? Regular-season games will be played on 4 and 5 March
? NBA looking to expand ahead of 2012 London Games
The NBA announced plans today for its first competitive matches in England when the New Jersey Nets will play Toronto Raptors on 4 and 5 March as the league seeks to expand professional basketball globally ahead of the London 2012 Olympics.
David Stern, the NBA commissioner, said: "To me this is the next step in the progression leading up to the London Olympics, which for us presents an extraordinary opportunity for the continued growth of basketball in Europe and in the UK.
"We consider the UK to be an important market in the NBA's global development. By bringing these two exciting teams to London we are fulfilling our commitment to schedule a regular-season game in the UK prior to the 2012 Olympics ? a natural progression given the overwhelming response to the many [exhibition matches] we have played to sold-out crowds over the years."
Stern also claimed that basketball could yet grow markedly in popularity here. "I think that there's a good possibility that basketball will assume a role that folks in the United Kingdom might never have anticipated. With the Raptors and the Nets [they] are going to have players who might possibly, not certainly, be playing for France, Italy, Spain, Brazil and Lithuania. This is going to demonstrate to us ? based upon the rosters of these two teams as they may even be modified further going into these [Olympic] Games ? the global representation in the sport."
Stern was less clear about whether competitive matches would be played annually in the capital. "Right now I'm not looking much further than March."
Donna Feldman Jodi Lyn OKeefe Emma Watson Amy Smart Sarah Wynter
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