NBA u-turns as online store now allows 'FreeHongKong' customised jerseys

Other similar phrases were accepted for online orders, but pro-democracy slogan was not until Tuesday

Fans are now able to order customised NBA merchandise with the printed phrase ‘FreeHongKong’ - after the league appeared to reverse course in the face of online criticism.

A viral video showed a customer attempting to order a jersey with the phrase, but was told that the text was invalid by the site Fanatics.com, which operates the online store for the NBA.

In the video, Twitter user Vince changed the last letter from a ‘g’ to a ‘u’ and the order was then acceptable. The phrase has the maximum number of letters allowed, with no spaces and there do not appear to be any other parameters.

Critics condemned this as evidence that the NBA’s relationship with China is too close. China is a major market for the basketball league.

A reporter for The Daily Caller tested out ‘FreeAmerica’, ‘FreeCanada’, ‘FreeMexico’, and ‘FreeTaiwan’ — all of which were allowed by the site.

NBA players have recently been allowed to wear “pre-approved social justice slogans” on their own jerseys.

The organisation was accused of extending this approval of slogans to fans by disallowing the phrase ‘FreeHongKong’.

“More evidence of the @NBA’s shameful cowardice and unwillingness to stand up for human rights in China. This is mind-boggling,” said Senator Rick Scott of Florida. ‘The NBA and its players have chosen profits over human rights. They’re siding with Xi and the CCP over those fighting for their freedom.”

Republican Senator Josh Hawley of Missouri tweeted: “Of course - @NBA Incorporated doesn’t dare offend the paymasters in #Beijing.”

Last week Senator Hawley’s office issued a press release including a letter the senator planned to send to NBA commissioner Adam Silver, criticising the decision to limit messages players can wear on their uniforms to “pre-approved, social justice slogans”, while “censoring support” for law enforcement and criticism of China.

Senator Hawley wrote: “free expression appears to stop at the edge of your corporate sponsors’ sensibilities.”

The letter received a profane response from Adrian Wojnarowski, a prominent NBA reporter at ESPN, who has since been suspended by the network.

As of Tuesday morning, fans can now have ‘FreeHongKong’ printed on merchandise.

A statement from Fanatics.com reads: “The phrase was inadvertently prohibited on all our league online store sites and has now been fixed. Fans who wish to customise it, so long as the text meets the 12-character limit, are able to do so.”