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Reports: China Set to Host first NBA Preseason Games because 2024

The NBA’s relationship with China that turned cold over a general manager’s tweet in 2019 apparently is thawing with a statement expected Friday of 2 preseason video games in Macao in October, according to multiple reports Thursday.

The Brooklyn Nets and the Phoenix Suns will play on Oct. 10 and 12, 2025, at Macao’s Venetian Arena, marking the first video games since 17 NBA groups played 28 preseason contests in China from 2004 to 2019.

Basketball is extremely popular in China, and the marketplace was worth numerous millions of dollars to the NBA. However, a rift was produced when then-Houston Rockets basic Morey tweeted support of anti-government demonstrations in Hong Kong in October 2019.

NBA commissioner Adam Silver supported individual liberty of expression and did not punish Morey, the existing GM of the Philadelphia 76ers.

In action, rewarding sponsorships were ended and league video games were disappointed on CCTV, the state-sponsored broadcaster in China, for one year after Morey’s tweet. Silver approximated in 2021 that the NBA lost $400 million that year because of the torn relationship.

NBA games, nevertheless, started appearing routinely on CCTV in 2022 and appeared on a streaming service.

NBA gamers, including stars Stephen Curry of the Golden State Warriors and De’Aaron Fox of the Sacramento Kings, have emerged in China. Macao will host a star basketball game on Saturday including previous NBA standouts.

The Venetian Arena is owned by the Las Vegas Sands Corp., which operates a casino there. Macao is the only location in China with legal casino gambling. Dallas Mavericks guv Patrick Dumont is the president and CEO of the Las Vegas Sands.

Joe Tsai, the co-founder and chairman of Chinese e-commerce giant Alibaba, owns the Nets.

— Field Level Media