Tickets went on sale today for Europe's first NBA regular-season games, between the New Jersey Nets and the Toronto Raptors, the National Basketball Association (NBA) announced today. The back-to-back games, the centerpiece of 'NBA Games - London 2011', will be played at The O2 in London on Friday March 4 and Saturday March 5. Tickets are available for purchase online at www.theo2.co.uk.

 

The NBA also announced plans for the first-ever "Basketball Week" in the UK. "Basketball Week" will bring together the key entities in the UK basketball community - England Basketball, the British Basketball League, and British Basketball - and provide fans of all ages with an exciting and interactive basketball experience.

 

Basketball Week is a weeklong festival of basketball-themed activities that will take place in the lead up to NBA Games - London 2011 and will include 3-on-3 competitions, basketball clinics, and a variety of grassroots and interactive events for fans. The event will tip off on Friday, February 25 and culminate at The O2 on Saturday, March 5, with activities taking place in London, Manchester and Newcastle, with other locations that will be announced at a later date.

 

"NBA Games - London 2011 will be a historic event and Basketball Week will be a key part of how fans across the UK can tap into the excitement around the games,” said Sophie Goldschmidt, Senior Vice President of NBA Europe. "Basketball Week will build awareness for the game, create additional participation opportunities for fans and help all of the key basketball entities across the UK as we get closer to the 2012 Olympics."

 

"We are proud to be working in partnership with the NBA and the governing bodies of basketball in the UK to get behind Basketball Week in March 2010," said Paul Blake, Chairman of the British Basketball League. "British basketball is truly taking some major steps forward, from grassroots to the national teams and the presence of what will now be three high profile NBA games this season is unprecedented. It is going to be a great year for the sport in this country and we look forward to being a part of it."

 

The popularity of Basketball continues to grow in the UK, with participation in the sport doubling over the past four years. In addition, more than 45,000 people have participated in NBA grassroots events in the UK over the last two years.

 

For the Raptors, this will be their first visit to the United Kingdom, while the Nets are already well-known in the UK's capital after a 2008 visit to the city to play the Miami Heat as part of NBA Europe Live presented by EA SPORTS™. New Jersey Nets Guard Devin Harris said, "Everyone involved in bringing the games to London is excited about playing in one of the world's great cities and we look forward to the crowd getting behind the Nets as the home-court team."

 

"We are extremely excited to be bringing regular-season NBA games to Europe and The O2," said David Campbell, President and CEO of AEG Europe. "This is an historic development for the sport, which builds on four years of sold out preseason games at The O2 in London, and is a great chance for fans to see the world's best ahead of our hosting of the basketball finals for the London 2012 Olympic Games."

 

As part of the NBA's preseason schedule, The O2 will also play host to the Los Angeles Lakers and Minnesota Timberwolves in front of a sellout crowd on October 4 as part of NBA Europe Live presented by EA SPORTS™. Overall, the NBA will play a comprehensive slate of international preseason games that will feature a total of seven games this October on three different continents.