angeles Lakers and Brooklyn Nets were set to play a preseason game in China ahead of the start of the season. Morey would later delete the tweet and release a statement, saying: "I did not intend my tweet to cause any offense to Rockets fans and friends of mine in China. I was merely voicing one thought, based on one interpretation, of one complicated event. I have had a lot of opportunity since that tweet to hear and consider other perspectives."

The damage to the league’s reputation in the communist country was already done.

New details about the tweet and the fallout emerged in an ESPN report on Thursday.

James and Nets team owner Joe Tsai, who has deep connections to the Chinese government, pushed against Morey after the tweet, according to ESPN. But those assertions were reportedly denied.