The NBA’s desire to expand its global reach crossed another checkpoint last night. The Minnesota Timberwolves and Golden State Warriors will play in two preseason games in China as part of the NBA’s 2017 Global Games. Wolves owner Glen Taylor confirmed this to ESPN on Monday. The news was first reported by Chinese news outlet Lanxiong sports.
Taylor to ESPN’s Michael Yuan:
“I’m very excited to have the team going there and play,” Taylor said during halftime of the Mavs-Wolves game. “Knowing that we are going to play against the Warriors, it’s going to be a lot of fun.”
The games will be held in Shenzen and Shanghai in October and will be the Timberwolves’ first time playing in China. Jiang Lizhang, founder of the Chinese marketing company Double-Edged Sports, became the NBA’s first Chinese minority investor this past summer when he purchased 5 percent of the Timberwolves and 5 percent of the WNBA’s Minnesota Lynx. During the 2016 Summer League shortly after his purchase, Lizhang spoke about his desire to get the Wolves to play in China. That sentiment has now become a reality.
The Warriors played the Los Angeles Lakers in China for the 2013 Global Games, though Golden State was vastly overshadowed by international star Kobe Bryant. That will not be the case next time around. Golden State is one of the most popular teams in China due to their immense star power of Stephen Curry and Kevin Durant. Klay Thompson even has an endorsement with Anta, a Chinese shoe company.
Similar to the NFL playing games outside of the US in London and Mexico, the NBA undoubtedly hopes to continue its expansion across the world. Getting the powerhouse Warriors and youthful Timberwolves is a good move by the NBA to help market itself.
