Rockets merchandise pulled from Nike stores in China

Houston Rockets merchandise has been disappearing from store shelves in China since the team's general manager, Daryl Morey, tweeted in support of Hong Kong protesters.

Managers at five Nike stores in Beijing and Shanghai said Thursday that they received a memo from management instructing them to pull all Rockets products, according to Ryan Woo and David Stanway of Reuters.

Multiple Nike stores in the cities of Shenzhen and Chengdu told Reuters they've also removed all Rockets merch from their shelves, as have two NBA Playzone entertainment centers in Shanghai and Beijing.

"Rockets products were hot before and when you stepped into the store, it was full of red. Now, it is mostly yellow and blue (the Golden State Warriors' colors)," said a manager at the Shanghai Playzone, who asked not to be identified.

Chinese e-commerce websites Alibaba and JD.com, along with mobile shopping apps Poizon and DoNew, have taken Rockets and NBA-branded products off their platforms.

NBA commissioner Adam Silver said earlier this week that the league is supporting Morey's right to freedom of expression.