For the first time since 2019, the NBA is expected to resume playing games in China with two preseason matchups between the Phoenix Suns and Brooklyn Nets set for 2025, according to an ESPN report.
The NBA’s relationship with China has been on the rocks since then-Houston Rockets general manager Daryl Morey, who now serves as president of basketball operations for the Philadelphia 76ers, sent out a tweet in support of the Hong Kong freedom of expression protests, which was backed by commissioner Adam Silver.
What followed was a loss of sponsorships and a temporary blacking out of NBA games in China that, according to ESPN, cost the league hundreds of millions of dollars in lost revenue over the ensuing seasons.
The games between the Suns and Nets will be played in Macao at the Venetian Arena, which is controlled by the Adelson family — by way of the Las Vegas Sands conglomerate — which is now the majority owner of the Dallas Mavericks after purchasing Mark Cuban’s portion of the franchise for $3.5 billion in 2023.
As ESPN notes, there were a total of 28 preseason games involving 17 NBA teams over a 15-year span from 2004 to 2019 as the league further expanded its global foothold. This was obviously a relationship Silver wanted to repair, and with these two preseason games back on the schedule it appears the league has taken a big step toward doing so.
