The Phoenix Suns taking a global trip to China for two preseason games will impact how first-year head coach Jordan Ott prepares for the regular season, but he sees the value in it.
“That travel is real,” Ott said. “We’re going to lose a couple of days going there, coming back, but we’re not going to make an excuse. We’re going to try to maximize the time we have on the flight. We’ll obviously try to maximize some practice time, but I don’t see it as a negative. We’ll turn it into a way we’re together more, whether it’s team bonding or something on the court.”
New Phoenix Suns head coach Jordan Ott talks with reporters during his introductory news conference June 10, 2025, at the team’s practice facility.
Oh, that travel is definitely real.
The Suns hopped on what they said will be a 17-hour private charter flight Monday, Oct. 6, to China for a weeklong stay that ends with two games in three days, Oct. 10 and 12, against the Brooklyn Nets at the 14,000-seat Venetian Arena in Macao.
No connection flight, either.
“We’re going straight there,” said Suns big Oso Ighodaro as he and teammate Ryan Dunn spent two weeks in China this summer on a promotional tour leading up to the China Games.
Certainly not your average quick flight to Los Angeles to play the Lakers.
“Get out of the states,” Suns star Devin Booker said Friday, Oct. 3. “Long flight together so we’re going to get some good team bonding. Some quality time. Take this show on the road.”
Phoenix Suns guard Devin Booker, left, shoots as Los Angeles Lakers forward Jake LaRavia defends during the first half of a preseason game Friday, Oct. 3, 2025, in Palm Desert, Calif.
Oh yeah, one more thing.
“Hope I can sleep as long as possible,” said Booker, who has traveled to China, as the flight may be as short as 15 hours and 50 minutes over and 12 hours and 45 minutes back.
The 7,500-mile flight to China and weeklong stay is a seven-figure expense shared by the NBA and participating teams. The NBA pays for the chartered flight, ground transportation, hotels, meals and practice facility of the teams while the teams finance any additional travel.
The Suns will have representatives taking commercial flights to China on different days.
The games start at 5 a.m. Oct. 10 and 4 a.m. Oct. 12, Arizona time. In China, they’ll be prime-time viewing at 8 p.m. and 7 p.m.
The Suns return Oct. 13, a day before their final preseason game Oct. 14 against the Lakers at the newly renamed Mortgage Matchup Center in Phoenix.
Planning NBA’s return to China
The planning for a trip of this magnitude begins more than a year in advance, as teams are chosen that far out.
The NBA contacts all 30 teams to gauge their interests.
The planning generally picks up after the previous season ends. The NBA announced the teams last December, as it works with them on flight arrangements and hotel availability.
The NBA and Sands China are in the first of a multiyear collaboration to bring the China Games to Macao. The two games sold out quickly for the 14,000-seat arena.
The games are the first since then-Rockets general manager Daryl Morey tweeted his support for anti-government protests in Hong Kong over a bill that would amend extradition laws.
That came before the Lakers played the Nets in China in 2019.
NBA commissioner Adam Silver supported Morey’s freedom of expression that led to NBA games being taken off CCTV for a period of time.
“We are strongly dissatisfied and opposed Adam (Silver)’s claim to support Morey’s rights of free expression. We believe that any speech that challenges national sovereignty and social stability is not within the scope of freedom of speech,” the network said. “To this end, CCTV Sports Channel decided to immediately suspend the current broadcast arrangements of the NBA preseason (China games) and immediately investigate all cooperation and exchanges involving the NBA.”
Between the NBA and USA Basketball, this will be the 49th and 50th games in China since 1979, when the then-defending NBA champion Washington Bullets (now Wizards) played against a Chinese team in an exhibition.
“Bringing preseason games to Macao will showcase the excitement of the NBA to fans in one of the world’s emerging hubs for sports,” NBA deputy commissioner and chief operating officer Mark Tatum said in an NBA news release.
Sands Las Vegas, the parent company, pays the NBA to bring the games and events to China. The NBA works with teams to make sure it’s a financially viable proposition for them.
“The Nets and the Suns feature an exciting mix of established and rising stars,” Tatum continued in the NBA release. “We look forward to engaging fans, aspiring players and the local community in Macao through these games and a variety of interactive events, youth development programs and social impact initiatives.”
The planning shifts to mapping out the activities once the teams are chosen. The NBA has millions of fans in China who will be able to watch the game on television and streaming.
The lucky ones will be able to see NBA teams and players in person, which factors into the number of events.
The Suns are participating in community service and fan events. The marquee players, like Suns star Devin Booker, are in greater demand for the fan activities, but the NBA doesn’t look to overburden them to make appearances.
Six players from the Suns and Nets will participate in an NBA Cares event. There will be a fan day experience on the day between the two games that’ll consist of essentially all the players from both teams.
Suns Ring of Honor inductee Shawn Marion will be the “legend” representative for the franchise in China.
As for the practices and games, the teams typically practice at the game arena. There’s a plan to have an open window for media in China to watch practice.
The NBA fan base in China is very passionate and knowledgeable about the league. A lively crowd is expected as the Suns and Nets will have entertainment for both games.
Here are some additional Suns-specific elements to the trip:
Travel team
More than 120 Player 15 Group team members (players, coaches, basketball operations, executives, business leaders, live presentation, stat crew) will make the trip between private charter and commercial flights.
Suns corporate partners and guests are going, as well.
Broadcasting the games
Arizona’s Family and Arizona Sports 98.7 FM in Phoenix will broadcast both games from remote locations.
The TV crew will work out of a studio at Arizona State University’s Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communications. Kevin Ray, Eddie Johnson, Ann Meyers Drysdale and Amanda Pflugrad form the broadcast team.
The radio station will use a conference room at PHX Arena to broadcast the game. Jon Bloom and Tim Kempton make up the Suns radio tandem.
‘Take such good care of us’
The Suns will have in-flight snacks and meals to support energy, recovery and circadian adjustment. The team consulted with leading sleep specialists to optimize a sleep plan on the flight.
“We have other people that work here that take such good care of us,” Ighodaro said. “Our nutritionist, our athletic trainers. They give us a step-by-step process to how to deal with anything. Even the flight, jet lag, whatever. We’re just going to trust them, listen to them and we’ll be good.”
Phoenix Suns center Oso Ighodaro (4) against the Oklahoma City Thunder during the first half of a game, April 9, 2025, in Phoenix.
The Gorilla, too
The Suns Gorilla team mascot is making the trip along with Suns Dancers and Phoenix Flyers, as they will provide entertainment at the games and different events the Suns and NBA are hosting.
The Suns are also bringing the Gorilla’s trampoline, T-shirts and other giveaway items, game jerseys featuring NBA Global Games patch and Wilson game balls provided by the NBA with NBA China Games branding.
