POSTED: Monday February 28th 2011
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
USA Basketball Men's And Women's National Teams To To Play Exhibition Games In Manchester In 2012
Global Community Cup Tour Games To Be Played At Manchester Evening News Arena
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (Feb. 28, 2011)—USA Basketball, in conjunction the Manchester City Council and the National Basketball Association (NBA), today announced a multiyear partnership that will give basketball fans in the city of Manchester the opportunity to attend live USA Basketball men's and women's national teams games, as well as NBA and Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA) games. All of the games will be played at the 18,100-seat Manchester Evening News Arena (MEN).
As part of the announced partnership, the USA Basketball men's and women's national teams - both of which won gold medals at the 2010 FIBA World Championship and 2008 Beijing Olympics - will each play a Global Community Cup tour game in July 2012 at the MEN in preparation for the London 2012 Olympics against opponents to be announced.
"USA Basketball is pleased to bring both our men's and women's national teams in 2012 to the city of Manchester. With its rich tradition in sports and hosting premiere athletic events, Manchester will be an outstanding setting and these games are sure to add to the city's athletic legacy," said USA Basketball Chairman Jerry Colangelo.
"WNBA Live - Manchester 2011" will be held May 29, 2011 and feature the Atlanta Dream - who played in the 2010 WNBA Finals. This will mark the first time a WNBA team has played in Europe, and the second international game in the league's 15 year history (2004, Monterrey, Mexico). The Dream's opponent will be announced at a later date.
The first-ever NBA preseason game to be played in the UK outside of London will take place in the fall of 2013. The participating teams will be announced at a later date. The NBA has played preseason games in London for four consecutive seasons at The O2 as part of NBA Europe Live presented by EA SPORTS. Each game in London sold out, including the game between the Los Angeles Lakers and the Minnesota Timberwolves in October 2010, which sold out in a record time. The league will stage NBA Games - London 2011 presented by Thomson Sport featuring the New Jersey Nets and Toronto Raptors playing the league's first regular-season games in Europe at The O2 on March 4 and 5.
"We are delighted to bring NBA, WNBA, and USA Basketball games to the internationally renowned sports city of Manchester. This comprehensive schedule of premier basketball events will help grow the sport for years to come," said NBA Europe Senior Vice President Sophie Goldschmidt. "This partnership shows our ongoing commitment to deepen basketball's footprint in the country."
"Manchester has a rich sporting heritage, so it is fitting to be welcoming the NBA to the City for this ground breaking series of events," said Councillor Michael Amesbury, Executive Member for Culture and Sport. "The matches will fit into our varied and innovative sports events calendar and we are sure that they will not only bring thousands of visitors to the City and create huge media interest, but will also inspire Mancunians to participate, officiate, spectate and volunteer in their chosen sports."
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Keywords · USA Basketball · NBA · WNBA · Global Community Cup · Manchester · England · Atlanta Dream · Mancester Evening News · Arena · WNBA Live · Manchester 2011
Name: Craig Miller
Organization: USA Basketball
Email:
Phone: (719)-590?4800
URL: www.usabasketball.com
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