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evenko and the National Basketball Association (NBA) are proud to present The New York Knicks vs. the Toronto Raptors at the Bell Centre on October 19th for a preseason game as part of the NBA Canada Series. Both teams played to a sold out Bell Centre in 2010. As part of the same serie, the Minnesota Timberwolves and Detroit Pistons will play at the MTS Centre in Winnipeg on Oct. 24.
NBA Canada Series marks the first time games are being held in the country as part of the league’s marquee international preseason schedule, which has historically included NBA China Games, NBA Europe Live and the NBA Mexico Game.
“NBA Canada Series demonstrates the NBA’s commitment to grow basketball in Canada and bring more live games and events to our growing fan base in the country,” said Dan MacKenzie, Vice President and General Manager, NBA Canada. “The inaugural event will bring fans in Montreal and Winnipeg closer to the game and showcase the dedication of our players on and off the court.”
‘’ evenko is proud to welcome the NBA once again to the Bell Centre. The hosting of this match greatly contributes to the development of basketball in Quebec, at a professional level but also at an amateur level due to our involvement in several of our province’s sports associations.’’ mentioned Jacques Aubé, Executive Vice-President and General Manager of evenko
In addition to on-court action, NBA Canada Series will feature a variety of events off the court including NBA Cares community outreach activities and interactive fan events.
The Toronto Raptors have played preseason games in 11 Canadian cities outside of Toronto since 1995. In 2007, the team traveled to Rome, Italy and Madrid, Spain for NBA Europe Live. They also played in Montreal in 2010. Most recently, the Raptors played the New Jersey Nets in the first-ever NBA Regular Season Games in London in 2011. The New York Knicks have played multiple preseason games outside of the United States, with games in Barcelona in 1990, Mexico City in 1993, Ottawa in 1996, Montreal in 2010, and Milan and Paris as part of 2010 NBA Europe Live.
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