Manchester To Host NBA Preseason Game
For the first time, the city of Manchester will host an NBA preseason game when the Oklahoma City Thunder take on the Philadelphia 76ers at the Manchester Arena on 8th October as part of a series of eight global games announced by the NBA.
The game in Manchester will be presented by BBVA, the league’s official bank partner, with the series of international games also set to include the first-ever NBA preseason games in Brazil, the Philippines and Bilbao – boosting the global footprint of the organisation.
In addition to oncourt action, the NBA global games will feature a variety of events off the court, including NBA Cares community outreach activities and interactive fan events in each city. They will also be supported by a variety of marketing and promotional partners, and will be available to fans on television and through digital media.
NBA Commissioner David Stern: ‘Providing fans with an authentic NBA experience is an important part of our efforts to grow the game globally. This fall, nearly a third of our teams will embark on a global tour that will celebrate the game of basketball, give our international fans a chance to connect with NBA teams and players, and leave a lasting impact in each of the communities we visit.’
The Philadelphia 76ers, whose current team features 2013 NBA All-Star Jrue Holiday, previously played one game in Barcelona, Spain, and two games in Cologne, Germany in 2006. For the 2012 Western Conference Champion Thunder, whose line-up includes four-time NBA All-Star and three-time NBA leading scorer Kevin Durant and fellow 2012 Olympic Gold medalist Russell Westbrook, it is the franchise’s first game in Europe.
Meanwhile. the Indiana Pacers and Houston Rockets will begin their preseason with a game in Manila, Philippines on 10th October at the Mall of Asia Arena. The game will mark the first time an NBA team has travelled to the Philippines since the then-Washington Bullets played against a Philippine Basketball Association All-Star team in 1979. The Pacers and Rockets will then travel to Taipei for a game on 13th October at the Taipei Arena, marking the second NBA game played in Taiwan.
