AP Photo/Tony Gutierrez
The 2023-24 NBA season is best around the corner, and the league dropped its preseason schedule Wednesday.
The NBA preseason will open overseas on Oct. 5 with a match in between the Dallas Mavericks and Minnesota Timberwolves at Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi. The 2 groups will reunite in the United Arab Emirates on Oct. 7.
The NBA revealed in May that the Mavericks and Timberwolves would play 2 preseason video games in Abu Dhabi as part of a multiyear partnership in between the NBA and DCT Abu Dhabi.
During the 2022-23 preseason, the Atlanta Hawks and Milwaukee Bucks participated in the league’s very first video games in the Persian Gulf.
In addition to playing in Abu Dhabi, the Mavericks will play a preseason video game versus ruling EuroLeague champ Real Madrid at the WiZink Center in Madrid, Spain, on Oct. 10.
It’s an unique match for Luka Dončić, who signed with Real Madrid when he was 13 prior to ending up being the youngest-ever EuroLeague and EuroLeague Final Four MVP in 2018 when he was simply 19 years of ages.
Another emphasize of the preseason schedule is a match in between the Utah Jazz and Los Angeles Clippers at Stan Sherriff Center in Honolulu, Hawai’i, on Oct. 8. The earnings from the video game will be contributed to the Hawai’i Community Foundation’s Maui Strong Fund to benefit wildfire relief.
The Canadian cities of Montreal and Vancouver will likewise hold preseason matches. The Toronto Raptors will satisfy the Sacramento Kings on Oct. 8 at Rogers Arena in Vancouver and the Oklahoma City Thunder will handle the Detroit Pistons on Oct. 12 at Bell Centre in Montreal.
The Raptors have a natural connection to Vancouver, being found in Toronto, however the match in between the Thunder and Pistons will include among the most popular Canadian stars in Shai Gilgeous-Alexander.
The 2023-24 routine season pointers off on Oct. 24.
