SYDNEY AND NEW YORK — The National Basketball Association (NBA) and the
National Basketball League (NBL) on Monday announced that the Sydney Kings,
Melbourne United and the Brisbane Bullets will take part in the 2017 NBA
preseason in October, marking the first time that NBL teams will travel to the
U.S. to play against NBA teams.
The Sydney Kings will visit the Utah Jazz, featuring Australians Joe Ingles and
Danté Exum, on Oct. 2 at Vivint Smart Home Arena, followed by Melbourne United
meeting the Oklahoma City Thunder on Oct. 8 at Chesapeake Energy Arena. The
Brisbane Bullets will visit the Phoenix Suns at Talking Stick Resort Arena on
Oct. 13.
There were a record-tying eight Australian players on 2016-17 opening night NBA
rosters, including Ingles and Patty Mills (San Antonio Spurs), both of whom
previously played in the NBL.
Executive and Player Quotes:
NBL Executive Chairman and Owner Larry Kestelman:
“This is a huge moment for Australian basketball. For the NBL to be able to play
some of the biggest teams in the world shows how far our league has come. I want
to thank the NBA for this exciting opportunity to showcase the NBL on the world
stage. For our teams to be chosen to come and play in the NBA preseason is a
great endorsement of the NBL and Australian basketball. We currently have a
number of Australians playing in the NBA, strong national teams in the Boomers
and Opals, record participation levels and a flourishing national competition.
This opportunity will only build more excitement ahead of the NBL season
starting on Oct. 5.”
NBA Asia Managing Director Scott Levy:
“We are excited for the NBL to participate in the 2017 NBA preseason. Australia
has proven to be a basketball powerhouse with a growing number of its players
making their mark in the NBA and on the global stage. Australia remains one of
our largest international markets for merchandise sales and NBA LEAGUE PASS, and
these games mark a milestone moment for our two leagues.”
Utah Jazz President Steve Starks:
“The Jazz are the most internationally diverse team in the NBA, including two
players from Australia. Our franchise is excited to host an NBL team from Sydney
in the first game played at our newly remodeled Vivint Smart Home Arena on Oct.
2.”
Utah Jazz guard/forward Joe Ingles:
“This is massive for Australian basketball and an exciting opportunity for NBA
and NBL players to compete together on the same floor. As an Aussie who began my
career in the NBL and now entering my fourth season with Utah, I am very proud
of the growth of the game in my home country and can’t wait for the Jazz and
Salt Lake City to play host to Sydney this fall.”
Oklahoma City Thunder Executive Vice President and General Manager Sam Presti:
“We are excited to welcome Melbourne United to Oklahoma City. This event marks
our third opportunity to host an international team in Chesapeake Energy Arena,
and we are proud to help continue the advancement of the game through these
competitions.”
Phoenix Suns General Manager Ryan McDonough:
“We’re excited to host the Brisbane Bullets in Phoenix. It’s representative of
the global expansion of the game and a great opportunity for our organization to
connect with Suns fans in Australia and beyond.”
Sydney Kings Head Coach and five-time Olympian Andrew Gaze:
“This is another big leap forward for the NBL and Australian basketball. As
somebody who played in the NBA I know how much this opportunity means. The NBL
has always been very attractive for NBA players and is a pathway to the NBA, as
the recent drafting of Terrance Ferguson showed. We also had a number of NBL
players played in the NBA Summer League this year.”
About the NBA
The NBA is a global sports and media business built around three professional
sports leagues: the National Basketball Association, the Women’s National
Basketball Association and the NBA G League. The league has established a major
international presence with games and programming in 215 countries and
territories in 49 languages, and NBA merchandise for sale in more than 125,000
stores in 100 countries on 6 continents. NBA rosters at the start of the 2016-17
season featured a record 113 international players from 41 countries and
territories. NBA Digital’s assets include NBA TV, NBA.com, NBA App and NBA
LEAGUE PASS. The NBA has created one of the largest social media communities in
the world, with more than 1.3 billion likes and followers globally across all
league, team, and player platforms. Through NBA Cares, the league addresses
important social issues by working with internationally recognized youth-serving
organizations that support education, youth and family development, and
health-related causes.
About the NBL
The National Basketball League in Australasia is one of the of the premier
basketball leagues in the world. Established in 1978 the League now has eight
teams based in cities across the country — Adelaide 36ers, Cairns Taipans,
Melbourne United, New Zealand Breakers, Perth Wildcats, Sydney Kings, Brisbane
Bullets and Illawarra Hawks. Some of the NBL’s greatest players include former
NBA player and five-time Olympian Andrew Gaze, 21-season scoring-machine Leroy
Loggins, five-time championship-winner Larry Sengstock, and 500-game veterans
Ray Borner and James Crawford. From humble beginnings, the NBL now sells out
stadiums with more than 650,000 attending games each season and live TV coverage
nationally. The NBL has NBL.com.au, and a live streaming NBL APP. The 2017-18
season will be its 40th as a league.
