Team China to Play NBA D-League’s Albuquerque Thunderbirds in China
Teams to play two exhibition games on November 16 and 18
Beijing, PR China / Greenville, S.C., USA, 2 November 2006 – The Chinese National Men’s Team will play two exhibition games against the NBA Development League’s Albuquerque Thunderbirds on November 16 and 18, it was announced yesterday by Infront Sports & Media, the exclusive global marketing partner of the Chinese Basketball Association (CBA), and the NBA Development League.
Team China will play the Thunderbirds, the D-League’s defending champions, on November 16 at the Beilun Gymnasium (6,000 capacity) in Ningbo City, and then at the Tashi Gymnasium (3,500 capacity) in Macau on November 18. Both games are scheduled to tip off at 8 pm local time. The November 16 contest will be televised live by China Central Television (CCTV) and NBA TV, while the game in Macau will be televised on delayed basis by CCTV and NBA TV.
The two games will help Team China prepare for the 15th Asian Games, scheduled for November 27 through December 15 in Doha, Qatar.
“Playing against the defending champions of the D-League provides our national team with a unique opportunity to improve its overall level of competition and gives the players the chance to develop their individual technical skills and talent,” said Mr. Li Yuanwei, CBA Vice President.
“CBA and Infront aim to further develop the standard of China Basketball by giving Chinese players increased exposure to a high level of international basketball, and we certainly appreciate the NBA’s contributions in this regard,” Li continued. “This is especially important for the younger Chinese players who will play a significant role for the future of Chinese Basketball.”
The Albuquerque Thunderbirds are coached by Michael Cooper, who has won titles in all three leagues associated with the NBA. Cooper led the Thunderbirds to last season’s D-League title, and coached the WNBA’s Los Angeles Sparks to back-to-back championships in 2001 and 2002. As a player, Cooper won five NBA titles as a member of the Los Angeles Lakers. The T-Birds are affiliated with the Cleveland Cavaliers, the Indiana Pacers and the Phoenix Suns of the NBA.
“We are pleased to extend our cooperation with the Chinese Basketball Association,” said Mark Fischer, Vice President and Managing Director, NBA China. “The exhibition games with the D-League champion Albuquerque Thunderbirds we hope will provide our fans in China with even more exciting basketball.”
“We are very happy about the cooperation with the NBA Development League. China is already a significant force in world basketball and has outstanding players. We want to see plenty of ties between the CBA and the NBA, because we believe such contacts will drive the sport’s development in China to the next level,” said Paul Wong, General Manager of Infront China.
About the NBA D-League
The NBA Development League includes the Albuquerque Thunderbirds (N.M.), Anaheim Arsenal (Calif.), Arkansas RimRockers (Little Rock), Austin Toros (Texas), Bakersfield Jam (Calif.), Colorado Subject: Team China to play NBA D-League’s Albuquerque Thunderbirds in China Date: November 2, 2006 Page: 2 of 2 14ers (Broomfield), Dakota Wizards (Bismarck, N.D.), Fort Worth Flyers (Texas), Idaho Stampede (Boise), Los Angeles D-Fenders, Sioux Falls Skyforce (S.D.) and Tulsa 66ers (Okla.).
The D-League continues to develop talent from across all disciplines for the NBA’s 30 teams and the entire NBA umbrella. In addition to the assignment of 29 players to D-League affiliates, there were also 18 GATORADE Call-Ups from the D-League to the NBA last season. Additionally, every referee hired by the NBA since 2002 has worked in the D-League, while coaches, athletic trainers and front office executives are also being developed.
Designed to help grow the sport of basketball both domestically and internationally, the D-League also offers fun, family entertainment at affordable prices. For additional information on the NBA Development League, visit NBADLEAGUE.com.
About Infront
Infront Sports & Media, based in Zug, Switzerland, is one of the most experienced international sports marketing companies in the world, with sophisticated skills in television distribution, host broadcast, event operations, brand development and sponsorship marketing. Infront has been expanding rapidly, both organically and through strategic acquisition. It now has over 400 employees across the group, with offices in 10 countries: Austria, Finland, France, Germany, Italy, Sweden, United Kingdom, China, Singapore, plus the Infront Group headquarters in Switzerland.
The group’s agreement with the Chinese Basketball Association (CBA) covers all key aspects of the marketing and technical development of the Chinese national teams. This unique partnership between a Chinese sports body and an international sports marketing company creates tremendous synergy in the promotion of Chinese basketball to the world.