Rockets’ Durant basks in fan support as NBA China Games kick off

Fans from across China gathered in Macau on Friday (October 9) as the NBA China Games returned for a second year in the city, with Houston Rockets forward Kevin Durant drawing some of the biggest crowds ahead of the preseason clash against the Dallas Mavericks.

Supporters queued to take photos with NBA-themed installations, team displays and the Larry O’Brien Trophy at NBA House Macau before making their way to the Venetian Arena for the first of two preseason games between Houston and Dallas.

“I came all the way from Harbin in Heilongjiang province, so this is a really rare opportunity for me,” said 24-year-old Durant fan Cao Peng. “To be here and see Durant in person is incredible.”

The Rockets beat the Mavericks 135-117 in Friday’s opener, with Mavericks forward Cooper Flagg scoring 19 points in 19 minutes on 7-of-14 shooting while playing only the first half.

The league returned to the Chinese market in 2025 after a six-year absence that followed a 2019 dispute linked to a team executive’s social media post about Hong Kong protests. The 2026 series marks its second straight year in Macau.

Fans said the league’s return continued to generate strong interest.

“Chinese fans have always given tremendous support to the NBA,” Cao said. “I hope more teams will come here in the future.”

Among those attending was Zhou Qingyao, a Mavericks fan from Kinmen, Taiwan, who said the proximity of the event made the trip worthwhile and that the possibility of Kyrie Irving returning from injury in Macau had been an added draw. Irving did not play in Friday’s game.

Durant said he appreciated the enthusiasm shown by fans in Macau.

“When you come out here and you get the appreciation and respect that you’ve earned as players that made it this far, it’s pretty cool,” Durant told reporters after the game.

The former MVP said Houston’s focus remained on building towards championship contention, but cautioned against reading too much into preseason results.

The Mavericks and Rockets meet again on Sunday (October 11) in the second and final preseason game of the NBA China Games in Macau, when Irving is set to make his first appearance in 19 months.