NBA To Open London Office

The NBA has announced that it is to open an office in London as part of its
ongoing effort to grow the basketball franchise’s fan base throughout Europe.

The new office, which is planned to open this summer, will focus on
grassroots and business development efforts in the UK and throughout Europe as
well as handling basketball development leading up to 2012 Olympic Games,
working closely with the British Olympic Association and other basketball groups
in the region.

The announcement came in conjunction with a meeting today between NBA
commissioner David Stern, London Mayor Ken Livingstone and Think London, the
foreign direct investment agency for the capital, at NBA headquarters in New
York City.

The meeting, which was part of Mayor Livingstone’s trip to New York for the
C40 Large Cities Climate Summit, was focused on expanding the NBA’s support of
British basketball and the league’s overall efforts to grow the game around the
world.  

London will host a pre-season exhibition game between the Boston Celtics and
Minnesota Timberwolves on 10th October at the O2 arena with tickets almost
completely sold out.

The NBA’s popularity in the UK has been strengthened by the recent success of
Chicago Bulls British-born player Luol Deng. Deng will join his fellow NBA
countrymen Pops Mensah-Bonsu of the Dallas Mavericks and Kelenna Azubuike of the
Golden State Warriors as part of the Great Britain men’s national basketball
team in the European national team qualifying tournament this summer.