Relations between the NBA and China soured in 2019 after a tweet calling for democracy was liked by a team official.
Published October 10, 2025
The Brooklyn Nets and Phoenix Suns played a sold-out preseason game in Macau on Friday, with fans cheering on the NBA’s return to China for the first time in six years in the wake of pro-democracy tweets.
The first of two games in Macau capped the NBA’s attempt to mend relations with China, a lucrative market where an estimated 125 million people play basketball.
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“The atmosphere is great. I’ve been a Suns fan for a long time,” said David Jin, 26, who was on a day trip from nearby Shenzhen, a Chinese technology hub.
“The NBA should come to mainland China more often. If the NBA is in front of me, I will go and support it,” Jin said, adding that he spent about 5,000 yuan ($700) on tickets and transportation.
Fans at a packed Venetian Arena gave four-time NBA All-Star Devin Booker a warm welcome and were especially looking forward to his matchup against 22-year-old Nets forward Zeng Huangbo from China, who was making his debut.
“There is tremendous interest in the NBA across China,” NBA Commissioner Adam Silver said Thursday.
Nets head coach Jordi Fernandez further strengthened the charm offensive, saying the trip to China was partly an opportunity to visit and learn about a new culture.
“They say we have support from China and a lot of fans are watching our games, but the reality is you won’t know until you get here.”
Suns head coach Jordan Ott also said before the game that many of his players will be traveling to China for the first time.
“Just that excitement when they walk out tonight, I know it’s a packed house, but it’s going to be a really great experience for all of us,” Ott said.
The Chinese Basketball Association on Friday announced a strategic partnership with the NBA, which includes offering Chinese teams the opportunity to participate in NBA Summer League and WNBA preseason games in the United States, according to state media.
The NBA’s popularity in China soared in the 2000s with Yao Ming’s boom, but relations soured significantly after team officials tweeted support for Hong Kong’s pro-democracy protests in 2019.
This was the first step in the league’s tentative return to the NBA, which had been locked out of China.
Chin Junhong, a 19-year-old student in Macau, said he remembered little about the conflict and was just “excited” to watch the match with friends.
“So many people rushed for tickets,” Hata told AFP news agency.
Friday’s game is part of a multimillion-dollar deal to host NBA preseason games at the Venetian Arena, part of the Las Vegas Sands conglomerate controlled by the Adelson family, the Dallas Mavericks’ majority ownership group.
Macau is the only place in China where casino gambling is legal and is a special administrative region of China near Hong Kong.
Experts said playing an NBA game in Macau for the first time since 2019 was more like a “soft landing” than playing in mainland China.
Before the game, spectators took selfies at NBA-themed booths and shops inside the convention hall, which had large signs displaying the logos of the league’s Chinese brand partners.
The Venetian Arena is located in the heart of Macau’s upscale hotel-casino district, known as the Cotai Strip, home to replicas of Big Ben and the Eiffel Tower.
