London called. NBA commissioner David Stern answered.
The NBA will play two games in London -- the Toronto Raptors against the New Jersey Nets March 4 and 5 at The O2 arena -- marking the first time the NBA will play a regular-season game in Europe.
London will play host to the 2012 Summer Olympics, and Stern promised a regular-season game in the city before those Games.
"This, to us, is really within the context of giving as much support as we can to the sport of basketball to the 2012 Olympics," Stern said. "The London Games are going to focus many current and prospective NBA and basketball fans on our sport."
Stern said Toronto and New Jersey expressed a strong interest in playing regular-season games in Europe. Both teams will bring an intriguing international flavor to London.
Canadian Larry Tanenbaum is the Raptors' chairman of the board, and Toronto's roster boasts six international players: Italy's Andrea Bargnani and Marco Belinelli, Spain's Jose Calderon, Brazil's Leandro Barbosa and Australia's David Andersen.
The Nets were recently purchased by Russian billionaire Mikhail Prokhorov, the NBA's first owner outside of North America, and New Jersey center Johan Petro is from France.
"They are going to have players who might be possibly, not certainly, but possibly playing for France, Italy, Spain and Lithuania (in the 2012 Olympics)," Stern said. "This is going to demonstrate to us .. the global representation in this sport and give fans an appreciation of what globalization has meant to us."
In April, Stern told reporters on a teleconference that, "It is my expectation that prior to the Olympics, as I said, that we will play regular-season games in London. I'm sticking with my projection. Don't ask me for any more details, but I make that statement fully expecting to deliver on it."
On Oct. 4, the Los Angeles Lakers will play the Minnesota Timberwolves in a preseason game at The O2 as part of the league's four-game Europe Live schedule.
"We consider the UK to be an important market in the NBA's global development," Stern said.
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SOURCE: USA Today
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