NBA to Host Games in Macau 5 Years After League was Blocked

The Brooklyn Nets and the Phoenix Suns will play the pre-season games on October 10 and 12, 2025 at the Venetian Arena in Macau.

Sands China has secured a multi-year partnership with the National Basketball Association (NBA) in order to boost Macau's tourism. This partnership will bring NBA pre-season games back to the region for the first time in nearly two decades. The games, set to feature the Brooklyn Nets and the Phoenix Suns, will take place at The Venetian Arena in Macau on October 10 and 12, 2025.

The announcement was made during a press conference held on December 6, 2024 where key figures from both Sands China and the NBA spoke about the exciting collaboration. Patrick Dumont, President and Chief Operating Officer of Sands China’s parent company, Las Vegas Sands, shared his enthusiasm for the deal. "We have entered into a multi-year agreement with the NBA to bring the NBA China Game to Sands China in 2025," Dumont was quoted as saying in an Inside Asian Gaming report. 

"Sports and sporting events have always been important to Macau’s tourism development, and Sands China has sponsored and hosted many important sporting events over the years. Basketball fans from all over the world will gather in Macau next October to witness this exciting occasion."

Mark Tatum, Vice Chairman of the NBA, also expressed excitement about the partnership, emphasizing the NBA’s long-term commitment to expanding its reach across the globe. 

“Our games started being broadcast on CCTV in the mid-1980s, so it’s nearly a 40-year relationship. I think this is such a treat for us to be able to bring NBA games back here to Macau,” said Tatum in a report published by South China Morning Post. 

The NBA has not held a game in China since 2019, following a controversy sparked by a tweet from Daryl Morey, then the general manager of the Houston Rockets. Morey expressed support for pro-democracy protesters in Hong Kong, which led to a political uproar. 

In response, NBA Commissioner Adam Silver chose not to discipline or silence Morey, who is now the president of basketball operations for the Philadelphia 76ers. This decision angered Beijing, and as a result, China’s state-run sports network suspended its broadcasts of NBA games for an entire year.

Macau’s last NBA pre-season event took place in 2007, an iconic moment for local basketball fans, when the Cleveland Cavaliers, featuring a young LeBron James, faced off against the Orlando Magic, led by Dwight Howard. The 2007 games were a historic event, not only for the city but for basketball in Asia, showcasing the NBA’s growing footprint in the region. Since then, however, Macau has not hosted another NBA game, making this new partnership a much-anticipated return for basketball enthusiasts.

The return of the NBA to Macau also aligns with the city’s ongoing efforts to bolster its sports tourism industry. The Macau government and Sands China have invested significantly in the development of sports-related infrastructure and events. 

The NBA pre-season games in 2025 are expected to attract not only basketball fans from Macau but also from neighboring regions, including mainland China and other parts of Asia. With the NBA’s global fan base continuing to expand, the games are set to draw significant attention and economic activity to the city. The matches will be held at The Venetian Arena, one of Macau’s premier event venues, which is known for hosting a wide range of high-profile events, from concerts to international sports tournaments.

This partnership is also significant given the NBA’s increasing efforts to expand its presence in Asia. With China being one of the league’s most important markets, events like the upcoming games in Macau will help the NBA further engage with its Chinese and broader Asian fanbase. The games will be broadcasted to millions of viewers across the region, expanding the league’s reach and fostering greater fan engagement.

The signing of this deal follows a broader trend of sports-related investments in Macau. In late 2022, Sands China and other concessionaires committed to enhancing the city’s tourism offerings under the terms of the 10-year concessions they signed with the Macau SAR Government. These agreements, which focus on diversifying the region’s tourism base, highlight sports as a key component in the city’s economic and cultural future.

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