NBA to play regular-season games in London next year 10/08/2010 |
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The National Basketball Association (NBA) is to hold its first-ever regular-season games in Europe.
The New Jersey Nets and the Toronto Raptors will play back-to-back matches at The O2 arena in London on March 4 and 5, 2011.
NBA Commissioner David Stern said: “The staging of our first regular-season games in Europe is a milestone for the NBA and the ongoing development of basketball in the region.
“By bringing these two young and exciting teams to London, we are fulfilling our commitment to schedule a regular-season game in the UK prior to the 2012 Olympics – a natural progression given the overwhelming response to the many friendlies we have played to sold-out crowds over the years.”
The NBA has held four pre-season games in London between 2007 and 2010, which, the league says, has helped basketball participation double in the UK during that time.
The NBA became the first American professional sports league to stage regular-season games outside of North America when the Phoenix Suns and Utah Jazz opened the 1990/91 season with two games in Tokyo. The NBA has staged a total of 13 regular-season games in Japan and Mexico since 1990.
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