Shaquille O’Neal has spoken out in support of a basketball executive’s comments that sparked a row between the NBA and China.
The basketball legend said Houston Rockets manager Daryl Morey “was right” to tweet support for pro-democracy protesters in Hong Kong.
The NBA is hugely popular in China and Mr Morey’s comments unleashed a wave of anger in the country.
Sponsorship and telecast deals have been cut in the lucrative market.
Speaking on TNT Television’s Inside the NBA show on Tuesday, O’Neal defended the Houston Rockets manager’s tweet that ignited the dispute.
“Daryl Morey was right,” he said.
“Whenever you see something wrong going on anywhere in the world, you should have the right to say ‘That’s not right’ and that’s what he did,” O’Neal said.
Mr Morey tweeted an image earlier this month captioned “Fight For Freedom. Stand With Hong Kong”. He later apologised for the post.
It came in the midst of months of protests in Hong Kong sparked by proposed changes to an extradition bill.
Though the changes have been abandoned, the unrest has continued, expanding into demands for greater democracy.