LONDON, June 3, 2015 – The National Basketball Association (NBA), Euroleague Basketball and RCS Sport announced today that the Boston Celtics will play a preseason game on Oct. 6 against Olimpia Milano in Milan, Italy, as part of NBA Global Games Europe 2015.
The 17-time NBA Champion Celtics will play the three-time Euroleague Champion and 26-time Italian League Champion Olimpia Milano at the Mediolanum Forum in Milan. This will be the Celtics’ seventh game in Europe and second contest in Milan, having previously played in 2012. The Celtics are led by Isaiah Thomas, Avery Bradley and Evan Turner, while Olimpia Milano features Alessandro Gentile, MarShon Brooks and Samardo Samuels.
Tickets can be purchased beginning June 8 at ticketone.it. For more information, please visit www.NBA.com or the NBA’s Facebook page at NBA Italia.
Olimpia Milano will also play two pre-season games in Chicago and New York as part of the Euroleague Basketball World Tour 2015, which will feature additional games around the world to be announced in the near future.
NBA Global Games Europe 2015 will also feature a range of interactive fan activities and NBA Cares community events that will bring the NBA experience to Milan. The game will be supported by a variety of partners and be available to fans globally on television, digital, and social media.
Executive Quotes:
NBA Commissioner Adam Silver:
“We are thrilled to bring one of the most storied franchises in NBA history to Milan to compete against a top Euroleague team.”
Euroleague Basketball President & CEO Jordi Bertomeu
“Olimpia Milano is one of the biggest basketball powerhouses in European basketball. To have them hosting one of the most historical NBA franchises, the Boston Celtics, will offer fans a top quality event with the best from both competitions, the Turkish Airlines Euroleague and the NBA.”
NBA EMEA Senior Vice President & Managing Director Benjamin Morel:
“We are thrilled that NBA Global Games 2015 will be one of many exciting and important events taking place in Milan this year. Thanks to our longstanding collaboration with Euroleague Basketball and with the support of our family of partners, we look forward to making a difference on and off the court.”
Boston Celtics President of Basketball Operations Danny Ainge:
“On behalf of the Celtics organization, we are proud to return to Milan for NBA Global Games 2015. I have particularly fond memories of playing in Europe almost 30 years ago, and I am sure our current players will relish this unique opportunity.”
Boston Celtics Guard Avery Bradley:
“It is an honor to represent the Celtics and the NBA in Milan. I know there are passionate NBA fans in Italy and we look forward to an electric atmosphere on game night.”
Olimpia Milano President Flavio Portaluppi:
“We’ll play in Chicago and New York against Maccabi and then head home to Italy to play the Boston Celtics which will be an exciting week for us as a team. We appreciate the opportunity to play such a spectacular opponent in front of our loyal fans.”
Olimpia Milano Captain Alessandro Gentile:
“It’s an honor to play against an NBA team, especially one so rich in tradition like the Boston Celtics, in front of our home crowd. As a player and as a team it is a great opportunity to measure ourselves against a terrific team. We are looking forward to the game and will try our best to be competitive and give our fans a reason to be proud of us.”
Source: Euroleague.net
