LeBron James of Los Angeles Lakers (R) takes a shot while being guarded by Theo Pinson of the Brooklyn Nets (L) during their National Basketball Association (NBA) pre-season match at the Mercedes Benz Arena in Shanghai on October 10, 2019. Hector Retamal | AFP | Getty Images When the ball smashed into a photo of LeBron James’ face stuck above the hoop and dropped into the basket, the Hong Kong protesters cheered. They also trampled on jerseys bearing his name and gathered in a semicircle to watch one burn. James’ standing among basketball fans in Hong Kong took a hit because of comments the NBA star made about free speech. Fans gathered on courts amid Hong Kong’s high-rise buildings Tuesday to vent their anger. The player for the Los Angeles Lakers touched a nerve among protesters for suggesting that free speech can have negative consequences. They have been protesting for months in defense of the same freedom that James said can carry “a lot of negative.” The protesters chanted support for Houston Rockets general manager Daryl Morey, something of a hero among demonstrators in the semi-autonomous Chinese territory for having tweeted on Oct. 4 in support of their struggle, infuriating…