The NBA will return to China next year, after the league signed a five-year deal with the Venetian Macao.
In a new five-year deal, the NBA will host two pre-season games at the Venetian Macao, a Sands China property, the South China Morning Post reported on 6 December.
The games will tip off in October 2025, when the Brooklyn Nets and Phoenix Suns meet for two pre-season games at the 14,000-seat Venetian Arena.
NBA teams previously played in multiple big cities in China between 2004 and 2019.
“Bringing pre-season games to Macau will showcase the excitement of the NBA to fans in one of the world’s emerging hubs for sports”, said Mark Tatum, NBA deputy commissioner and chief operating officer. “We have a long history of being here in China.”
That history was interrupted in 2019. At that time, Houston Rockets general manager Daryl Morey expressed support for anti-government protests in Hong Kong. Morey soon back-pedalled, but it was too late from the Chinese government’s perspective. The plug was pulled on the popular games.
A year later, the country shut down due to Covid-19. The special administrative region of Macau did not fully reopen its borders until January 2023.
“Fantastic for the fans”
The China games began in 2004 in Shanghai and Beijing and continued unabated for 15 years. There were also games in Shenzhen and Guangzhou. The league also made a one-shot appearance in Macau in 2007.
“So the return now through a partnership with Sands China, I think, is fantastic for the fans”, said Tatum. “And it’ll give an opportunity for fans to experience live NBA basketball in their market once again.”
Basketball is hugely popular among the Chinese, with millions of fans watching games through streaming platforms. The Rockets, in particular, gained a massive following in 2002, when they signed Shanghai native Yao Ming as centre. He went on to become an eight-time NBA all-star.
According to WION News China is the largest global market for NBA sports.
Dumont: Deal a “win-win-win”
With the return of the NBA, Sands China is doing its part to diversify entertainment offerings in the city, as mandated by the government.
The deal was brokered by Sands president and COO Patrick Dumont in an example of what the Dallas Morning News called “ping-pong diplomacy”.
Dumont is also part owner of the NBA Dallas Mavericks with Miriam Adelson. Chinese billionaire Joe Tsai, chairman of technology giant Alibaba Group, owns the Nets.
Dumont called the deal a “win-win-win, where the NBA wins, the city of Macau wins and China wins”.
Mainland games in the future?
Tatum said the NBA has “no current plans” to return to cities on the Chinese mainland.
“We have a limited number of teams… a limited number of opportunities to play internationally. That being said, we have a long history of playing games in mainland China and I think at some point down the road we would consider it, But right now, our focus is on Macau.
“We know we’re going to be here in Macau and China, so that’s our focus for the next several years.”
Basketball Hall of Famers Tony Parker, Ray Allen and Tracy McGrady marked the occasion with a celebrity game on 7 December.
The US-based Sands Corporation will promote the events with an NBA Flagship Store at the Londoner Macao, one of five properties Sands owns in Macau.