NBA commissioner Adam Silver says WNBA games could come to China

MACAO – NBA Commissioner Adam Silver said Friday that the WNBA could play games in China next.

Silver spoke exclusively to CNBC courtside for the first of two NBA games in Macau.

“We have to conclude a new collective agreement with our players,” he said. “But once we get that done, there’s so much interest in women’s basketball here that I think we’d love to bring a WNBA game to Macau or mainland China.”

This weekend’s games mark the NBA’s return to China after a six-year hiatus. The league is actively trying to expand its presence in its second-largest market, where about 425 million Chinese follow NBA league, team and player accounts on social media, according to the league.

Silver said his focus now is on developing talent in the country. The league announced on Friday a partnership with the Chinese Basketball Association to support the development of elite Chinese players, coaches and referees.

According to the league, 16 Chinese players have played in the NBA and WNBA.

“Let’s do more to develop the game here, really at the youth level,” Silver said. “If they have Chinese players in the NBA, it takes interest to a whole other level.”

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