Posted: March 18, 2009
The NBA returns outdoors when the Phoenix Suns host the Golden State Warriors in a preseason game on Saturday, October 10 at the Indian Wells Tennis Garden in Indian Wells, CA. The game will be televised nationally, exclusively on TNT.
“The excitement surrounding last year’s outdoor game was more than we could have imagined,” said Suns’ President and Chief Operating Officer Rick Welts. “It’s the perfect setting in the perfect arena at the perfect time of year. The response from our fans, the Indian Wells community and TNT viewers made it an easy decision to return.”
“We are pleased to partner with the NBA and the Phoenix Suns organization to once again bring this distinctive game in a spectacular setting to TNT,” said David Levy, President of Turner Sports and Turner Broadcasting Sales, Inc. “Last year’s outdoor game proved to be an entertaining and successful experience for our viewers and broadcast team, as well as a distinctive opportunity for our advertising partners. We look forward to returning to Indian Wells with our NBA on TNT crew for this year’s contest.”
On October 11, 2008 the NBA hosted the first outdoor game of the modern era which featured a preseason showcase between the Phoenix Suns and Denver Nuggets at the Indian Wells Tennis Garden. The sold out event, known as the AutoTrader.com Open, saw the Denver Nuggets outlast the Phoenix Suns, 77-72.
“We were honored last year when the Phoenix Suns approached us with this unique NBA event and thrilled with the results,” said Steve Simon, chief operating officer of the facility. “We are proud of our entire Coachella Valley community for their support and know that 2009 will be another memorable event.”
Tickets will go on sale to the public on Wednesday, April 1 at 10 a.m. Pacific Time on ticketmaster.com, all Ticketmaster outlets, and at the Indian Wells Tennis Garden box office. Prices range from $10 to $100. Fans from Phoenix who wish to attend the game can reach Indian Wells in less than a four-hour drive.
Southern California’s Santa Rosa Mountains provide a breathtaking backdrop to the 80-acre complex that will host the event. The 16,000-seat stadium is an NBA-style arena with no roof that annually plays host to one of the world’s major tennis tournaments, the BNP Paribas Open.
Prior to last year’s historical outdoor match-up, the Phoenix Suns also played in the only other NBA game to be played outdoors in Puerto Rico against the Milwaukee Bucks over 35 years ago. Led by Connie Hawkins, Dick Van Arsdale and Neal Walk, the Suns defeated Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Oscar Robertson and the Bucks, 116-103, in a preseason game on September 24, 1972 at a baseball stadium in San Juan.