NBA Aims for Drama-Free Return to China After 6-Year Hiatus

The National Basketball Association is back in China this weekend, with far less drama than during its last visit there, and the league is hoping it stays that way. 

The NBA China games between the Nets and Suns are set for Friday and Sunday in Macao, marking the league’s first games played in China since 2019. Currently unfolding as another international trip to join recent ones to locales such as Paris, Abu Dhabi, and Mexico City, the preseason games in China have a very different feel than when the Nets and Lakers were there six years ago.

Back then, tensions ran high following a tweet by then-Rockets GM Daryl Morey in support of anti-government protestors in Hong Kong. Morey has remained in basketball, and he now has the same role with the 76ers. His comment, however, sparked widespread pushback against the NBA in China, including the removal of games from TV, and gradually rebuilding those ties and the on-air coverage took years. 

To be certain, the relationship with China is still delicate—in no small part because of ongoing trade- and tariff-related issues between China and U.S. President Donald Trump. The NBA, however, remains keenly interested in further developing one of its largest international fan bases.

“There’s no doubt that China has one of the largest fan bases in the world—hundreds of millions of fans in China, 300 million people play the game of basketball in China, and our mission is to inspire and connect people everywhere through the game,” said NBA deputy commissioner Mark Tatum. 

Added Nets forward Michael Porter Jr., “The China fans, I feel like [they] are some of our biggest supporters. There’s so many fans here. So I think coming out here and being able to play in front of them is definitely a blessing for us and for them.”

That relationship was further burnished with a new sponsorship deal finalized this week between the NBA and Chinese tech giant Alibaba, with the company set to aid new fan experiences in that country through its artificial intelligence and cloud computing technology. Alibaba is led by chairman Joe Tsai, also the Nets’ owner. 

More to Come?

While attending events this week in China preceding the two preseason games, NBA commissioner Adam Silver said the trip is a likely forerunner to more such trips to the country.

“There’s tremendous interest throughout China, so it’s wonderful to be back here,” Silver said. 

Beyond the Nets and Suns, there is also an indirect link in these games to the Mavericks, as The Venetian Arena in Macao, where they will be played, is owned by Las Vegas Sands Corp. That company’s president and COO is Mavericks owner Patrick Dumont. Macao is a special administrative region within China, and the gambling presence there is far larger than what exists in Las Vegas.