In international competition, the Chinese men's national team has won 16 titles of the FIBA Asia Cup between 1975 and 2005 and is the dominant force in Asian basketball.

[8] Teams were eventually travelling around the world including the United States post ping pong diplomacy in the 1970s.

The NBA experienced a major frenzy in China as a result of Yao's accomplishment in the league, as his popularity spread throughout the country.

When Yao Ming and Yi Jianlian played in 2007, the NBA game was televised on 13 Chinese Outlets and total viewership amassed to 200 million viewers.

Companies such as Vivo, state broadcaster CCTV, and Tencent suspended all operations with the National Basketball Association.

NBA China, which was established in 2008 and managed the league's business operations in the region, is estimated to be worth more than $4 billion.

In his original four years with Microsoft, Chen forged a productive relationship with Chinese regulators, and he managed to convince governments to buy the licensed software.

He helped grow the league's presence throughout the country through corporate development, sponsorships, media distribution, and gaming.

Over 80 years, the People's Liberation Army practiced and played basketball to build teamwork and create unison.

[13] The Bayi Rockets were a force in Chinese basketball and produced one of China's first NBA players, Wang Zhizhi.

In order to establish high viewership, the NBA made efforts to grow the Chinese fan base through summer tours and marketing practices to appeal to the primary audience of China.

On the Weibo platform, an app similar to Twitter in China, the NBA accumulated over 44 million followers on the forum.

In February 2014, Yao Ming collaborated with the NBA China organization in opening the first afterschool basketball program in Beijing.

By October 2016, the NBA announced that it would open academies in Urumqi, Jinan, and Hangzhou, after playing 12 preseason games in four cities.

[15][16][17] On October 4, 2019, Daryl Morey, the general manager of the Houston Rockets, posted and deleted a tweet regarding Hong Kong.

On October 6, 2019, the Chinese Basketball Association (CBA) halted cooperation with the Rockets in response to Morey's tweet.

On October 7, 2019, American politicians including Ted Cruz, Andrew Yang, and Julian Castro supported Daryl Morey and his tweet and shamed the NBA for apologizing.

[19] China has a history of retaliating harshly against companies that refer to its domestic affairs or seem to pose a threat to its authority, as evidently, Chinese leagues, streaming services, sponsors, and partners cut relations with the NBA.

The fans of the China team threw objects at the Lebanese players, leaving several bloodied before police broke up the fight.

[21] A fight that involved Chinese fans and players from China and Puerto Rico took place at a game in Beijing in August 2005.

[23][24] August 18, 2011, a fight involving Bayi Rockets, a Chinese professional team, and Georgetown Hoyas players took place.

The fight ended, and on the following Sunday, captains of both teams met and had a friendly meeting and settled differences with autographed basketballs.

The list of foreign players includes All-Stars such as Metta World Peace, Stephon Marbury, Gilbert Arenas, Tracy McGrady, and Steve Francis.