Protestors Burn LeBron James Jerseys in Hong Kong

Protestors in Hong Kong burned LeBron James jerseys one day after he said free speech can bring "a lot of negative."

Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY Sports

Protestors in Hong Kong burned LeBron James jerseys just one day after his comments on the NBA's controversey with China.

The Associated Press captured video of protestors taking shots at a photo of James taped above a basketball hoop, as well as others holding pictures of the Lakers star during a rally at the Southorn Playground. People thanked Rockets general manager Daryl Morey for his tweet supporting the anti-government protests.

The backlash against James comes after he said Morey was "misinformed and not educated on the situation" when he tweeted.

"I don't want to get into a ... feud with Daryl but I believe he wasn't educated about the situation at hand and he spoke," James told reporters on Monday. "So many people could have been harmed, not only financially, but physically, emotionally, spiritually.

"Just be careful what we tweet ... even though, yes, we do have freedom of speech," he added. "But there can be a lot of negative that comes with that too."

James clarified in a tweet afterward that he does "not believe there was any consideration for the consequences and ramifications of the tweet. I’m not discussing the substance. Others can talk about that."

His comments to the media came after earlier reports that he held a players-only discussion with the Nets and Lakers after Adam Silver's "tense" meeting with the two sides on Oct. 9 in China. ESPN's Rachel Nichols reported "several prominent players voiced frustration about their perception that they were being put in the middle of the dispute between the NBA and China" during the meeting.

James reportedly didn't want players to have to publicly discuss something they weren't comfortable speaking about, and players also felt reservations considering the U.S. and China are involved in a trade dispute, according to The Athletic's Shams Charania.

The relationship between the NBA and China was disrupted after Morey's tweet, which included a photo of protestors in Hong Kong with the caption, "Fight For Freedom. Stand With Hong Kong." Rockets owner Tilman Fertitta denounced the tweet and said the Rockets were "not a political organization" and that Morey did not speak for the team.

A pair of NBA Cares events in Shanghai were canceled as the fallout from Morey's tweet continued, and China's state-run TV network, CCTV, suspended its NBA programming due to the controversy. The Chinese basketball federation also canceled upcoming G League exhibition games between teams affiliated with the Rockets and Mavericks.

Information from the Associated Press was used in this story.