The Sacramento Kings and Indiana Pacers will become the first NBA teams to play in India, the league announced on Thursday.
India will host two preseason games Oct. 4-5 in 2019 at the NSCI Dome in Mumbai.
BREAKING: The #Pacers and @SacramentoKings will play in two preseason games in Mumbai in 2019, marking the first games the NBA has played in India and the first games staged in the country by a North American sports league. pic.twitter.com/iTRASpoBsU
— Indiana Pacers (@Pacers) December 20, 2018
India has the second largest population in the world with over 1.3-billion people but has yet to produce homegrown NBA talent.
A spectacle awaits #NBAGamesInIndia pic.twitter.com/5Yk0uDHF8z
— NBAIndia (@NBAIndia) December 20, 2018
Kings majority owner Vivek Ranadive is of Indian descent and has been pushing for the opportunity to bring the Association into his native land.
The NBA opened an office in Mumbai in 2011 with hopes of further strengthening their presence in Asia.
The professional sports leagues are doing the most to create more revenue.
