The Charlotte Hornets and the Los Angeles Clippers will play their pre-season games in China next season, according to NBA.com.

The Clippers and Hornets will play the NBA’s first game ever in Shenzhen when they meet on Oct. 11 at the Shenzhen Universiade Center, followed by a rematch in Shanghai on Oct. 14 at the Mercedes-Benz Arena. The games in China will be part of NBA Global Games 2015, with additional games announced at a later date.

This represents a fantastic marketing opportunity for Charlotte, and a way for a small market team like the Hornets to gain global notoriety. An idea that Hornets’ chairman, Michael Jordan, agreed with:

“The Charlotte Hornets are excited to play in NBA Global Games China and help grow the NBA’s brand internationally, while showcasing the strength of our franchise and team to millions of Chinese basketball fans.”

This will mark the first time the team has traveled overseas to play a pre-season game since the city was granted an expansion franchise after the old Hornets left for New Orleans. Previously, the 1994 Charlotte team played a few games in France.

China is basketball crazy, and loves the NBA. As the Chinese people accumulate wealth and a middle class continues to grow, the region will be even more important to American sports, including basketball. The Chinese Basketball Association is growing faster than ever, even recently poaching failed lottery pick Andray Blatche from the ranks of the NBA, with a 3 year, $7.5M contract.

That contract makes Blatche the richest player in CBA history, and shows the growing financial clout of China. If a team can afford to pay Blatche that much, then clearly there is huge domestic demand for professional sports. Trips like the Charlotte Hornets and Los Angeles Clippers are taking help solidify the NBA as the top professional basketball league in the world.

These trips will help to sell NBA merchandise in China rather than CBA merchandise. For the Hornets, this means potentially huge sales increases in their own brand of gear. Given how unlikable the Clippers are, Charlotte could easily win over the hearts of Chinese fans everywhere.

The biggest trump card, of course, is that world famous Michael Jordan is running the team. While his name still resonates in the United States, it is nothing close to how well known and revered Jordan is across the world. He has the opportunity to promote the Hornets as the team that Chinese fans support.

All it will take is to play hard, have Jordan wave to the crowd a few times, and to put on a good show against the talented but grumpy Clippers. Of course, given that China is also home to one of the most fearsome and dangerous creatures I could possibly imagine, the Asian Giant Hornet, maybe they will not be so keen to jump on the bandwagon.