NBA announces pre-season game in Manchester

by UK American Sports Fans

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The NBA has revealed that it will play a pre-season game in Manchester, England as part of its bid to expand the game globally, with the Oklahoma City Thunder and Philadelphia 76ers meeting at the Manchester Arena on October 8th, 2013.

UK fans can expect to see a selection of the best players on offer from the NBA with Gold medal winners, Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook, likely to line-up for the OKC Thunder while star point guard, Jrue Holiday, represents the Philadelphia 76ers.

Other countries that the NBA will be visiting during the pre-season series, among others, will be Brazil, Turkey, the Philippines and China. It will be the first time the NBA has ever hosted pre-season fixtures in the Philippines and Brazil and it promises to be an exciting occasion for fans.

“Providing fans with an authentic NBA experience is an important part of our efforts to grow the game globally,” said NBA Commissioner David Stern. “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.”

Running alongside the pre-season games will be a variety of events including the NBA Cares programme and interactive fan events.

The full October pre-season schedule:

Oct. 5 – Oklahoma City Thunder vs. Fenerbahce Ulker Istanbul – Istanbul, Turkey – Ulker Sports Arena
Oct. 6 – Philadelphia 76ers vs. Uxue Bilbao Basket – Bilbao, Spain – Bizkaia Arena at the BEC
Oct. 8 – Oklahoma City Thunder vs. Philadelphia 76ers – Manchester, England – Manchester Arena
Oct. 10 – Houston Rockets vs. Indiana Pacers – Manila, Philippines – Mall of Asia Arena
Oct. 13 – Houston Rockets vs. Indiana Pacers – Taipei, Taiwan – Taipei Arena
Oct. 12 – Chicago Bulls vs. Washington Wizards – Rio de Janeiro, Brazil – HSBC Arena
Oct. 15 – Golden State Warriors vs. Los Angeles Lakers – Beijing, China – MasterCard Center
Oct. 18 – Golden State Warriors vs. Los Angeles Lakers – Shanghai, China – Mercedes-Benz Arena