Last night, the NBA China Game officially returned after a 6-year hiatus. On-site spectators reported, "The venue was packed to capacity. During the second quarter timeout, Yao Ming, Shaquille O'Neal, Dwyane Wade, and Chris Gatling all made collective appearances, allowing fans to witness several NBA legends in a single game."

Additionally, Alibaba founder Jack Ma, Chairman Joe Tsai, and CEO Eddie Wu attended the game together, interacting with international stars including Jackie Chan and David Beckham. This marked a rare public appearance of the trio together since Alibaba's management transition in September 2023.

Business tycoons and entertainment celebrities have become the most dazzling attractions outside the court. Secondary market investigations revealed game tickets were being scalped at premiums of 2-5 times face value. For instance, 488 Macau pataca tickets for the October 12 game were being resold for 2,380 RMB, representing a 5-fold premium, demonstrating intense fan enthusiasm. However, VIP tickets appeared to be selling at discounted prices, with scalpers revealing "these belong to non-publicly available tickets."

**Jack Ma's Appearance, Spectators Say "VIP Lineup at Full Capacity"**

Last night's matchup featured the Phoenix Suns versus Brooklyn Nets, with the VIP section potentially more star-studded than the preseason game itself. Alibaba founder Jack Ma, Chairman Joe Tsai, and CEO Eddie Wu simultaneously attended the game, marking their first rare public joint appearance since Alibaba's management transition in September 2023.

From on-site photos, Jack Ma appeared in casual attire wearing a baseball cap, presenting a relaxed and comfortable appearance. Throughout the event, Ma's cross-industry networking abilities were prominently displayed, not only sitting adjacent to Jackie Chan and David Beckham with frequent interactive exchanges, but also personally photographing Eddie Wu and Beckham together.

Alibaba Chairman Joe Tsai simultaneously serves as the Brooklyn Nets owner, with the Nets consistently ranking among the most popular teams among Chinese fans. Additionally, several days prior, Alibaba Cloud officially announced establishing a long-term strategic partnership with NBA China. Both parties will leverage cloud computing and artificial intelligence technologies to upgrade how Chinese fans watch and engage with NBA events. According to the agreement, Alibaba Cloud will become NBA China's official designated cloud computing and artificial intelligence partner.

The convergence of sports and entertainment superstars further ignited the on-site atmosphere. NBA legends including Yao Ming, Shaquille O'Neal, and Dwyane Wade made appearances, while Jackie Chan, Tony Leung, Carina Lau, and Zhang Ziyi formed the entertainment industry's "premium lineup."

Following the first game's conclusion, Beckham shared photos with Yao Ming, Jackie Chan, and O'Neal on social media, writing: "Met three legends, great game." Jackie Chan posted "Long time no see."

On-site spectators reported, "The atmosphere was fantastic, completely sold out. During the second quarter timeout, Yao Ming, O'Neal, Wade, and Gatling made collective appearances, allowing us to see several NBA legend players in one game."

Other attendees noted, "This NBA China Game was incredibly well-organized, with the VIP section lineup at maximum capacity. There were definitely many more celebrities not captured by cameras. The only issue was the Macau venue's air conditioning was extremely cold, leaving us shivering but unwilling to leave early."

The current NBA China Game features two matches in Macau, China on October 10 and 12, with tickets selling out rapidly during the initial sales period. Public information shows multi-tiered pricing, with regular seating including 488, 888, 1,288, 1,688, and 2,488 Macau patacas, while VIP seating included 5,888, 16,888, and 24,888 Macau patacas.

Secondary market observations revealed scalped tickets at 2-5 times original prices. For example, 488 Macau pataca tickets for the October 12 game were being resold for 2,380 RMB, while 888 Macau pataca tickets reached 2,680 RMB, representing 5-fold and 3-fold premiums respectively.

However, scalpers acknowledged, "VIP tickets can be sold at discounted prices." For instance, 16,888 Macau pataca tickets were selling for only 15,000 RMB, while 24,888 Macau pataca tickets were priced at 22,000 RMB. These individuals directly stated "100% ticket availability, same-day on-site pickup for October 12, these are all non-publicly available tickets."

**Tsai's Promotion Helps NBA Break Ice in China**

Such extensive simultaneous appearances by business elites and entertainment stars demonstrates the NBA China Game's commercial value.

Since Yao Ming was selected first overall by the Houston Rockets in 2002, NBA popularity in China skyrocketed. According to broadcast statistics from 2019, nearly 500 million Chinese viewers were watching NBA events.

However, in 2019, due to inappropriate comments by the then-Houston Rockets General Manager, the NBA faced suspension in China until CCTV officially resumed broadcasts in 2022, gradually thawing NBA's Chinese market presence.

The NBA China Game's restart was not coincidental but rather the commercial result of multiple driving forces. As Brooklyn Nets owner and Alibaba Chairman, Joe Tsai is viewed as a key figure in NBA's return to the Chinese market.

He clearly stated at a recent summit: "Sports serve as important vehicles for globalization, with China's market potential far from fully realized." NBA Commissioner Adam Silver also revealed at a recent press conference that Tsai provided assistance for the NBA China Game's restart.

Additionally, the NBA China Game's return closely relates to Las Vegas Sands' strong promotion, with both parties signing a five-year agreement in 2024.

Las Vegas Sands President and Chief Operating Officer Patrick Dumont simultaneously owns NBA team Dallas Mavericks. Las Vegas Sands operates subsidiary Sands China in Macau, with The Venetian Macao serving as this preseason tournament's venue.

Notably, Beckham began collaborating with Las Vegas Sands in 2013, serving long-term as "Global Ambassador" for Las Vegas Sands' various Macau operations promotion and marketing, explaining why this football superstar appeared at last night's NBA game.

Concurrent with the event's restart, the China Basketball Association and NBA announced reaching a multi-year cooperation plan, marking official-level cooperation resumption. The collaboration will encompass Chinese men's and women's basketball teams' US training and competition, young players participating in NBA elite training camps, and coach and referee training across multiple dimensions.