After six years of silence, the NBA is finally returning to China, but the timing couldn’t be trickier. With renewed US–China tensions and Trump-era rhetoric heating up, the league’s comeback doubles as a diplomatic test. But while the NBA courts Chinese fans again, shocking incidents at the Shanghai Masters and other events are exposing China’s toxic fan culture. From heckling to stalking athletes, can China fix its fandom before the world returns its gaze? Or will the NBA’s return spark a cultural rethink about what true fandom really means? Rupha Ramani with more.
