The Hawks will travel 4,204 miles just to play a home game.
The team was to depart for London on Monday evening for the 17th NBA regular-season game played outside the United States and Canada. The Hawks will “host” the Nets Thursday afternoon at London’s O2 Arena.
This season the NBA scheduled two regular-season games in two different countries, a league first, as part of its Global Games initiative. However, the Timberwolves-Spurs game in Mexico City on Dec. 4 had to be canceled when a generator malfunction filled the arena with smoke.
Stand by mechanical engineers.
Hawks coach Mike Budenholzer made several trips abroad for exhibition games while an assistant with the Spurs. Most recently, he was with the team when it traveled to Mexico City in 2010.
The Hawks’ game with the Nets presents a much different challenge. It comes in the middle of the season. And it counts. And you thought the West Coast swing was tough.
“That adds a little different element or dynamic to it, to play a game that matters,” Budenholzer said. “It’s been a really positive experience for me and for teams in general, to spend time together and experience another culture, another place. There are a lot of positives that can come from a trip like this.”
The Hawks are scheduled to land in London Tuesday morning on a charter with more than 100 players, coaches, officials, support staff and families. Between practices and the game, the coaches and players will have sightseeing opportunities at Parliament and Big Ben, Westminster Abbey, Piccadilly Circus and a tour of the Chelsea FC. There are also scheduled appearances at NBA Cares, the league’s global initiative, and tipoff party events.
Not to be lost is a rather important Eastern Conference game that could have draft-pick ramifications. This is the only home game for the Hawks in the season series. They lost in Brooklyn last week and play there again next month. The Nets arrived in London Monday.
“We’ve had some meetings and talked about it, to do our best to get some practices in and keep them fresh but also have some experiences for the team and for them as human beings and individuals to see the world,” Budenholzer said. “Hopefully we have a good balance and we are ready to play, which is the most important thing.”
The first regular-season games to be played overseas were a two-game series between the Suns and Jazz Nov. 2-3, 1990, in Tokyo. The NBA has scheduled many other games, mostly exhibitions and preseason dates, in a continued effort to build the game globally.
This season, the league scheduled 12 teams to play 10 regular-season and preseason games in 10 cities in seven countries and territories. The Bulls, Warriors, Rockets, Pacers, Lakers, Thunder, 76ers and Wizards all played abroad. Games were held in Turkey, Spain, England, Philippines, Taiwan and Brazil.
“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,” NBA Commissioner David Stern said in a statement when the schedule was released.
NBA Global Games London 2014 will be the 12th game in the city since 1993. The Hawks took part in the first exhibition games in London, playing two games against the Magic (Oct. 30-31, 1993). In July 1988, the Hawks played internationally for the first time when they traveled to the USSR for three contests against the Soviet National team, going 2-1.
According to the league, with the Hawks-Nets game, it will have staged 147 games (regular season and preseason) in 20 countries and territories across Europe, the Americas and Asia since 1978. The league will also have played a total of 17 regular-season games in London, Mexico City and Tokyo dating back to 1990.
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