NBA Returns To China With Pre-Season Games
NBA to Return to China After Six-Year Absence with Pre-Season Games in Macau.
The NBA is set to make a historic return to China next October, with two pre-season games in Macau between the Brooklyn Nets and Phoenix Suns. This marks the league’s first appearance in China since 2019, when tensions arose following a controversial tweet by former Houston Rockets general manager Daryl Morey supporting Hong Kong’s pro-democracy movement.
NBA’s Return to a Basketball Powerhouse
China, home to a vast basketball fanbase, saw a significant fallout with the NBA after the 2019 incident. The league was pulled off Chinese television, losing hundreds of millions of dollars until broadcasts resumed in 2022. Despite these challenges, the NBA has worked to mend its relationship with China, aided by Michael Ma, CEO of NBA China, who took over in 2020.
Pre-Season Games in Macau
The two games will take place at Macau’s Venetian Arena on October 10 and 12, 2024. According to reports, these matches are part of a multimillion-dollar deal to host annual NBA pre-season games in Macau over the next five years.
NBA Deputy Commissioner Mark Tatum emphasized the significance of Macau as a fan hub, stating, “The most important fan base for the NBA is here in Macau, and we have a partner in Sands China that is investing in sports.” Sands China, part of the Las Vegas Sands group, controls the Venetian Arena and holds ties to the Dallas Mavericks’ ownership.
The NBA’s Global Expansion
The NBA continues to expand globally, with recent pre-season games in Abu Dhabi and partnerships such as the NBA Cup sponsored by Emirates Airlines. From 2004 to 2019, the league staged 28 pre-season games in China featuring 17 teams, highlighting the region’s importance to its international strategy.
Macau: The Venue and Its Significance
Macau, a special administrative region operating under China’s “one country
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