NBA makes strategic China comeback in Macau with Alibaba partnership

The National Basketball Association (NBA) has officially returned to China staging its first games there since 2019’s political controversy and announcing a multi-year partnership with Chinese tech giant Alibaba.

The comeback was made in Macau highlighting a careful thaw in the league’s relationship with its most significant international market.

The Brooklyn Nets will also play two preseason games against the Phoenix Suns on Friday, October 10, and Sunday, October 12, at the Sands Venetian, as a part of a five-year agreement with Sands China.

It is the first time the NBA appears in the city of Macau, as well as the most notable appearance of the NBA in China since 2019, when a tweet of Daryl Morey, Houston Rockets general manager at the time, in support of the protests in Hong Kong sparked a Chinese broadcast ban, and the NBA had to suffer substantial financial losses.

The revival is supported by the recent agreement with the Alibaba Group that will become the official partner of NBA China in terms of cloud computing and AI.

The partnership will focus on improving fan experiences by using artificial intelligence services on the NBA app in China.

Brooklyn Nets player Michael Porter Jr. told reporters that the "China fans are some of our biggest fans." 

"There's so many fans out here. Thus I believe that my coming here and the possibility of playing in front of them is a blessing indeed," he added. 

A five-day event of NBA fashion, music and technology, with such legends as Shaquille O'Neal, accompanies the games. 

It is important particularly because of the increasing political tensions between the US and China and the requirement of the casinos in Macau to invest more in non-gaming. 

In the case of the NBA, the give-back is a well-planned move toward restoring its image in the market where it is estimated that 300 million people play basketball.