The Philadelphia 76ers will take their game international this fall as they play a preseason game in Mexico.
The Sixers will match up with Shaquille O'Neal, Steve Nash and the Phoenix Suns for the 2009 NBA Mexico Game. The game will be played Oct. 18 in Monterrey.
The preseason showcase is part of the NBA's push to spread basketball internationally. (For the sake of argument we won't include the games they play in Toronto, Canada each season as international.)
It's only preseason but the NBA showed something by choosing to internationally showcase the Sixers. Maybe they see some marketing potential in guys like Andre Iguodala and Thaddeus Young.
But let's be honest the game was more likely picked to feature the star-heavy Suns. Fans around the globe know players like Shaq, Nash and Amar'e Stoudemire the same can't be said for the Sixers' Jason Smith and Royal Ivey.
"We're thrilled about the opportunity to bring some of the NBA's most exciting teams and accomplished players to Monterrey," said NBA Senior Vice President of International Development and Partnerships Emilio Collins.
Collins likely wasn't talking about the Sixers when he said "accomplished" but heck the Sixers should still see getting picked to play this game as an honor.
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"Our fans in Mexico are some of the most passionate in the world, and this year's NBA Mexico Game is sure to provide them with an unforgettable NBA experience,” said Collins.
If any hardcore Sixers faithful want to be part of that preseason experience (and know Spanish) they can buy tickets on June 1 at the Arena Monterrey Web site.
Everyone else in the Philly area can just ignore this game like most preseason Sixers games.
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