Manchester Pushing to Host Regular-Season NBA Game after Acquiring Friendly

February 27, 2012

Following the decision to allow Manchester to host a high profile International Basketball game between the USA and Great Britain, the Manchester City Council are looking to acquire a regular-season NBA game.

The USA Olympic teams – men and women – will play their British counterparts at the Manchester Arena on July 18 and 19 in a pre-London 2012 warm-up games.

And an NBA exhibition match between two as yet unnamed teams from the world’s top league is due take place in Manchester next year.

But City Council chiefs want to secure a fully competitive league contest – rather than a friendly – to be played in front of the Manchester public. Representatives from the City Council, in attendance at the this weekend’s NBA All-Star extravangaza in Orlando, confirmed their intentions to extend their exciting partnership with US basketball that saw Altanta Dream play GB women last year in the first of three confirmed events.

“We are keen to have a meaningful relationship with the NBA year on year after 2013,” said Neil Fairlamb, the council’s head of sport. “We want a regular-season game. We like the pre-season stuff but we want a competitive game and we’re talking to the NBA about what might be possible. “We’re going to be in discussions with them.”

by Ismail Uddin