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24m ago

NBA Returns to China as Suns Edge Nets in Macau Opener

Fresh deals with Alibaba Cloud alongside Sands China signal a longer-term rebuild of the league’s Chinese footprint.

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A Hong Kong protester in an LA Lakers jersey holding a LeBron James picture during a pro-democracy demonstration in October, 2019.
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Overview

  • Phoenix beat Brooklyn 132-127 in overtime in the first of two sold-out preseason games at Macau’s Venetian Arena.
  • These are the NBA’s first games in China since a six-year freeze that followed a 2019 post by then-Rockets GM Daryl Morey supporting Hong Kong protests.
  • Alibaba Cloud announced a multiyear agreement as the official cloud computing and AI partner of NBA China to power content, tech and fan engagement.
  • Sands China is hosting under a multi-year arrangement, and Adam Silver said the Macau return could open the door to future events elsewhere in China.
  • Nets owner Joe Tsai’s ties to Alibaba and the presence of Chinese forward Fanbo Zeng, along with clinics and a Hong Kong court refurbishment, underscored the league’s fan outreach.