Mexico will host the NBA Global Games
On December 7th and 9th, the NBA Global Games will be played in Mexico City
Leer en Español: México vivirá dos partidos de la NBA
On December 7th, at 9pm local time, the Brooklyn Nets, led by D’Angello Russell, will face the Oklahoma City Thunder, which count on All-Star players Carmelo Anthony, Paul George, and Russell Westbrook, Most Valuable Player from last season averaging a triple-double. On December 9th, at 5pm, the Nets will jump IGNORE INTO the court to play against the Miami Heat. Both games will be take place at Arena México.
These “Global Games” are matches organized by the NBA in different countries. These games are regulated by the organization itself by applying its rules. This time, all three teams belong to the Association, but that is not mandatory.
The first overseas game occurred on September 8th, 1978, between the no longer existing Washington Bullets against the Maccabi Tel Aviv, who ended up winning by one point, 98-97. In 1998, the Atlanta Hawks became the first NBA-franchise to play a game in the USSR, facing a Soviet Union basketball team.
Even though a pre-season game, involving Washington Bullets and Miami Heat, was played in Nassau, Bahamas, in 1991, Latin America had to wait to host an NBA game. Mexico was chosen to hold the match between the Houston Rockets and the Dallas Mavericks in 1992. Five years later, in 1997, these same teams faced each other to play the first regular season game in Latin America, more specifically, in Mexico City.
It wasn’t until 2013 when another regular season game would be disputed on Mexican ground; the San Antonio Spurs and Minnesota Timberwolves were playing against each other. However, an electrical failure hindered the game. Regardless of said incident, the NBA went back to Mexico City the following year.
This season, during the first game spectators will see the Brooklyn Nets against the Oklahoma City Thunfer. Oklahoma City’s record this is season is 10 wins-12 loses, occupying the ninth place in Western Conference. Nets occupy the 13th position in the Eastern Conference, with an 8-14 record.
On December 9th, Miami Heat against Brooklyn has been announced. Heat ranks as 10th in the same conference with a tie record: 11-11. Tickets are on sale now, starting $550 Mexican pesos (about $30 USD) for both games, or $416 Mexican pesos ($22 USD), reaching eight thousand Mexican pesos per game ($430 USD).
Latin American Post | Jesús Koyoc
Copy edited by Susana Cicchetto
