The NBA’s return to China is officially back in full swing. After a five-year hiatus, the 2025 NBA China Games presented by 88VIP brought preseason basketball back to the region, featuring a pair of games between the Phoenix Suns and Brooklyn Nets in Macau on October 10 and 12.
Now, the league is already looking ahead — and the next chapter is set to feature a Texas rivalry on foreign soil.
According to Mike Chan of the South China Morning Post, Dallas Mavericks owner and Las Vegas Sands president Patrick Dumont confirmed that the Mavericks and the Houston Rockets will headline the 2026 NBA China Games in Macau. Dumont, speaking during this year’s series, said:
“Yes, the [Dallas] Mavericks and the [Houston] Rockets, here in Macau next year. Are you ready?”
The NBA’s China Comeback
This marks a major milestone in the NBA’s renewed relationship with China. The league’s China Games had been on pause since 2019 following political controversy surrounding former Rockets GM Daryl Morey’s social media post, which strained relations between the NBA and Chinese authorities.
Compounded by the COVID-19 pandemic, the league’s presence in China was largely dormant for several years. But with improving diplomatic and commercial ties, the NBA has slowly rebuilt its standing in one of its most lucrative international markets.
Houston Rockets: China’s Most Recognized NBA Brand
The Houston Rockets remain one of China’s most popular NBA teams, largely thanks to Yao Ming, who played for the franchise from 2002 to 2010 and became a national icon. Yao’s legacy continues to drive fandom for the Rockets across China, helping to reestablish the franchise as a cultural bridge between the league and Chinese basketball fans.
With the team’s planned 2026 appearance in Macau, the Rockets’ brand rehabilitation in China appears complete, signaling both renewed fan enthusiasm and commercial opportunity.
365247 Insight
The NBA’s China reboot represents more than a return to play — it’s a strategic recalibration of global fan engagement and brand diplomacy. By reintroducing marquee matchups like Mavericks vs. Rockets, the league is not only restoring its commercial footprint in China but also tapping into nostalgia and legacy — two of the most powerful forces in global sports marketing.
Exact dates and broadcast details for the 2026 NBA China Games are yet to be announced, but the message is clear: the NBA is back in China — and stronger than ever.
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