NBA schedules regular season games in London, Mexico City

UNITED STATES, Miami: MIAMI, FL – JUNE 20: NBA commissioner David Stern speaks after the Miami Heat defeat the San Antonio Spurs 95-88 in Game Seven of the 2013 NBA Finals at AmericanAirlines Arena on June 20, 2013 in Miami, Florida. Mike Ehrmann/Getty Images/AFP

MANILA, Philippines — The NBA will make stops in London and Mexico City in the 2013-2014 regular season as part of the expansion of the NBA Global Games, the league announced on Wednesday.

The Minnesota Timberwolves and the San Antonio Spurs will clash in Mexico City Arena on December 4 and the Atlanta Hawks and the Brooklyn Nets face at the The O2 Arena in London on January 16.

The NBA Global Games will kick off this October starting with its comprehensive pre-season schedule. Eight NBA teams will visit eight cities around the world, including Manila.

The Houston Rockets and the Indiana Pacers square off at the Mall of Asia Arena on October 10. Most tickets for the first ever pre-season game here have already been sold out since June 16.

The NBA also flies to Rio de Janerio, Brazil, the cities of Bilbao in Spain, and Manchester in United Kingdom, Beijing and Shanghai in China, Istanbul, Turkey and Taipei.

“Through these games, we will bring the NBA experience to more fans and provide showcases for basketball and the extraordinary talent and athleticism of our players,” said outgoing NBA commissioner David Stern in a statement posted in the NBA website.

In addition to the on court action, the NBA Global Games will feature a variety of events off the court, including NBA Cares community outreach activities and interactive fan events in select cities.

Carlo Singson, NBA’s country manager here, earlier said that the Filipino fans will have a chance to interact with the players.

“People who may not be able to watch the games live still have a chance to meet the players or interact with them,” said Singson.