MACAU (BN24) — The NBA will return to China this week for the first time since a diplomatic firestorm in 2019 strained ties between the league and Chinese authorities, as the Brooklyn Nets and Phoenix Suns prepare to face off in two preseason games in Macau.
The fixtures, scheduled for Friday and Sunday, will be held at an arena within the Venetian resort marking the league’s first games in Macau since 2007. The games are also the first NBA-sanctioned events on Chinese soil since a 2019 controversy involving a tweet supporting Hong Kong pro-democracy protests by then-Houston Rockets general manager Daryl Morey.
That single post, “Fight For Freedom. Stand With Hong Kong,” ignited a backlash from Chinese officials and fans, prompting broadcasters and streaming services in China to pull NBA games and freeze business relations. While Morey later clarified his stance and the NBA called the reaction “regrettable,” Beijing’s response sent shockwaves through the sports world and placed the NBA at the center of global political tension.
The NBA refused to discipline Morey, a decision that further angered Chinese authorities but won praise in some quarters for defending freedom of expression. China’s state broadcaster CCTV suspended NBA broadcasts, and NBA China operations were reportedly disrupted.
Now, six years later, the league is cautiously returning to the Chinese market, which remains a cornerstone of its international business. The renewed engagement comes after the NBA signed a multi-year partnership with Chinese tech giant Alibaba in late 2023. Notably, the Brooklyn Nets are owned by Alibaba chairman Joseph Tsai, a key figure in rebuilding ties between the NBA and Chinese stakeholders.
Speaking to AFP, NBA Commissioner Adam Silver said there remains “tremendous interest in the NBA throughout China.” According to 2019 estimates from the league, more than 300 million people play basketball in China, a popularity surge that began during the playing days of Chinese icon Yao Ming, who was drafted by the Houston Rockets in 2002.
An ESPN analysis in 2022 valued NBA China, the league’s business arm in the country, at around $5 billion. The league’s return comes amid a broader thaw in sports diplomacy, even as geopolitical tensions persist between Washington and Beijing over trade, human rights, and tech regulation.
The friendly games also offer the NBA a chance to re-engage with its massive Chinese fanbase. Local supporters have welcomed the return. Lyu Yizhe, a fan from Xiamen who traveled to Macau, told Reuters: “It feels extra special because we’re long-time NBA fans — we’ve been watching since 1998, back in the Michael Jordan and Chicago Bulls era.”
Another fan, Mole Zeng from Hangzhou, added: “I believe that in the future, as the NBA continues to grow in China, more and more star players will come here to meet us in person.”
Though the NBA has not held regular-season games in China since the controversy, preseason events like this are being seen as a cautious step toward normalization and a strategic move to reconnect with one of the league’s most valuable international markets.
