The NBA is heading back to China next year. The league has announced that the NBA China Games will take place during the 2018 preseason, marking the 25th and 26th games the league will play in China dating back to 2004.
This time around, the NBA is sending two teams to China that have never played in the country before: The Philadelphia 76ers and the Dallas Mavericks. Game one will take place on October 5, when the two sides will square off in Shanghai at the Mercedes-Benz Arena. Three days later, the teams will play in Shenzhen at the Shenzhen Universiade Center, the same place where the series of games were announced on Tuesday by NBA China CEO David Shoemaker and Director of the Longgang Municipal Bureau of Culture, Sports and Tourism Liu Deping.
“When I played in the 2008 Beijing Olympics, I witnessed China’s enthusiasm for basketball firsthand,” Mavericks forward Dirk Nowitzki said in a statement. “It will be a fantastic experience for our franchise to play in China for the first time. We’re also excited about the possibility of reconnecting with two great Chinese players who played for the Mavericks, Wang Zhizhi and Yi Jianlian.”
“Getting a chance to play all over the world has always been a dream of mine and I’m excited to play in China in October,” Sixers guard/forward Ben Simmons said. “I know the fans there are passionate about basketball and I’m really looking forward to the trip to Shanghai and Shenzhen.”
The Sixers won both matchups against the Mavericks during the 2017-18 regular season. Before that kicked off, the Golden State Warriors and Minnesota Timberwolves participated in the NBA China Games in 2017, with the two teams splitting the series.
