Spurs and Heat to feature in NBA Mexico City Game 2022
Game will be the 31st played in Mexico overall, the first since 2019. Miami will return to Mexico for the first time since 2017
The National Basketball Association (NBA) and Zignia today announced that the five-time NBA champion San Antonio Spurs and the three-time NBA champion Miami Heat will play a regular-season game at the Arena CDMX in Mexico City on Saturday, Dec. 17, marking the first NBA Mexico City Game since 2019 and the league’s 31st game in Mexico overall, more than any country outside the U.S. and Canada. The NBA and Zignia will continue to collaborate on future NBA initiatives in Mexico over the next several years.
Tickets for The NBA Mexico City Game 2022 will go on sale at a later date. Beginning today and through Saturday, Sept. 3, fans interested in attending the game can register their interest in tickets and receive access to an exclusive ticket pre-sale by visiting www.nbaenmexico.com.
The Spurs are led by five-time NBA champion head coach Gregg Popovich, who during the 2021-22 season became the winningest coach in NBA history, and currently feature 2020 Olympic gold medalist Keldon Johnson, 2022 No. 9 overall pick Jeremy Sochan, and 2021 No. 12 overall pick Joshua Primo. The Heat are coached by Erik Spoelstra, who has led the franchise to two NBA championships, and currently feature six-time NBA All-Star Jimmy Butler, 2020 NBA All-Star and three-time All-Defensive Second Team member Bam Adebayo, and 2021-22 Kia Sixth Man of the Year Tyler Herro.
The NBA Mexico City Game 2022 will air live in Mexico on ESPN, TUDN and NBA League Pass, the league’s premium live game subscription service. The game will reach fans in more than 200 countries and territories around the world on television, digital media and social media. Leading up to the game, the league and its partners will also conduct interactive fan events and NBA Cares community outreach initiatives. The game and surrounding events will be supported by a roster of marketing and merchandising partners, including AT&T, Gatorade, Hennessy, Nike, SAP and Tissot, with additional partners to be announced in the coming months.
The Spurs made their debut in Mexico in October 1994 with two preseason games at the Palacio de los Deportes. Overall, the Spurs have played six games in Mexico, most recently a 121-119 overtime win against the Phoenix Suns as part of The NBA Mexico City Games 2019. The matchup will mark the Heat’s second game in Mexico, after defeating the Brooklyn Nets 101-89 as part of The NBA Mexico City Games 2017.
The NBA Mexico City Game 2022 will also mark the 30th anniversary of the league’s first game in the country, which featured the Houston Rockets and the Dallas Mavericks playing a preseason game at Mexico’s Palacio de los Deportes in October 1992. Overall, 22 NBA teams have played preseason and regular-season games in Mexico.