The NBA announced today (Aug 15th) the 2013 Preseason schedule, set to tip off October 5th in Instabul, where the Oklahoma City Thunder take on Turkish basketball club Fenerbahce Ulker at Ulker Sports Arena.
The 116-game slate will go on for 20 days, concluding on October 25. The 2013-14 NBA Global Games preseason schedule includes eight NBA teams playing eight preseason games in eight cities. In addition to OKC’s game in Istanbul, there will also be contests in Beijing and Shanghai, China; Bilbao, Spain; Manchester, England; Manila, Philippines; Rio de Janeiro, Brazil; and Taipei.
NBA TV will televise all eight international contests, and more than 25 games overall. But, the full NBA TV schedule for preseason coverage is still to come. After Turkey, the Thunder heads to England to face the Philadelphia 76ers at Phones 4u Arena in Manchester on October 8. Philly opens its overseas play on October 6, in a game against against Bilbao Basket at Bizkaia Arena in Spain.
The new look Houston Rockets, including Dwight Howard, take on the Indiana Pacers in a pair of games: October 10 in Manila at Mall of Asia Arena, and October 13 in Taipei at Taipei Arena.
The Chicago Bulls, who expect Derrick Rose’s return, will face the Washington Wizards at HSBC Arena in Brazil on October 12. And, the Los Angeles Lakers take on the Golden State Warriors in a pair of games in China to round out the league’s international preseason slate — October 15, at MasterCard Center in Beijing, and October 18 at Mercedes-Benz Arena in Shanghai.
