NBA, Developer To Team Up To Build Arenas In China

Posted by Stephen Rhodes under Main

In what can be perceived as an effort to increase brand awareness in China, according to the Associated Press, the NBA and Anschultz Entertainment Group (AEG) have formed a joint venture to design and develop about a dozen multi-purpose arenas in several Chinese cities; the project was announced this past Sunday at the O2 Arena in London, England, where the New Jersey Nets and Miami Heat had played a preseason game. Not coincidentally, AEG happens to run the O2 Arena and the NBA and AEG will have equal ownership of the proposed venture.

NBA commissioner David Stern did not mention when the project would start or where in mainland China the buildings would be located; however, he did add,

“We weren’t going to start construction in the next couple of weeks. We anticipate that in a relatively short order we will have laid out a road map of a dozen buildings or so throughout China.”

AEG president and CEO Timothy J. Leiweke, in a joint news conference with Stern making the venture announcement, added that it could possibly take decades for the project to be completed. Stern also mentioned that he was hoping that the recent financial meltdown would not affect the progress of the proposed project.

The proposed project is a strong indication that Stern would like to see more NBA games played outside of the US and Canada; besides basketball events, the new facilities will be designed with other amenities in mind (shopping, restaurants, hotels, residential, etc.).

Updates, Fresh From the Oven, Straight to Your Inbox