EL SEGUNDO - The NBA announced today that eight NBA teams will take part in a comprehensive global games schedule which will include two games with the Lakers. The Lakers will travel to China for the first-time ever to play in two preseason games against the Golden State Warriors. The teams will play on Oct. 15 at the MasterCard Center in Beijing, then travel to Shanghai for a game at the Mercedes-Benz Arena on Oct. 18.
The Lakers, who will join the Thunder, 76ers, Pacers, Rockets, Wizards, Bulls and the Warriors on the NBA global games schedule, most recently played overseas during the 2010-11 preseason when they travelled to Barcelona and London. The team first travelled overseas during the 1991 preseason when they played in Paris as participants in the McDonald’s Open.
"The Lakers are happy to continue to be a part of the NBA’s efforts to expand its global reach," said Lakers Senior Vice President of Business Operations / Chief Marketing Officer Tim Harris. "Over the last two decades, the Lakers brand has grown tremendously in the international market, especially in China. The support we receive from the fans in China has been essential to that growth and we look forward to the opportunity to play in front our Chinese fans while also taking part in various NBA community initiatives during our stay."
In addition to 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 each city. They will also be supported by a variety of marketing and promotional partners, and will be available to fans on television and through digital media.
To date, the NBA has staged 138 preseason and regular-season games in 19 countries and territories across Europe, the Americas and Asia since 1978.