NBA EYES BIG BUCKS OFF COURT AS WELL

While mindful of Chinese politics, it hopes merchandise demand matches fan support

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The National Basketball Association (NBA) brought star-studded lineups to Macau last week for the league’s return to China after six years but many of the biggest wins happened off the basketball court, industry insiders and experts told AFP.

Thousands of fans cheered on Oct 10 as the Phoenix Suns beat the Brooklyn Nets 132-127, with celebrities such as former footballer David Beckham, actor Jackie Chan and Alibaba co-founder Jack Ma in front-row seats.

It heralded the NBA's return to China for the first time since being effectively frozen out of the country in 2019 after a team official tweeted support for pro-democracy protests in Hong Kong.

Hours after the preseason game at a sold-out Venetian Arena, US President Donald Trump announced an additional 100 per cent tariff on China, underscoring the volatile backdrop of the NBA’s detente with Beijing.

Even so, the NBA and star players are rushing back to the post-pandemic Chinese market, with Lebron James and Stephen Curry visiting the country in 2025 to hawk their brands.

"One thing a lot of the athletes would say is that everyone read about James Harden coming to China (in 2023), selling his wine and selling out in like 60 seconds," said Michael Lin, a vice-president at sports digital agency Mailman, an IMG company.