NBA, China kiss and make up 6 years after Hong Kong democracy post put relationship on rocks

The NBA and China are canoodling this week in Macao, the communist nation’s take on Las Vegas, ahead of a pair of preseason exhibition games featuring the Phoenix Suns and the Brooklyn Nets.

The special administrative region of China is packed with fans, influencers and celebrities eager to reconnect with the league six years after China’s leaders, upset about an NBA-connected tweet supporting democracy in Hong Kong, called a timeout.

The NBA wasn’t officially banned in the world’s second-largest economy (after the U.S.), but games disappeared from television, sponsorships were pulled and following the league became much more difficult.

Since then, Beijing has effectively crushed the remnants of Hong Kong’s pro-democracy movement and trained its sights farther afield, rattling its saber over Taiwan and picking fights with democracies in the Philippines and Japan.

For a newly assertive China, welcoming back the NBA is another chance to commandeer the world stage, and the expansion-minded American sports league is relishing the chance to market products and players to a nation of 1.4 billion.

The week’s festivities — including the exhibition games, appearances by Shaquille O’Neal, and a fan day with a dunk contest and musical performances — are a far cry from 2019.

The NBA-China paradigm shifted after Houston Rockets general manager Daryl Morey weighed in on Hong Kong.

Mr. Morey tweeted in support of pro-independence demonstrations in Hong Kong, much to the dismay of Chinese and NBA officials. Rockets owner Tilman Fertitta said his team was “not a political organization.” League Commissioner Adam Silver said the executive “did not represent the views of the Rockets or the NBA.”

The backpedaling wasn’t enough to keep China from taking league games off the air, but the NBA’s groveling drew the ire of first-term President Trump.

“The way they catered to China, the way they bowed to China,” he said on Fox Sports Radio in 2020, “is a disgrace.”

The breakup and ensuing tension didn’t kill basketball fever in China, though.

For years, fans have followed the league from a distance. Their infatuation with the league began when Houston Rockets center Yao Ming, a Chinese native, took the league by storm in 2002. Interest has grown as stars such as Kobe Bryant and LeBron James visited the nation during the offseason.

In September, James made headlines in the U.S. for comments to a Chinese state-run newspaper during a Nike press tour.

“Basketball is not only a sport; it is a bridge that connects us,” James said, as printed by the People’s Daily paper. The article was published under James’ name, but his representatives later clarified that he was quoted from interviews with Chinese reporters, and he did not write the piece.

Win-win proposition

The NBA’s return to Chinese soil was always a matter of “when,” not “if.” Sports business and management experts said the relationship makes sense.

“It’s a win-win,” said Keunsu Han, an associate professor of sports marketing at Towson University. “NBA will get a lot of revenue, media rights, merchandise sales. We cannot simply ignore the Chinese buying power.”

Mr. Silver has been acutely aware of the value of the Chinese market. He noted in 2022 that the league lost “hundreds of millions” of dollars because of Mr. Morey’s comments.

Chinese officials are benefiting from the NBA as well.

“China will get a lot of soft power. They will get the reputation, they get some of the most famous professional franchises playing there, and they simply get media attention,” Mr. Han said. “And a lot of sponsors, because what company doesn’t look to join the Chinese market?”

Unlike in 2019, when Mr. Trump tore into the NBA for its dealings with China, the White House has been quiet regarding the league’s return to Asia.

“Certainly, we’re a U.S. corporation, a U.S. company, so we follow the directives of the U.S. government,” Mr. Silver told reporters this week. “But throughout all my years at the NBA and regardless of administration, State Departments have encouraged the use of sports as a connector between different people.”

The president’s lack of commentary, less than a month before Mr. Trump is scheduled to meet with Chinese President Xi Jinping, may indicate the delicate balance the White House is trying to maintain as the countries work through clashes over tariffs, trade and spheres of influence.

“I look at this as bridge-building between the U.S. and China, and it’s a continuation of the growth of the relationship between two countries,” said Vince Gennaro, a professor at New York University’s Preston Robert Tisch Institute for Global Sport.

