LONDON AND MADRID, Aug. 30, 2023 – The Nationwide Basketball Affiliation (NBA) immediately introduced that the Dallas Mavericks will play a preseason sport in opposition to reigning EuroLeague champion Actual Madrid on the WiZink Heart in Madrid on Tuesday, Oct. 10, 2023, at 8:45 p.m. CET, marking 35 years for the reason that first NBA video games in Spain in 1988. The matchup would be the NBA’s eighth sport within the Spanish capital and 20th sport in Spain general.
The Mavericks presently characteristic four-time NBA All-Star and All-NBA First Group member Luka Dončić, who joined Actual Madrid on the age of 13 and grew to become the youngest-ever EuroLeague and EuroLeague Closing 4 MVP when he led Actual Madrid to the 2018 EuroLeague title at age 19. The Mavericks additionally characteristic 2016 NBA champion and eight-time NBA All-Star Kyrie Irving.
Actual Madrid options Spanish legend and former NBA draftee Sergio Llull in addition to a number of former NBA gamers, together with Rudy Fernández, Mario Hezonja, Džanan Musa, and Sergio Rodríguez. Actual Madrid has gained a file 36 La Liga ACB championships and is the winningest crew in EuroLeague historical past with 11 titles.
The matchup marks the primary preseason NBA sport in Madrid since 2016, when Dončić and Actual Madrid hosted the Oklahoma Metropolis Thunder. In 1988, the Boston Celtics performed two video games in Madrid in opposition to the then Yugoslavian Males’s Nationwide Group and Actual Madrid.
Previous to the sport in Madrid, the Mavericks will play two preseason video games in opposition to the Minnesota Timberwolves on Oct. 5 and seven as a part of The NBA Abu Dhabi Video games 2023.
“Bringing the dwell NBA expertise on to our passionate worldwide followers is a crucial a part of our year-round efforts to develop basketball and the NBA world wide,” mentioned NBA Deputy Commissioner and Chief Working Officer Mark Tatum. “We’re excited for the Mavericks to play Actual Madrid and stay up for partaking with followers from Spain and throughout Europe round this historic matchup.”
“Following our preseason video games in Abu Dhabi, we’re thrilled to play the sport we love for the MFFLs in Madrid,” mentioned Dallas Mavericks CEO Cynt Marshall. “Our crew is fortunate to have one of many best worldwide NBA ambassadors in Luka, and we stay up for connecting with Actual Madrid and their followers.”
“Dealing with an NBA crew is all the time particular, however on this event much more so, as it should give us the chance to as soon as once more get pleasure from a Actual Madrid legend and NBA star like Luka Dončić, who proudly carries the title of our membership and presumes of being a Madridista wherever he goes,” mentioned Actual Madrid Ambassador Felipe Reyes. “It will likely be an incredible spectacle and a really thrilling second for all madridistas and basketball lovers.”
Tickets for the sport will go on normal sale Thursday, Aug. 31. Followers can test Actual Madrid’s web site for extra info. The sport will air dwell within the U.S. on NBA TV and Bally Sports activities Southwest. Extra broadcast distribution particulars will probably be obtainable at a later date.
There have been 16 NBA gamers from Spain, together with 2023 Naismith Memorial Basketball Corridor of Fame inductee Pau Gasol. NBA video games have aired in Spain for the reason that 1987-88 season, and the league opened its workplace in Madrid in 2007. NBA video games are presently obtainable in Spain on NBA League Go through the NBA App, together with 39 weekend video games throughout the 2023-24 season that may air in primetime in Europe as a part of the league’s “NBA Saturdays and NBA Sundays” initiative.
Followers in Spain can comply with the NBA on Fb, Instagram, X and YouTube, and obtain the official NBA App on iOS and Android for the newest information, updates, scores, stats, schedules, movies and extra. Followers in Spain may buy the newest NBA merchandise at NBAStore.eu.