NBA eyes WNBA expansion into China as Adam Silver touts growing global interest

MACAO — NBA Commissioner Adam Silver said Friday that the WNBA could soon play games in China, signaling the league’s next step in expanding its global basketball presence. Speaking exclusively with CNBC from courtside at the first of two NBA preseason games in Macao, Silver said discussions are already underway. “We have to get through a new collective bargaining agreement with our players,” he said. “But once we do, there’s so much interest in women’s basketball here, I think we’d love to bring a WNBA game to Macao or to mainland China.”

The exhibition marks the NBA’s return to China after a six-year hiatus, part of an effort to regain momentum in its second-largest market, where an estimated 425 million Chinese fans follow NBA teams and players across social media platforms. Silver said his immediate focus is on developing basketball talent across China. On Friday, the NBA announced a partnership with the Chinese Basketball Association (CBA) to support the training of elite players, coaches, and referees. According to league data, sixteen Chinese athletes have played in both the NBA and WNBA.

“Let’s do more to develop the game here, really at the youth level,” Silver added. “If they have Chinese players in the NBA, that takes interest to a whole another level.” The commissioner’s comments underscore the NBA’s long-term strategy to strengthen ties with China, not just through games but through local player development and community engagement.