Hey everyone, I was digging through some old memories and remembered the NBA preseason games back in 2004 between the Houston Rockets and Sacramento Kings in Shanghai, China. Yao Ming was the star for the Rockets, and it was a huge deal because it was his hometown.
The tickets sold out instantly, and the whole event was broadcast on CCTV instead of ESPN. I remember being bummed I couldn’t get a ticket and had to watch on TV.
The Rockets won the first game on October 14th, but T-Mac was injured and couldn’t play. It was still an amazing experience seeing all those NBA stars in China.
Anyone else remember this?
Yeah, I remember that! It was one of the first times the NBA really went big into China.
Yao Ming was such a bridge between the two cultures. I recall watching highlights on TV and thinking how cool it was that the game was getting global.
It’s crazy to think how much the NBA has expanded since then, with regular season games in London, Mexico City, and more. That Shanghai series really set the stage.
I remember this too! The Rockets and Kings played two preseason games in Shanghai and Beijing.
The first game in Shanghai was on October 14, 2004, and the Rockets won 91-89. Yao Ming had 14 points and 7 rebounds.
T-Mac was out with a knee injury, but it was still a great game. The second game in Beijing on October 17 was also a close one, with the Kings winning 91-89.
It was a big moment for the NBA’s globalization.
I wasn’t into basketball back then, but I remember hearing about it. It must have been huge for Chinese fans to see Yao Ming play live.
I wonder how the atmosphere compared to an NBA game in the US? Also, did they have any special events or cultural stuff around the games?
Oh man, I remember that! I was a huge Rockets fan because of Yao.
I watched the game on a grainy stream online. It was awesome seeing Yao play in front of his home crowd.
The Chinese fans were so loud and passionate. I think it really helped grow the sport there.
Nowadays, China is a huge market for the NBA. It all started with those preseason games.
This series was a landmark for the NBA’s international expansion. It was the first time the league held preseason games in China.
The timing with Yao Ming’s rookie season (he was drafted in 2002) was perfect. The games were a huge success, leading to more NBA China Games in subsequent years.
It also helped boost the popularity of basketball in China, which now has millions of fans. It’s interesting to look back and see how that one event influenced the global sports landscape.
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