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[Saba Sports News] Tensions between China and the NBA have finally eased, paving the way for the league’s first return to Chinese soil since 2019. Shams Charania of ESPN reports that the Brooklyn Nets and Phoenix Suns will play two preseason games in Macao next October.
The NBA’s absence began after a 2019 controversy sparked by then-Houston Rockets GM Daryl Morey, who tweeted support for Hong Kong protests, angering China.
The fallout included a temporary ban on NBA games by Chinese state broadcaster CCTV and strained relations, despite the league’s significant business interests in China.
In recent years, efforts to mend ties included CCTV lifting its NBA ban and quiet diplomacy by league executives.
This October’s games mark what Charania calls ‘the culmination of a yearslong process’ to repair the relationship.”