Joe Tsai further expressed the NBA’s desire to resume games in China, highlighting the importance of fan interaction with players, “I think just having the fans have real, in-person sort of interaction with the stars. I think that’s going to be important.”

Before the 2019 controversy, pre-season games in China were a regular occurrence. However, the fallout from Morey’s infamous tweet, now president of the Philadelphia 76ers, cost the NBA its largest fan base and potentially hundreds of millions in revenue. Tsai’s Brooklyn Nets were the last NBA team to play in China before the suspension.

China remains the NBA’s second-largest market after the United States, generating significant revenue through TV rights, merchandise, and partnerships. Estimates suggest the NBA earned a record $500 million there in 2019 alone, highlighting the economic importance of this market. Notably, China boasts almost 400 million basketball fans, which exceeds the entire population of America!

The NBA’s connection with China goes beyond finances.

Players like Yao Ming, a former Houston Rockets star, served as a bridge between the two cultures before he hung up his boots in 2011. He also had 9 All-Star appearances. More recently, Kyle Anderson became China’s first naturalized basketball player, competing in the FIBA World Cup. The Minnesota Timberwolves forward, whose Chinese name is Li Kaier, became eligible for Chinese citizenship through his maternal great-grandfather.