After a 2019 tweet by Daryl Morey, the Houston Rockets’ former general manager, in support of Hong Kong’s anti-government protests, preseason games and NBA broadcasts in China were immediately canceled. However, a thawing of relations between the league and the Chinese government has caused the two to reestablish ties.
Let’s take a closer look at the relationship between the NBA and China and its potential impact on top-rated sportsbooks.
Damage Done
It has been five years since China broke ties with the NBA after the Rockets former GM, Daryl Morey, tweeted an image and captioned it: “Fight For Freedom. Stand With Hong Kong.” It immediately sparked outrage in China, causing the Chinese Basketball Association to sever ties with the Houston Rockets, while Chinese sportswear brand Li-Ning soon followed. The Rockets’ sponsor in China, Shanghai Pudong Development Bank, also suspended cooperation with the team.
Chinese state broadcaster CCTV and Tencent Holdings, which streams NBA games in China, both announced they would no longer broadcast Rockets’ games. Not only did the immediate backlash cause the owner of the Houston Rockets to apologize, but so too did the NBA.
The league deemed Morey’s comments “regrettable” and acknowledged he had “deeply offended many of our friends and fans in China.” Rockets star at the time, James Harden, was quoted as saying, “We apologize. We love China.” Harden’s comments were met with backlash at home, exacerbating an already volatile situation.
Brooklyn Nets owner and current chairman of the Chinese e-commerce behemoth Alibaba, Joseph Tsai, was also quick to admonish Morey. The Taiwanese-Canadian billionaire stated, “There are certain topics that are third-rail issues [untouchable] in certain countries, societies, and communities.” Tsai also added, “Supporting a separatist movement in a Chinese territory is one of those third-rail issues, not only for the Chinese government but also for all citizens in China.”
Time Heals All Wounds
Despite a rather lengthy apology tweet from Morey, the damage had been done, and it would be five years until the NBA was welcomed back to China. The agreement is between The Sands China and the league to play two games annually over the next five years at the Venetian Arena in Macau. The first two games will be held in October 2025 between the Brooklyn Nets and the Phoenix Suns.
“We’re incredibly excited to be partnering with Sands to bring NBA games back to Macao beginning next year,” NBA deputy commissioner Mark Tatum said in Macao, adding that the agreement is “a significant milestone in the continued global growth of basketball.”
As a special attraction to celebrate the renewed relationship, a basketball game including Hall of Famers and former NBA stars Tony Parker, Ray Allen, Tracy McGrady, Stephon Marbury, DeMarcus Cousins and Cuttino Mobley was held at the Venetian last weekend.
