The NBA had a history of playing games in Japan and now it appears like the league will be going back there, as the Toronto Raptors and the Houston Rockets will play two preseason games against each other at the Saitama Super Arena on Oct. 8 and Oct. 10. This will be the first time the NBA has gone to Japan since the 2003 season and it appears as though the league is excited about the opportunity.
"Bringing NBA preseason games to Japan will help accelerate the growth of basketball in a country that features a thriving sports culture and one of the world's largest economies," NBA commissioner Adam Silver explained in a statement.
This year the NBA has announced they will be running a league in Africa, which just goes to show that the NBA is making a real effort to go global and have a presence all around the world.
"The Raptors are proud to represent the NBA, Canada, and the city of Toronto as we head to Tokyo in October," Toronto president Masai Ujiri said in a statement. "You have only to look at our organization to know that we truly believe basketball is a global game. We come from all over the world, and we are all connected through the love of our sport. We are looking forward to sharing that with basketball fans in Japan."
The matchup should be an interesting one considering both teams are among the league's best.