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NBA Returns to Macao with Player Mentorship, Exhibition Games
The Dallas Mavericks and Houston Rockets are in Macao for preseason exhibition games on October 9 and 11, the second consecutive year the NBA has held games in the region after a four-year hiatus. Players are mentoring local students and participating in community outreach as part of a broader effort to rebuild NBA-China relations.
Quick Facts
- NBA preseason exhibition games
- Player mentorship of local students
- Care package assembly
- Community outreach events
- Media day activities
The Dallas Mavericks and Houston Rockets are conducting a four-day community engagement visit to Macao, culminating in two preseason exhibition games on October 9 and 11. The trip marks the second consecutive year of NBA games in the region, following a four-year hiatus that began after then-Rockets general manager Daryl Morey's 2019 tweet supporting Hong Kong pro-democracy protesters.
Dallas Mavericks owner Patrick Dumont hosted a celebratory event for over 200 guests at the Parisian Macao, with Dumont's Las Vegas Sands company credited as playing an integral role in restoring NBA-China relations. The games are expected to attract approximately 400 journalists, primarily from mainland China and other Asian countries. The exhibition matches, held at the Venetian Arena, follow last season's return to Macao when the Phoenix Suns and Brooklyn Nets played there.
Players from both teams engaged in community mentorship on Thursday as part of "NBA Cares x Sands Cares Community Impact Week 2026." NBA Commissioner Adam Silver addressed local students, stating "My message to all of you is to dream big," while players coached basketball skills, shared career stories, and helped assemble care packages with items including water bottles and wristbands. Mavericks guard Kyrie Irving, whose Chinese shoe brand Anta is releasing the Anta Macao Pack during the visit, said "Patrick and Sands have done a great job of bringing the NBA back here, and being able to collaborate."
Beyond formal events, players visited local landmarks and cultural sites. Rockets players Steven Adams and Bogdan Bogdanović toured the Ruins of Saint Paul's—a 17th-century church facade—and sampled street food, while Mavericks players Daniel Gafford, Caleb Martin, Dwight Powell and Sergio de Larrea traveled to Hong Kong's Victoria Peak. Rockets legend Yao Ming attended the NBA Macao house, where he was photographed with a cardboard cutout of himself.
The community impact week runs through October 11 and includes youth basketball activities, school visits, and health and wellness sessions across Macao. The visit reflects efforts to strengthen NBA operations in the Chinese market following the 2019 incident, which NBA Commissioner Adam Silver previously stated cost the league hundreds of millions of dollars.
Why This Matters
NBA games in Macao represent a measurable restart of professional basketball operations in the Chinese market following a 2019 incident that cost the league hundreds of millions in revenue. The visit involves player mentorship, media attendance from mainland China and Asia, and commercial activity (Anta shoe release), indicating recovery of business and community ties. The timing and participation by Las Vegas Sands and Anta brand suggest staged platform-building; measurable outcomes include attendance figures, merchandise sales, and subsequent league scheduling decisions in the region.
Timeline & Sources
Jan 1, 2019
WireDaryl Morey tweets in support of Hong Kong pro-democracy protesters; NBA-China relations severely damaged
Oct 7, 2026
WireNBA Cares x Sands Cares Community Impact Week 2026 begins; activities run through October 11
Oct 9, 2026
WireGlobal release of Anta Macao Pack featuring KAI 3 shoe colorways
Oct 11, 2026
WireSecond Mavericks-Rockets exhibition game at Venetian Arena; Community Impact Week concludes
Related Signals
Sources
- Mavericks, who helped heal NBA-China rift, hold celebratory event ahead of exhibitionSports Business JournalMediaOct 9, 2026
- Rockets, Mavs take China: Highlights, top scenes from off the courtESPNMediaOct 9, 2026
- NBA players turn coaches for Macao students ahead of preseason gamesxinhuaMediaOct 9, 2026