The NBA will go back to China for the very first time since 2019 with two
preseason games between the
Brooklyn Nets and
Phoenix Suns set for Macao in October.
A
relationship with China that turned cold over a general
supervisor's tweet in 2019
appears to be
defrosting with an
announcement anticipated Friday.
On Thursday,
sources informed ESPN of the plans to head back to the Asian nation, which was then reported by
Shams Charania and
Brian Windhorst.
The Nets and the Suns will play on October 10 and 12, 2025, at
Macao's Venetian Arena,
marking the very first games given that 17
NBA teams played 28
preseason contests in China from 2004 to 2019.
Basketball is incredibly popular in China, and the
marketplace was
worth numerous millions of
dollars to the NBA. However, a rift was developed when then-Houston Rockets
basic manager Daryl Morey
tweeted support of
antigovernmental protests in Hong Kong in October 2019.
The Phoenix Suns and Brooklyn Nets are
anticipated to play in two
video games in China next preseason
A
pro-Hong Kong activist holds an image
portraying LeBron James as
Chinese communist advanced Chairman Mao Zedong before the Los
Angeles Lakers season opening
game versus the LA Clippers, outside Staples Center, on October 22, 2019
Daryl Morey tweeted support of antigovernmental
protests in
Hong Kong in October 2019
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In response,
profitable 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 estimated in 2021 the NBA lost $400 million that year because of the
frayed relationship.
NBA gamers,
including stars Stephen Curry of the Golden State
Warriors and
De'Aaron Fox of the Sacramento Kings, have actually
appeared in China. Macao will host a
celeb basketball video game on Saturday
including previous
NBA standouts.
The league will return to the
Venetian Arena, previously Cotai Arena, after 2
video games in 2007 when the
Orlando Magic faced the Chinese
men's national team and the Cleveland Cavaliers.
Phoenix SunsChinaNBAHong Kong
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