NBA returns to china after six-year ban

By: Leyah Jackson

After a six-year hiatus, the NBA has returned to China with two preseason games between the Phoenix Suns and Brooklyn Nets in Macao–a semiautonomous territory in South China, known for its many casinos. 

The NBA has been banned from China since 2019, after Daryl Morey, the General Manager for the Houston Rockets, made comments on social media in support of anti-government protests in Hong Kong. According to Foreign Policy, before being deleted, Morey’s tweet read, “Fight For Freedom. Stand with Hong Kong.” 

Televised games were pulled and Chinese sponsors severed ties with the league. Although the NBA left China, its fans didn’t. The recent preseason game was sold out with some paying close to $1,000 to snag a chance to see the players in person. 

According to NBC, Phoenix Suns player Devin Booker commented that “they know they have a huge fan base here in China and they know how important it is to bring the game here.”

The game was not only a win for the fans, but for the NBA as well. China has continued to be one of the largest, and most lucrative markets for basketball, a trend that began in 2002 when the Houston Rockets drafted Chinese player Yao Ming, who went on to have a phenomenal 8-time All Star career. 

Geopolitical tensions and a raging trade war has increased between the U.S and China since 2019, however diplomacy is still present. According to Foreign Policy, pandas which China withdrew from Washington’s Smithsonian National Zoo in 2023, were replaced with new ones a year later. 

The NBA returning is another example of a working relationship between the US and China, as the NBA will craft a good relationship with Chinese investors and turn a good profit for both nations.