Sam Wachs Alleges He Was Ejected from 76ers Game for 'Free Hong Kong' Sign
Philadelphia resident Sam Wachs said he was thrown out of the Wells Fargo Center during Tuesday's preseason game between the Philadelphia 76ers and the Chinese Basketball Association's Guangzhou Loong Lions after expressing support for Hong Kong in its ongoing battle for autonomy from China.
According to Matt Bowker of CBS Philly, Wachs said he and his wife had "Free Hong Kong" and "Free HK" signs confiscated by security. Wachs added that he was later thrown out of the game in the second quarter when he stood up from his seat behind the Lions bench and yelled, "Free Hong Kong."
Wachs, who was also wearing a "Free Hong Kong" shirt, said he lived in Hong Kong for two years.
The Sixers and Wells Fargo Center issued joint statements on Wednesday, as relayed by The Ringer's John Gonzalez:
Prior to Tuesday's game, Sixers vice president of communications Dave Sholler released the following statement regarding the ongoing controversy in China and Hong Kong: "We played in China last year, and it was an incredible experience for our team and our organization. We love our fans there, the passion, the intensity they have for our sport. And I think, most importantly, the game of basketball possesses an incredible power to bring people together."
With the NBA set to hold two preseason games in China this week, the league has come under fire after a since-deleted tweet by Houston Rockets general manager Daryl Morey that read, "Fight for freedom. Stand with Hong Kong."
As a result of the tweet and NBA Commissioner Adam Silver subsequently supporting NBA personnel's right to free speech, Chinese state broadcaster CCTV said it will not broadcast the two preseason games played between the Los Angeles Lakers and Brooklyn Nets in Shanghai and Shenzhen.
In a statement, CCTV added: "We're strongly dissatisfied and oppose Adam Silver's claim to support Morey's right to freedom of expression. We believe that any remarks that challenge national sovereignty and social stability are not within the scope of freedom of speech."
Protests are ongoing in Hong Kong over a new law that would allow fugitives in the region to be extradited to China.
While Hong Kong is a special administrative region of China, it maintains its own legal system and is viewed as a largely autonomous region.
The preseason games between the Lakers and Nets will be played Thursday in Shanghai and Saturday in Shenzhen.
