NBA

Hawks and Magic selected to play a regular-season match in Mexico City this November

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Antonio Kozlow
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Antonio Kozlow Sports Editor

Antonio is a life long sports enthusiast and professional journalist, who shares an obssesive urge to find and dig up the most interesting facts to guide gamblers towards more exciting, yet safe bets. In his own words, ''you can never really know enough about the things you love''.

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Updated26 Jul 2023

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Both the NBA and Zignia have jointly announced that the next Mexico City match will feature the Orlando Magic and the Atlanta Hawks facing off each other in a regular-season contest at the Arena CDMX in the nation’s capital on November 9.

Ever since the first NBA game was celebrated in Mexico back in 1992, this next clash will mark the league’s 32nd there, which is the most any country has ever hosted besides Canada and the United States.

“With the Magic having been to London twice, Japan, China, Brazil and Mexico City previously, we love representing the NBA and the City of Orlando when we have the opportunity to play in these Global Games,” said Magic CEO Alex Martins. “We’ve had the opportunity to be in Mexico City before, and we know the passion of the fans and are really looking forward to bringing our team back to Mexico City to play.”

As Orlando will be playing their fourth-ever match in Mexico since 2012, they will present team stars like current Kia NBA Rookie of the Year Paolo Banchero, the 2017 No. 1 overall pick Markelle Fultz and 2021/22 All-Rookie First Team member Franz Wagner.

As for the Hawks, who will be playing their first contest in Mexico, will feature All-Stars Trae Young and Dejounte Murray who have led the franchise to three consecutive playoff runs.

“It is always a privilege to showcase our team, the city of Atlanta and the NBA in the Global Games. We had an incredible time last year starting the season in the first NBA Abu Dhabi Games and we are excited to connect with the fans in Mexico City and experience the wonderful culture there,” said Hawks CEO Steve Koonin.

The NBA Mexico City Game 2023 will air live from the neighbouring country on ESPN, Star+, TUDN and the NBA League Pass, the premium-live platform that is currently reaching more than 200 countries on television and social media.

Mexico City prepares for a week-long basketball spectacle that will conclude with a G League Showcase

“We’re excited to welcome the Hawks and Magic to Mexico City next season and give our passionate fans the opportunity to see some of the brightest young stars in the game.  There is so much momentum around basketball in Mexico, and this game and the surrounding events will serve as the ultimate celebration of the NBA for fans across the country and throughout Latin America,” said Raul Zarraga, the VP for NBA Mexico.

As part of the G League’s Showcase Cup, the Mexico City Capitanes will host the Osceola Magic to conclude the week-long celebration of basketball events on November 10.

In last year’s edition, Jimmy Butler scored 26 points in Mexico City as the Heat beat the San Antonio Spurs:

“We are thrilled to celebrate the next NBA regular-season game in Mexico in November,” expressed Zignia Director Alejandro Arce. “Arena CDMX is the home of sports in Mexico, and the synergy we have with the NBA has generated great results over the years.  We’re thankful for the support of the league, the teams and, of course, the Mexican fans for making this happen.”

This majestic event will be supported by a package of global-scale brands like Gatorade, Nike, Tissot, AT&T and others, as more marketing partners are to be announced in the coming weeks.