Rockets-Magic Pre-Sale Begins June 15

A record 6,198 fans watched the Vipers win the NBADL Championship at State Farm Arena (Photo Credit: Chris Covatta/NBAE/Getty Images)

June 10, 2010

HIDALGO, TEXAS - The NBA Development League Champion Rio Grande Valley Vipers and the City of Hidalgo announced in a press conference today that the Vipers will play their home games at State Farm Arena through the 2012-13 season.

Additionally, tickets to the NBA pre-season game between the Houston Rockets and Orlando Magic at State Farm Arena on October 5 will go on sale to the public June 25. Select fans, including Vipers season ticket holders, will be able to purchase tickets in a pre-sale that begins on June 15.

“State Farm Arena has been home to very special moments in the history of Vipers basketball, from the franchise’s first tip-off in 2007 to our championship victory in 2010. The Vipers look forward to future success in State Farm Arena and look forward to continuing our relationship with the city of Hidalgo,” Vipers President Brian Michael Cooper said.

The Vipers’ all-time record at State Farm Arena is 51-26 (.662). In 2009-10, the Vipers averaged a league-high 4,712 fans per regular season home game in addition to a record crowd of 6,198 for the Vipers NBADL Finals clinching win over Tulsa on April 27. The only sporting event to outdraw that game was the NBA pre-season game between the Houston Rockets and Boston Celtics on October 7, 2009, when a crowd of 6,300 watched former-Viper Aaron Brooks lead the Rockets to victory over the Celtics.

Tickets for the Rockets-Magic game will be available through the Vipers, Ticketmaster, rgvipers.com, and the State Farm Arena box office while on sale to the general public. Tickets start at $49.

The Rio Grande Valley Vipers are the NBA Development League affiliate of the NBA Houston Rockets. The NBA Development League, founded in 2001, is the NBA’s official minor league whose teams have direct affiliations to NBA franchises. For the 2009-10 season, the league featured 16 teams – including the debut of the Maine Red Claws and the Springfield Armor, while a new team, the Texas Legends, will join the League for the 2010-11 season. A proven developer of talent, 20 percent of players in the NBA at the conclusion of the 2009-10 season boasted NBA D-League experience, while the league continues to develop coaches, referees, and front-office staff for the NBA and its teams. In fostering the league’s connection to the community, its teams, players and staff promote health and wellness, support local needs and interests, and assist in educational development through NBA D-League Cares programs. The NBA D-League also advances the game of basketball as the research and development arm of the NBA. Throughout the season fans can watch all NBA D-League games on NBA Futurecast, the free live Web-streaming initiative found at nba.com/futurecast.