The NBA is returning to China and basketball team owners say Macau is bustling with activity

NBA team owners and legends welcomed basketball players to the United States Back to China After a six-year hiatus, she said Macau’s gambling hotspot was “vibrant like never before”.

There are two preseason games between the Brooklyn Nets and the Phoenix Suns The decision Scheduled for Friday and Sunday. The teams will play at The Venetian Hotel in Macau, a special administrative region in China.

For USA Basketball fans in China, the game has been long awaited. This is because Beijing, the NBA’s most important overseas market, Effectively froze NBA in 2019 following Repercussions of the protests in Hong Kong.

In an apparent thawing of political tensions, the Chinese technology giant decided Alibaba On Thursday, it announced a multi-year partnership with the NBA to provide artificial intelligence and cloud services in China.

Alibaba Group Chairman Joe Tsai, who also owns the Brooklyn Nets, told CNBC on Friday that he “couldn’t be more excited” that his team will be the first to return to China to play in Macau.

“The NBA has a huge fan base in China, hundreds of millions of fans, and during the time when the NBA is not playing games here, the games are broadcast in China, and they continue to communicate with fans on social media,” Tsai said.

When asked how his team prepared for the trip, Cai replied: “Well, for me, there is not much preparation for our team. Do you know why? Because our mentality is very international.”

“We’re a very international team, and for us, if there’s any opportunity for us to play internationally, we raise our hand. So, it’s exciting for me personally, to kind of come home and be able to participate in this great event here,” he added.

Mario Ho, co-owner of the Boston Celtics and son of casino magnate Stanley Ho, echoed that sentiment.

“As a Macau local, I can tell you that the city is alive like never before, and everyone has traveled here to catch a glimpse of the players, to catch a glimpse of the legends, and I think everyone can’t wait for the matches to actually take place,” Ho said in an interview with CNBC.China connection“.

“Now, as co-owner of the Celtics, I think this time around for me is looking at the business opportunities of what this means for the teams, and also interacting with the players and seeing how they feel. And obviously, I think they’re all excited, and the fans are very excited to be able to see them,” Ho said.

For former Houston Rockets star Yao Ming, the NBA’s return to China provides an opportunity to connect with his former teammates.

“I’m very excited to see so many old friends. I think this happened because of the support from so many different parties, whether it’s in the United States or in China. It shows that people have a great desire to play this sport,” Yao said.

Asked what it would take for another Chinese basketball legend to follow in his footsteps in the NBA, Yao replied: “Good question. Let me ask this question another way if I may. Do we ever get advice from our parents? Not much.”

He added: “So I think the younger generation needs to… find their own way, to make their own way. And I would like to be the guy who stands out there encouraging them, helping them when they need it. And I think that will be my role.”