The Brooklyn Nets face the Phoenix Suns in Macau, marking the NBA’s sleek comeback to the Chinese basketball scene
The Phoenix Suns and the Brooklyn Nets have brought the NBA’s spectacle to Macau, staging two preseason games at the Venetian Arena as part of the league’s slow return to Chinese territory. It’s the NBA’s first live outing in the region since 2019, when a political storm temporarily iced relations between the league and its biggest overseas market. This year’s event is being hosted in partnership with Sands China, the casino group behind the Venetian Macao complex, as part of a multi-year agreement that will see the NBA China Games make annual stops in the city.
Read more: The billionaires behind the 6 most expensive NBA franchises
For fans, it’s a historic revival. The games on October 10 and 12 are technically exhibitions, but they carry symbolic weight. The Brooklyn Nets, owned by Alibaba co-founder Joe Tsai, have become the NBA’s bridge to China, while the Phoenix Suns bring the star power of Devin Booker and Bradley Beal. Together they form the league’s most carefully curated pairing, designed to attract both global viewers and local enthusiasm.