NBA regular season games in London have been reserved for the Eastern Conference since its inception in 2011 when the Toronto Raptors and New Jersey Nets played two games at the O2 Arena.
But in 2017, the Denver Nuggets will break that mould, as they take on the Indiana Pacers at the same aforementioned arena on January 12, 2017 which was made official on NBA UK’s Facebook page earlier today.
This will not only mark the first time that a Western Conference team has travelled over to UK shores if you take away pre-season clashes, but it also will be the first time that both sides will play a regular season contest in England’s capital.
“It will be a true honour and a great experience to represent both the Nuggets and the NBA in London as part of the NBA Global Games in 2017,” Nuggets forward Danilo Galinari said. “Our entire team and organisation are looking forward to this opportunity to showcase our league to fans overseas.”
“I’m really excited and thankful the NBA is allowing us to reach out to our fans in London,’ Pacers superstar Paul George added. “This is great exposure for our team and our franchise. I think it will be a great experience for us and the fans in attendance.”
The announcement of the game, the seventh overall to be played in London’s iconic O2 Arena came alongside the team logo unveiling at a street event in Stockwell.