The NBA-China drama continues to unfold following Houston Rockets General Manager Daryl Morey’s tweet from early October supporting Hong Kong.

Although LeBron James did not exactly back the GM’s free speech when asked about it to start the week, NBA Commissioner Adam Silver is unwavering in his insistence that he backs the general manager’s ability to express his thoughts.

In an interview with Good Morning America’s Robin Roberts, Silver said Thursday that China was, in fact, encouraging him to fire Morey for the statement.

“We made it clear that we were being asked to fire him, by the Chinese government, by the parties we dealt with, government and business,” Silver said. “We said there’s no chance that’s happening. There’s no chance we’ll even discipline him.”

The league, its individual teams, and players are set to face significant financial ramifications.