NBA Returns to China After Six-Year Absence Sparked by Democracy Tweet
The NBA is officially returning to China this week with two highly anticipated preseason games after a six-year hiatus triggered by a 2019 controversy over a pro-democracy tweet.
Brooklyn Nets and Phoenix Suns Headline NBA’s Comeback
The Brooklyn Nets and Phoenix Suns are set to face off in Macau — a special administrative region near Hong Kong — for two sell-out preseason games on Friday and Sunday. This marks the league’s first return since China severed ties following a tweet by then-Houston Rockets general manager Daryl Morey, who expressed support for Hong Kong’s pro-democracy protests.
The fallout led to a suspension of Chinese broadcasts of NBA games and cost the league “hundreds of millions of dollars,” according to NBA commissioner Adam Silver.
Rekindling a Massive Fan Base
Basketball remains one of China’s most popular sports, with an estimated 125 million players across the country. For many fans, the NBA’s return is a long-awaited reunion.
“Even though official broadcasters banned the NBA, I found other channels to watch it,” said Deng Weijian, a 24-year-old student. “The NBA should focus on basketball and avoid sensitive topics.”
The games in Macau are part of a new five-year deal that will see the NBA host two games in China annually.
Politics, Profit, and Caution
The NBA’s 2019 crisis revealed the delicate balance between business interests and political sensitivities in China. Analysts such as Mark Dreyer, author of a book on China’s sports industry, described the episode as a “perfect storm,” worsened by the league’s conflicting statements in English and Chinese.
Deputy Commissioner Mark Tatum reaffirmed this week that the NBA continues to support freedom of expression, while emphasizing that the organization relies on the U.S. State Department for guidance in foreign markets.
A Soft Landing in Macau
Hosting the games in Macau — the only region in China where casino gambling is legal — provides what experts call a “soft landing.” The games, held at the Venetian Arena, sold out within hours, signaling strong demand despite past tensions.
Dreyer noted that the NBA’s return was inevitable, calling China a “key market” that the league “could never afford to abandon.”
Meanwhile, Debby Chan of the Australian National University cautioned that China’s “consumer nationalism” remains unpredictable, noting that companies continue to tread carefully to avoid political backlash.
For many fans, however, the return symbolizes hope for renewed sports diplomacy between the U.S. and China.
“Politics should not be part of basketball,” said construction worker He Xixuan, 26. “If we focus on the game, it can bring people together.”
