Six years after a diplomatic fallout benched its China tour, the NBA is back, this time in Macau.
The league tipped off its return on Thursday with a new multi-year partnership with Chinese tech giant Alibaba and two pre-season games between the Brooklyn Nets and the Phoenix Suns at Sands China’s Venetian arena.
It marks the NBA’s first appearance in Macau, the world’s biggest gambling hub, under a five-year deal with the resort operator.
The comeback follows a suspension of NBA broadcasts in China after 2019 comments by a Houston Rockets executive supporting Hong Kong’s protests sparked political uproar.
The partnership with Alibaba will see the tech firm provide artificial intelligence and cloud services to improve fan engagement on the NBA app.
Meanwhile, Sands’ tie-up with the league supports Macau’s government drive to expand tourism beyond casinos, part of a broader $13.5 billion investment pledge by gaming operators.
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