It’s similar to the “pingpong diplomacy” of the 1970s, Mr. Han said. Under President Nixon, games between Chinese and American table tennis players helped ease tensions.

“Historically, they both benefit. China benefits. U.S. benefits,” Mr. Han said. “It’s a win-win game already.”

The six years since China cut ties with the NBA have created a new reality in the international sports world. Mr. Han said leagues and fans simply aren’t that concerned about human rights violations in the background of sporting events.

“Not many people remember human rights issues in the Qatar World Cup,” he noted.

“Fans just care about the beautiful final game in the stadium: Messi, Mbappe, France, Argentina,” Mr. Han said. “They don’t care about human rights issues. How many times have we heard about the Chinese human rights issue? Hong Kong, Taiwan, mistreatment of Muslims. They still just hosted a very successful Olympic Games.”

The NBA’s trip to China could show similar results: short-term criticism followed by a long-term financial boost.

“Just think about the value,” Mr. Han said. “I don’t think anyone’s going to have a problem in a couple months.”

Building the brand

NBA players have already started dipping their toes into a Chinese cultural exchange. The typical options for players to engage with their fans stateside — X, Instagram, YouTube — are prohibited by the Chinese government. So, an increasing number of players hire companies to run accounts on China’s government-approved sites, platforms such as Weibo, Douyin and Bilibili.

“We’re constantly seeing more people calling us and going, ‘I want to be known in this market. I want everything that I’m doing here stateside to resonate with my fans internationally,’” said Andrew Spalter, the founder and CEO of East Goes Global, which helps athletes build a following in China. “Everyone’s eyeing this space.”

The Suns’ Devin Booker works with Mr. Spalter, as do fellow All-Stars Jalen Brunson of the New York Knicks and Donovan Mitchell of the Cleveland Cavaliers. It’s a simple proposition.

“Everyone says, ‘I’ve crushed it domestically; how do I expand internationally?’” Mr. Spalter said.

The nature of the Chinese social media content varies from player to player.

“What do you want to do? Do you want to try Chinese foods? Do you want to work with Chinese content creators?” Mr. Spalter asks his clients. “Do you want to focus on fashion? Cars? It’s mutual incentive, where we align with their vision so it feels as authentic as possible in a culturally relevant way.”

For Mitchell, it was about making sure his Chinese fans could see his highlights. Brunson tried Chinese snacks for a social media video. Booker found “China Booker,” a Chinese player who went viral for playing while dressed as the Suns’ star, and sent him a pair of his new sneakers: the Book 1 CHBL.

“And then we introduced them when we’re in China,” Mr. Spalter said. “There’s a number of levers that we’re able to pull.”

Indiana Pacers guard Tyrese Haliburton doesn’t work with East Goes Global, but Mr. Spalter called him the “gold standard” for players looking to build a brand in China. Haliburton records videos in which he speaks Mandarin directly to Chinese fans and has continually expanded his reach.

In 2024, he was voted an All-Star starter for the first time in his career. He attributed the honor to a surge in fan votes from China.

“I’m on Douyin, I’m on WeChat, interacting with fans. That means a lot to me,” Haliburton told reporters before the 2024 All-Star Game. “I appreciate that, and I feel like it has a lot to do with me being first in fan votes. I know people see a player in Indiana and don’t expect that, but the love I’ve received from my fans in China has been amazing.”

Haliburton, Booker and the rest of the NBA ecosystem are leaving the 2019 incident in the past.

“It’s in the rearview. It’s something in the back of the car, in the trunk, that’s always going to be there. It rattles around, and you hear it but you pay no mind,” Mr. Spalter said. “You’re hearing it, but as long as you remain optimistic and pushing forward, that’s the sweet spot. How do I work to avoid this?”

The future in China, according to those around the NBA, is bright.

“When everyone got off the Suns’ bus, it was madness,” Mr. Spalter said. “It is so impactful here and such a huge thing and nod of approval into the market to show: Holy cow! We’re back and better than ever.”