LONDON – July 29, 2008 – For the second straight year, tickets for the NBA Europe Live game at London’s O2 arena have sold out months prior to tip-off. The match-up between the Miami Heat and the New Jersey Nets scheduled for Oct. 12 is part of NBA Europe Live presented by EA SPORTS™. In addition to the on-court action, basketball fans in London will have the opportunity to interact and compete at NBA Jam Van on Aug. 1 at Trafalgar Square.

“We are thrilled with the enthusiasm London has shown for basketball,” said Sophie Goldschmidt, NBA Europe Vice President for Marketing Partnerships and Business Development. “The NBA is committed to bringing more events to the U.K. and providing opportunities to grow the sport in Europe.”

NBA Europe Live 2008 will tip-off in Paris on Oct. 9 when the Heat and the Nets face-off at the Palais Omnisports de Paris Bercy, followed by the London game at the O2. The New Orleans Hornets and Washington Wizards will continue the Europe Live schedule in Berlin on Oct. 14 at the O2 World, with the finale of the four-game tour on Oct. 17 at the Palau Sant Jordi in Barcelona.

Following NBA Europe Live 2008, NBA teams will have played 48 games in 18 different cities in Europe over the past two decades. Last year’s seven NBA Europe Live games drew more than 10.3 million viewers, 75,000 spectators, and were supported by 23 marketing partners.

Making its first visit to Europe, NBA Jam Van presented by Hannspree, will make four initial U.K. stops; Liverpool (July 26), Glasgow (July 29), London (Aug. 1) and Birmingham (Aug. 3). Highlighting the Jam Van schedule is the Aug. 1 visit to the Trafalgar Square event. Jam Van, the NBA’s free interactive basketball touring programme will reach more than 1,000,000 basketball fans in cities throughout France, Germany, Italy, Spain and the U.K.

With their sights set on London 2012, British Basketball will take center stage in September when Luol Deng and his GB teammates attempt to qualify for the 2009 EuroBasket Finals. Team Great Britain’s home campaign begins against the Czech Republic on Sept. 6, at the O2 arena when they will make history by becoming the first British athletes to compete at a 2012 venue. Bosnia and Herzegovina await Great Britain in Birmingham four days later, before a match-up with Israel on September 13 at the Echo Arena in Liverpool.

About the NBA
The NBA, founded in 1946, is a global sports and entertainment brand that features 30 teams in the United States and Canada. During the 2007-08 season, the NBA distributed games and programming to 215 countries and territories in 41 languages. The league’s worldwide reach can also be seen with 76 international players from 31 countries and territories on NBA rosters.

Contacts:
Chris Wallace, NBA EMEA, +44 203 170 5630, cwallace@nba.com
Tom Marchesi, NBA EMEA, +44 203 170 5633, tmarchesi@nba.com