2025 NBA China Games: A Successful Turnaround and Promising Partnerships
The NBA China Games in 2025 marked a significant improvement from the previous disastrous event in 2019. This time, both the Brooklyn Nets and Los Angeles Lakers had successful games without any international incidents. The Nets managed to secure a victory in the second game with key contributions from players like Tyrese Martin, Ben Saraf, and Danny Wolf. The league also announced positive partnerships with Chinese basketball authorities, including a deal with Alibaba Cloud to become the official cloud computing and A.I. partner of NBA China.
Alibaba Group Chairman and Brooklyn Nets Governor Joe Tsai highlighted the importance of artificial intelligence and cloud technology in connecting players, fans, and brands. The partnership with NBA China aims to provide extraordinary experiences for fans and ignite their passion for the game. Additionally, the league and country announced a joint development deal to support the growth of basketball in China and nurture the next generation of players.
The collaboration between NBA China and the Chinese Basketball Association (CBA) will offer opportunities for the national teams to train and compete in the US, including participation in the NBA Summer League and pre-season WNBA games. Chinese rising stars will also have access to elite basketball development programs like Basketball Without Borders and NBA Academy. The Nets currently have two Chinese players under contract, Fanbo Zeng and David Muoka, who are part of the team's development plans.
Despite some frustrations from Chinese fans regarding playing time for Fanbo Zeng, Nets coach Jordi Fernandez emphasized the importance of making the most of opportunities and staying positive. Fernandez encouraged Zeng to continue working hard and improving his game to take advantage of his minutes on the court. The positive outcomes of the 2025 NBA China Games and the league's partnerships with Chinese basketball authorities signal a promising future for basketball development in the region.