NBA games in Macau test waters for China comeback

10/10/2025 16:06

The National Basketball Association's (NBA) games in Macau on Friday and Sunday are a test for a broader China comeback, experts and state media said, as Chinese fans descended on the world's biggest gambling hub to get a glimpse of the sport.



The NBA is playing two pre-season games, dubbed the "China Games 2025", in the Chinese special administrative region, pitting the Brooklyn Nets against the Phoenix Suns at sold-out games in casino group Sands China's Venetian arena.



Fans crowded outside the Sands property in Macau, clamouring to see the players as they arrived.



The games mark the first time the NBA is playing in Macau and follows a six-year absence amid controversy over comments supportive of Hong Kong's pro-democracy protests in 2019.



The China market is vital to the NBA, with around 300 million people playing basketball in the country.