NBA London Live 2013: Knicks And Pistons To Play Regular Season Game Overseas

The New York Knicks and the Detroit Pistons will be heading to London this year to play a regular season game.

NBA London Live 2013 will send the two teams to London on January 17, 2013 to play a regular season game at the O2 in London.

This will be the third time that the NBA has played a regular season game in London. In 2011, the Toronto Raptors and the New Jersey Nets played two games at The O2.

NBA Commissioner David Stern said:

“London was the epicenter of global sports this summer, and the Olympics were a tremendous showcase for basketball. Playing our third regular-season game in the city in three years and having historic franchises like the Knicks and Pistons serve as our ambassadors provide extraordinary opportunities to further the game’s growth and development in the UK and throughout Europe.”

NBA.com reports that NBA teams have played a total of 115 games internationally since 1988. Sixteen of those games have been regular season games in Japan, the UK, and Mexico.

Dennis Mannion, President of CEO of the Detroit Pistons, said:

“The Pistons are excited to participate in the NBA London Live 2013 … Playing a regular-season game in London against the New York Knicks will provide a great experience for our players and we look forward to showcasing our brand of Hard, Smart and Together Detroit Basketball to fans on a global scale.”

New York Knicks Head Coach Mike Woodson added:

“I am excited to show our great fans in London what New York basketball is about … For Carmelo Anthony and Tyson Chandler to return to the city where they helped Team USA win the Gold makes it even more special for our team.”

The New York Knicks and the Detroit Pistons won’t be the only two teams playing overseas this season. During the pre-season, the Boston Celtics will play a pair of games in Istanbul and Milan, the Dallas Mavericks will play in Berlin and Barcelona, and the Los Angeles Lakers and Miami Heat will play games in Beijing and Shanghai. The Orlando Magic and the New Orleans Hornets will also play a pre-season game in Mexico City.

Do you like the international NBA games?