For the first time in 13 years, the Indiana Pacers will travel overseas to play a preseason game, the NBA announced today. The Pacers are scheduled to play the Denver Nuggets on Oct. 8, at Taipei Arena in Taipei, Taiwan. It is the first NBA game ever played in Taipei.
Pacers president Larry Bird called the game a great chance for the team and the league:
I think this is a great opportunity for our franchise and hopefully recognition from the NBA of the team we are building, the way we play and the effort that our players put forth. Having been to Europe as a player with the Celtics and later as part of the U.S. Olympic Team, it’s a great opportunity to promote our game and create new fans of the Pacers. The Far East loves the NBA and for us to be a part of this trip is an important milestone for the Pacers.”
The last time the Pacers stepped on foreign soil to play an NBA game was in 1996, when the Pacers played in Berlin, Germany, and Seville, Spain. Those games did not build a good foundation for the 1996-97 Pacers squad, which started the season by losing five of six games and, ultimately, missing the playoffs.
The game in Taipei is the fourth preseason game that the NBA has announced will be played outside of the United States and Canada in October.
Comments
I wonder how many players the Taiwanese can name from our team not named Danny Granger...
Im guessing they chose they 2 teams based on the fact that they were both in the top 5 this past season in offense. nothings better than watching a shootout
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