Next month, despite the lack of fanfare, the National Basketball Association (NBA) is returning the China.
Back in April, the NBA announced two preseason games – one in Shanghai on October 5 and another in Shenzhen on October 8 – featuring the Philadelphia 76ers and the Dallas Mavericks.
While the Mavericks struggled last season, they have a couple veteran superstars in Dirk Nowitzki and Harrison Barnes. Meanwhile, the 76ers young core – playful Joel Embiid and fan favorite Ben Simmons – has the team's expectations as high as their Allen Iverson years.
Image via Dallas Mavericks/Instagram
Now let’s talk tickets.
Yesterday, That’s reached out to Mr. Wu, a spokesperson for the NBA's China division, and he informed us that tickets through major ticketing outlets, like Damai, are sold out. Although he added that “there will be opportunities to win tickets through the NBA’s WeChat and Weibo platforms.”
So, if you missed out on tickets, not all hope is lost.
Also, starting on September 8, Ctrip will be dishing out 200 tickets – split by an unknown margin between the Shanghai and Shenzhen games. To have a chance to win, follow their social media channels and stay tuned (vague, we know).
Follow the NBA's official WeChat account (ID: nba_big) and Ctrip's account (ID: iCtrip).
NBA and Ctrip WeChat accounts. Screengrabs via WeChat
According to the NBA’s official website, 17 teams have played in China since 2004, traveling to Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, Macau, Shenzhen and Taipei.
The only people more excited than NBA fans about the league’s upcoming China games are the players. Nowitzki stated back in April, “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.”
[Cover image: screengrab via 76ers/Instagram]
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