At The Venetian Arena yesterday, local students had a chance to interact with players from the Dallas Mavericks and Houston Rockets, which are both set to play the first of their two preseason games tonight, as part of the “Tip-Off Day” for the “NBA Cares x Sands Cares Community Impact Week 2026”.
Featuring a basketball clinic, the event saw opportunities for local students from the Girls D Division team of Keang Peng School and Boys D Division team of Colégio Dom Bosco (Yuet Wah), two championship teams of the Macao Inter-School Basketball Competition, to take part in drills with professional coaches along with players from each team.
The youngsters also got to watch NBA players during their practice sessions, with many cheering on the Rockets’ power forward Kevin Durant with each swish of the net.
Aside from the students and members from both Texan teams, the event, which drew around 400 participants, was also attended by executives and representatives from Las Vegas, Sands China, and the NBA (the US’ National Basketball Association), among others. NBA legends Yao Ming and Shawn Marion, along with rising star in Chinese women’s basketball Zhang Ziyu, were also in attendance.
Held alongside the basketball clinic was also the packing of goodie bags that featured items such as water bottles provided by the Dallas Mavericks and sports wristbands from the Houston Rockets. They were assembled by members of the two teams, alongside students, executives from Las Vegas Sands and Sands China, and Sands Cares Ambassadors, all being slated to be distributed during the ongoing impact week.
Patrick Dumont, chairman of the board and chief executive officer of Las Vegas Sands Corp., and chairman of the board and non-executive director of Sands China Ltd., and governor of the Dallas Mavericks, pointed out during his remarks: “Having the NBA in Macau began with a dream. The dream started with the dream of Sheldon Adelson and Dr Miriam Adelson to turn Macau into a modern tourism destination that could host the NBA. And over the last 20 years, through investment and through the people of Macau, we’ve all worked together to create this wonderful tourism destination”.
Dumont added that the company is very proud of the work that they continue to do in the community, adding that basketball brings people together, sport creates dialogue, brings families together. In his message to youngsters, he also encouraged them to keep working hard to achieve their dreams.
NBA Commissioner Adam Silver noted in his speech the importance of hosting programmes around the world directed towards the youth, reminding the students to dream big and pursue it, whatever the goal may be. “You have to dream big to achieve those goals”, he said. He also highlighted that the game can teach players about teamwork, respect, and discipline, which will carry over to whatever goal they might have in life.
This group photo taken and provided by Sands China yesterday shows students, players from both the Houston Rockets and Dallas Mavericks, NBA executives, legends and coaches, executives and staff from Las Vegas Sands and Sands China, posing on the basketball court set up at the 14,000 seat The Venetian Arena in Cotai.
NBA players interact with students through a basketball clinic. – Photos: Rui Pastorin
