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August 27, 2008

MILWAUKEE -- The Milwaukee Bucks will join the Golden State Warriors as participants in this year’s NBA China Games and play two of their October preseason contests in Guangzhou and Beijing, the team announced today. The club’s eight-game preseason slate also includes three Wisconsin-based contests – two at the Bradley Center and one at the La Crosse Center in La Crosse.

“We’re thrilled that the NBA has asked the Bucks to take part in the 2008 China Games,” said Bucks General Manager John Hammond. “It’s a terrific and unique opportunity for our organization and we look forward to our games in Guangzhou and Beijing, as well as the community work we will be doing to help support areas of China affected by the earthquake. It’s going to be a busy October and we’re excited to get started.”

The Bucks and Warriors will first meet at the Guangzhou Gymnasium (capacity 13,000) in Guangzhou on Wednesday, October 15, the first-ever NBA game to be played in Guangzhou. The two teams then travel to Beijing to play a game on Saturday, October 18, the first sporting event to be held at the Beijing Olympic Basketball Arena (capacity 17,173) since the Olympics. Both games will be televised live in China, the United States and to more than 200 countries and territories around the world. The trip to China marks the first time the Bucks will play a preseason game outside of the continental United States or Canada since they played an exhibition game against the Phoenix Suns in San Juan, Puerto Rico on September 24, 1972.

As part of the NBA’s on-going earthquake relief efforts, NBA Cares, the league’s social responsibility program, will undertake a series of activities and events in conjunction with the NBA China Games. The events will support the rebuilding process in the Sichuan Province, to honor those people affected by the earthquake and to recognize the rescue workers and first responders for their tireless and heroic efforts.

The 2008 NBA China Games is put on through the combined efforts of the NBA, the Chinese Basketball Association, the Beijing Municipal Bureau of Sport, and the Guangzhou Sports Bureau.

Prior to their trip to China, the Bucks will play four games, including three in Wisconsin. The club opens their schedule at the Bradley Center with a contest against Minnesota on Monday, October 6. Following a road game in Detroit on Wednesday, October 8, the team will return to La Crosse for the second consecutive season, playing a game at the La Crosse Center on Friday, October 10 against Dallas. Tickets for that game will go on sale Friday, September 5 at 11:00 a.m. at the LaCrosse Center Box Office, and will also be available at Ticketmaster.com, Ticketmaster outlets, and by calling (608) 789-4545.

Immediately following the game in La Crosse, the Bucks return to the Bradley Center for the 32nd Annual MACC Fund Game on Saturday, October 11 vs. Detroit. This annual event is the cornerstone of the Bucks 32-year commitment to the Midwest Athletes Against Childhood Cancer. Since the inaugural event in 1977, the annual MACC Fund Game has raised more than $1 million dollars for children’s cancer research at the Midwest Children’s Cancer Center in Milwaukee.

Upon their return from China, the Bucks will close out their preseason schedule with road games in Minnesota (Thursday, October 23) and Chicago (Friday, October 24).

WTMJ Radio (620 AM), the Bucks flagship radio station, will carry some of the preseason contests, with a complete broadcast schedule to be released at a later date.