The NBA China Games return to Macao on October 9 and 11 with a preseason matchup between the Houston Rockets and the Dallas Mavericks.
Houston And Dallas Head To Macao For Preseason Series
The upcoming two-game slate in Macao follows a similar two-game series hosted in the city last year between the Brooklyn Nets and the Phoenix Suns. According to announcements from the league, Macao will serve as the host site for the NBA China Games through 2029 under a five-year partnership agreement with resort operator Sands China.
Patrick Dumont, president and chief executive officer of Las Vegas Sands—the parent company of Sands China—also serves as a governor and member of the control ownership group for the Dallas Mavericks.
Deep Historical Ties And Roster Connections Shape The Matchup
Both visiting franchises carry extensive history with Chinese basketball audiences. The Houston Rockets established deep roots in the region following the 2002 NBA Draft, when the franchise selected Shanghai-born center Yao Ming with the first overall pick. Meanwhile, the Dallas Mavericks maintain historical ties through Wang Zhizhi, who was drafted by Dallas in 1999 and became the first Chinese player to appear in an NBA game in 2001.
The contemporary rosters feature notable star power across both benches. Houston enters the exhibition tour led by two-time NBA champion and former MVP Kevin Durant, alongside Turkish All-Star Alperen Şengün and young star Amen Thompson. Dallas features nine-time All-Star Kyrie Irving—working his way back to full health after missing the previous season due to a torn anterior cruciate ligament—alongside 2025 first overall draft pick Cooper Flagg.
Fan Events and Entertainment Acts Complement Basketball Games
Beyond the games on the court, the itinerary features interactive fan experiences including NBA House, an NBA Fan Day, youth basketball clinics, and a Community Impact Week led by NBA Cares and Sands Cares focused on health, wellness and sustainability. Entertainment acts are integrated into the schedule as well, featuring South Korean group KiiiKiii during halftime, alongside Hong Kong singer and actress Keung To and K-pop performer EVAN at the fan event hosted by rapper and actor MC Jin.
Hong Kong-based basketball commentator and presenter Emil Cheung observed that public reception mirrors the status of elite athletes in contemporary pop culture. Describing the local sentiment, Cheung remarked that fans view NBA players as heroic figures comparable to the Avengers. This cultural integration extends to commercial partnerships, highlighted by Steph Curry signing a long-term partnership with Chinese sportswear brand Li-Ning in June—valued at over $400 million across a decade—which includes the rollout of Curry Brand and a promotional tour spanning Beijing, Dongguan, Shenzhen, and Hong Kong.
From Past Diplomatic Friction To Broadcast Stability
The current stability stands in stark contrast to the operational crisis the league faced in October 2019, when a social media post published by then-Houston Rockets general manager Daryl Morey triggered an immediate diplomatic and commercial fallout. State broadcaster CCTV suspended live NBA game transmissions, and multiple domestic sponsors severed ties with the league. At the time, commissioner Adam Silver acknowledged substantial financial losses running into hundreds of millions of dollars.
Seven years later, normal operations have resumed. Live broadcasts have returned to CCTV, player promotional tours draw large crowds, and domestic apparel brands such as Li-Ning and ANTA regularly sign major NBA stars to signature footwear and apparel deals. The commercial pipeline also flows in the opposite direction, marked most recently by Yang Hansen being selected 16th overall by the Portland Trail Blazers in the 2025 NBA Draft, becoming the ninth Chinese player drafted into the league and only the third chosen in the first round.
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