The NBA will return to Japan this summer. The Golden State Warriors and the Washington Wizards will play two preseason games in Japan, which will take place at the Saitama Arena on September 30 and October 2.
So far, 14 NBA team games have been played in Japan, which was in fact the first non-North American country to host not just a league game, but any American sports competition. This happened on November 2, 1990, when the Phoenix Suns and the Utah Jazz met in Tokyo with victory for Arizona.
On this occasion, it will be the current champions who visit the country, taking advantage of the great pull that their recent successes have given them and the enormous phenomenon that Stephen Curry generates throughout the world. On the other hand, the Wizards have Rui Hachimura, the only Japanese player in the league right now, so they seem like a logical choice to give the hosts more incentive to watch.
(Cover photo: Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images)
