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Spurs, Timberwolves to play in Mexico City; Nets, Hawks to play in London

The Magic and Hornets played a preseason game in Mexico last October, and the Spurs and Timberwolves will return for a regular season game in December as part of the NBA's Global Games schedule. (Layne Murdoch/Getty Images)

The Magic and Hornets played a preseason game in Mexico last October, and the Spurs and Timberwolves will return for a regular season game in December as part of the NBA's Global Games schedule. (Layne Murdoch/Getty Images)

The NBA announced it will send the San Antonio Spurs and Minnesota Timberwolves to Mexico City in December to play a regular season game and the Brooklyn Nets and Atlanta Hawks to London in January 2014 as part of its Global Games schedule.

The Spurs-Wolves game will be played at the Mexico City Arena on Dec. 4, the 21st NBA game ever in Mexico. The Nets-Hawks game will be played the following month on Jan. 16 at the 02 Arena in London, site of the 2012 summer Olympic Games, making it the 12th game the NBA has held in England since 1993. The pair of games marks the first time in NBA history that the league has scheduled two regular season games outside the U.S. and Canada in the same season.

The full 2013-14 NBA Global Games schedule now includes a total of 12 NBA teams playing 10 regular season and preseason games in 10 cities in seven countries and territories.  The schedule includes two preseason games in China between the Los Angeles Lakers and Golden State Warriors scheduled for October and a game in Brazil between the Chicago Bulls and Washington Wizards on Oct. 12.

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NBA Commissioner David Stern, who is set to retire in February and hand the reins to NBA Deputy Commissioner and COO Adam Silver, said the schedule of games worldwide will help promote the league as a truly global brand:

“With the addition of regular-season games in London and Mexico City, we will play one of the most comprehensive international games schedules in our history next season. Through these games, we will bring the NBA experience to more fans and provide showcases for basketball and the extraordinary talent and athleticism of our players.”

Once next season wraps up, the NBA will have held 148 regular season and preseason games in 20 countries across Europe, the Americas and Asia dating back to 1978.

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