The National Basketball Association (NBA) and the Beijing Municipal Bureau of Sports today announced that the NBA will return to Beijing when the Denver Nuggets and the Indiana Pacers tip off at the Wukesong Arena on Oct. 11. The game will mark the opening of the refurbished Wukesong Arena, formerly known as the Beijing Olympic Basketball Arena. This will be the NBA’s eighth preseason game played in Greater China and the third game played in Beijing.
The game at the Wukesong Arena, capacity 17,022, will showcase two talented teams and some of the NBA’s best players. The Nuggets advanced to the Western Conference Finals this past season and are led by two-time NBA All-Star Carmelo Anthony and the 2004 NBA Finals MVP Chauncey Billups. The Pacers are led by NBA All-Star Danny Granger who was the winner of the NBA’s 2008-09 Most Improved Player award presented by Kia Motors and the fifth leading scorer in the league this season. The Denver Nuggets Dancers and mascot Rocky along with the Indiana Pacers Power Pack – a dunk and interactive squad, and mascot Boomer, will accompany the teams to Beijing to provide fans with an authentic NBA game experience.
As part of the league’s commitment to social responsibility, NBA Cares will conduct community events in Beijing designed to positively impact the city and its youth. Since it began in 2005, NBA Cares has built a total of 17 Learn and Play Centers in China and more than 425 places where kids and families can Live, Learn or Play in 20 countries across five continents.
The game in Beijing is the fifth preseason game the NBA has announced it will play outside the United States and Canada this October. The Nuggets and Pacers will play the NBA’s first-ever game in Taipei on Oct. 8. NBA Europe Live presented by EA SPORTS will feature the Chicago Bulls and the Utah Jazz in London on Oct. 6 and the Jazz against the Euroleague’s Real Madrid in Madrid on Oct. 8. NBA Mexico Game 2009 will feature the Phoenix Suns and the Philadelphia 76ers in Monterrey, Mexico on Oct. 18. To date, the NBA has staged a total of 93 games outside of the U.S. and Canada in 31 cities in 16 countries and territories.
In 2004, the NBA became the first American professional sports league to stage games in China, with two games between the Houston Rockets and the Sacramento Kings in Shanghai and Beijing. NBA China Games 2007 featured three games between the Cleveland Cavaliers, the Orlando Magic and the Team China All-Stars in Shanghai and Macao. Last October, NBA China Games 2008 featured the Milwaukee Bucks and Golden State Warriors playing in Guangzhou and Beijing.
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