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| March. 29, 2007 For Immediate Release For more information, please contact: Sau Ching CHEONG Phone: (86)10-6530 9293 #9015 E-mail: scheong@nba.com MEDIA ADVISORY NBA CHINA GAMES TO RETURN IN OCTOBER |
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SHANGHAI, March 29, 2007 – The NBA China Games will return to China in October with three games featuring the Orlando Magic, the Cleveland Cavaliers and the China Men’s National Team, it was announced today by the National Basketball Association (NBA), the Chinese Basketball Association (CBA), the Shanghai Administration of Sports (SAS) and the Macao China Basketball Association at a press conference in Shanghai. “We are extremely pleased to represent the City of Orlando and Orange County, Florida in this historic opportunity,” said Orlando Magic Chief Operating Officer Alex Martins. “We look forward to representing the Central Florida community and the NBA by showcasing our great community and our team.” NBA China Games 2007 will tip off on Oct. 17 with a game between the Magic and the Cavaliers in Shanghai at the Qizhong Forest Sports City arena with a capacity of 13,779. The event will then head to Macao where there will be two games at the new Venetian Arena with a capacity of 15,000. On Oct. 18, the Magic will take on the China Men’s National Team, and a rematch between the Magic and the Cavaliers will take place on Oct. 20. The announcement took place today in Shanghai with Ms. Heidi Ueberroth, NBA President of Global Business Operations, Mr. Li Yuanwei, Executive Vice President and Secretary General of Chinese Basketball Association, Mr. Qiu Weichang, Vice President of Shanghai Administration of Sports, Mr. Wu Chong Fai, Vice President of the Macao China Basketball Association, and Mr. Mark Brown, President of Sands Macao and the Venetian Macao Resort. “The NBA has received tremendous support from the Chinese Basketball Association, the sports authorities of Shanghai and Macao, and the Venetian Macao Resort Hotel in order to bring NBA teams and competitions back to China," said Ueberroth. "Our fans will get to see first hand exciting match-ups featuring some of the best young players in the NBA and in China. We are pleased to continue our efforts to grow the game with our partners in China.” All three games will be carried live on CCTV 5 and Great Sports Channel of SMG. The games will be televised to more than 200 countries around the world, including the United States. “We at the CBA and our global partner Infront Sports and Media are delighted to cooperate with the NBA, to have Team China play against the Orlando Magic,” said Mr. Li Yuanwei, Executive Vice President and Secretary General of the Chinese Basketball Association. “The fans can look forward to an exciting matchup, as well as see the solid improvement of Team China as we prepare for the 2008 Olympic Games in the coming months.” “We are thrilled to have the opportunity to work again with the NBA to bring the highly-anticipated games back to China,” said Mr. Qiu Weichang, President of the Shanghai Administration of Sports. “LeBron James and Dwight Howard are household names among our basketball fans, and we look forward to hosting them and their teams, the Cavaliers and the Magic in Shanghai.” “We are honored to have two NBA teams and Team China play two games in Macao. Macao proudly boasts a vast array of entertainment and attractions. However this is a first for Macao to host a world class basketball competition on our shores. These games will position Macao as an excellent host for top sporting events and will add to the vibrancy of Macao as a destination for tourists from all over the world,” said Mr. Wu Chong Fai, Vice-President of the Macao China Basketball Association. “It is with great pleasure that we at The Venetian Macao help bring the NBA’s Orlando Magic, Cleveland Cavaliers and the China Men’s National Team to Macao. This is an excellent opportunity to see live and up-close basketball at its best,” said Mr. Mark Brown, President of Sands Macao and the Venetian Macao Resort. Tickets for the Shanghai game will go on sale in June 2007. Tickets can be purchased at EMMA Ticket website (www. emma.cn), EMMA Ticket national call center (hotline: 400-707-9999), and EMMA Ticket Box Offices and outlets in Shanghai, Beijing, Hangzhou and Nanjing. Ticketing information for the Macao games will be announced at a later date. NBA China Games 2007 will be the league’s second set of preseason games in China. In 2004, the NBA became the first American professional sports league to stage games in China, with two matchups between the Houston Rockets and the Sacramento Kings in Shanghai and Beijing. The game between the Magic and the China Men’s National Team also will mark a special milestone in the NBA’s long-standing relationship with Chinese Basketball. The Magic will follow the Washington Bullets (now Wizards) as the second NBA team to play a game against the Chinese National Team since the NBA’s first visit to China in 1979. The NBA, founded in 1946, is a global sports and entertainment brand that features 30 teams in the United States and Canada. During the 2006-07 season, the NBA will distribute 45,000 hours of programming to 215 countries and territories in 41 languages. The league’s worldwide reach can also be seen with 83 international players on NBA rosters. The NBA is the most popular sports league in China. The relationship with Chinese basketball dates back to 1979 when the Washington Bullets (now Wizards) traveled to China to play two exhibition games against the Chinese National Team. Since then, the NBA has opened four offices in greater China, built relationships with 51 Chinese telecasters and organized dozens of grassroots events. Currently, the NBA has 17 marketing partnerships in China and sells merchandise in more than 20,000 retail locations.
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