NBA is Coming to Venetian Macau

Written on March 30, 2007 by admin

Las Vegas Sands Corp., parent company of The Venetian Macao Resort Hotel, the National Basketball Association and the Chinese Basketball Association announced today that The Venetian Macao will serve as the host of the first NBA event to be played in Macao. NBA China Games 2007 will feature the Orlando Magic playing the China Men’s National Team on October 18th. On October 20th, the Magic will face off against LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers. Both games will be played at The Venetian Macao’s new 15,000-seat arena.

“As promised, our continued partnership with the NBA is helping us bring top-quality, professional sports to Macao. We are also in the midst of finalizing deals that will bring other exciting sporting events, popular touring shows, major concerts, and a variety of special events to the region,” said William P. Weidner, president and chief operating officer of Las Vegas Sands Corp. “This is a major step in helping reposition Macao as a must-see destination. The pieces continue to be assembled and when The Venetian Macao, and its combination of exciting shopping, dining, leisure, recreation, and business and convention amenities opens this summer, the puzzle will be complete.”

The NBA China Games 2007 will tip-off on October 17th with a game between the Cavaliers and the Magic in Shanghai at the Qizhong Forest Sport City arena.

NBA China Games 2007 will be the league’s second set of preseason games in China since 2004 when the NBA became the first American professional sports league to stage games in China. The inaugural China Games featured two match-ups between the Houston Rockets and the Sacramento Kings in Shanghai and Beijing.

“The NBA has received tremendous support from the Chinese Basketball Association, the sports authorities of Shanghai and Macau, and The Venetian Macao Resort Hotel in order to bring NBA teams and competitions back to China,” said Heidi Ueberroth, NBA president of global business operations. “Our fans will get to see first hand exciting match-ups featuring some of the best young players in the NBA and in China and we are pleased to continue our efforts to grow the game with our partners in China.”

At a press conference in Shanghai, China, Mark Brown, president of The Venetian Macao, said the creation of the first-ever Cotai Strip Cup(TM) played in Macao in November 2006 between the NBA Development League’s Albuquerque Thunderbirds and the China Men’s National Team and the sponsorship of the NBA All-Star Game broadcast on CCTV are other steps The Venetian Macao has already taken to bring new and exciting events to the region. “Our plan to open The Venetian Macao this summer is on track and we are very eager to showcase the varied entertainment lineup we are establishing,” added Brown.

All three games will be carried live on CCTV 5 and Great Sports Channel of SMG. The games will be televised to more than 200 countries around the world, including the United States.

The Venetian Macao will be one of the largest hotels in Asia and will be Macao’s first true mega-resort. It will feature 3,000 all-suite rooms, 1.2 million-square feet of meeting, convention and exhibition space, world-class entertainment in a 15,000-seat arena, and an impressive array of dining, shopping, and recreation options.

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