• NBA returns to China after six years with two games in Macau.
• Brooklyn Nets and Phoenix Suns face off in sold-out matches.
• The league aims to rebuild relations with Chinese fans following a controversial past.
• Partnership with Alibaba enhances fan experiences in the region.
• Events attract significant enthusiasm from local fans and participants.

The National Basketball Association (NBA) has made a remarkable return to China after six years, staging two pre-season games in Macau featuring the Brooklyn Nets and the Phoenix Suns. This event marks the league's first matches in the region since a controversy in 2019 linked to pro-democracy protests in Hong Kong. Fans crowded into the Venetian Arena, celebrating the return of the NBA to what has been described as "the world's biggest gambling hub," according to Reuters, Al Jazeera, and BBC.

The NBA's games in Macau are part of a broader strategy to rebuild relationships in China, where an estimated 300 million people are avid basketball players. During the 2022 season, league operations in China were valued at approximately $5 billion. The league's return is seen as a test run amidst rising tensions between the United States and China, aiming to reconnect with a market that experienced significant love for basketball, as highlighted by NBA Commissioner Adam Silver’s statements, according to Reuters and South China Morning Post.

The match series, part of a multi-year configuration with Alibaba, also marks the first time the league has played in Macau since 2007. Notably, the games will incorporate enhancements to fan experiences via Alibaba's cloud and AI services, aiming to solidify the NBA brand in the region. This effort follows years of strained relations after the fallout from Daryl Morey's 2019 tweets in support of Hong Kong protests that ultimately led to suspended broadcasts in China, according to BBC and Al Jazeera.

Sports analyst Mark Dreyer remarked that the Macau events represent a "soft re-entry into China," allowing the NBA to gauge public reception while navigating current geopolitical dynamics. Local fans expressed intense enthusiasm, capturing the spirit of the occasion as they mingled and took selfies in NBA-themed areas within the Venetian resort, echoing support for both their local teams and the league overall, according to Reuters and South China Morning Post.