Although the NBA might not feel as far away as it once did for younger versions of Franz and Moe Wagner now in the modern era of social media, Thursday’s Magic game in Berlin, along with Sunday’s rematch in London against the Grizzlies, still represents a major step in global growth for the sport, the league and Orlando.
The pair of international matchups mark the first time the NBA is hosting two regular-season games in two European cities in the same season.
And it’s not just Germany and United Kingdom that were excited to welcome the Magic and Grizzlies with open arms. Fans from 62 countries will attend the two games, a record for any NBA event anywhere in the world, according to the league.
It’s an opportunity the Magic not only couldn’t pass up but have been preparing for a number of years.
“The global games are always huge for us,” Magic president of business operations Charlie Freeman said earlier this week. “This will be the third time going back to London, but first time in Berlin.”
It’ll also be the first time Memphis plays in Berlin, too.
While much of the focus in Berlin is on the hometown return of the Wagner brothers, along with fellow German forward Tristan da Silva, the league wants all of its 30 teams to play internationally, and both sides expressed interest from the jump, according to Kelly Flatow, the NBA’s global head of events.
“Everyone of these players, kids look up to and (they are) there inspiring future generations of basketball players,” Flatow told the Orlando Sentinel over the phone Wednesday. “And it’s showing in the numbers. We’re the most popular U.S. sports league here in the UK and Germany. Basketball is the fastest growing participatory sport in both markets.
“And this is not a one-off,” she added. “It’s a culmination of year-round efforts and decades of work we’ve put in to grow the game and the sport.”
By the end of this trip, the Magic will have played 15 games all time outside of the U.S. and Canada. Since 1993, the Magic have played seven preseason games and six regular season games in the countries of London, Japan, China, Mexico City, and Brazil.
“We have done, as a league, such a great job in pushing the game globally,” Freeman said. “Really, it comes down to the players. When you look at the last, I think, six or seven MVPs, (they) have been international. And as you look at the total percentage makeup, it’s close to 35% of international players.
“So, we’re just traveling where our fans are, and it’s been a great strategy,” he added.
The Magic hope some of those same fans travel back to Central Florida, too. It’s been a strategic focus of the franchise the past two decades, Freeman said.
“We have really wanted fans when they come over to enjoy a Magic game and make them Magic fans when they go back home,” he said. “With our trips in the past … it’s about bringing people back to Orlando, and when they’re here, why not catch a Magic game?
“I know a lot of people in the U.S. like to go over and catch a Premier League soccer game and (it’s) no different when they come this way, we want them to catch an NBA game,” he added.
For the league as a whole, the pair of contests represent the NBA’s 98th and 99th game in Europe.
And it’s just not the games where the sport is spread. Through the week, the league is hosting variety of interactive fan events, youth basketball development and social impact programming.
In both cities, the Magic and the Grizzlies, alongside the NBA, are hosting a series of youth basketball development programming that will reach more than 2,500 youth, coaches and referees from across Germany and more than 5,000 youth, coaches and referees from across the UK.
NBAE/Getty Images
Magic Hall of Famer Dwight Howard interacts with local youth at an NBA Social Responsibility clinic in Berlin, Germany on Wednesday. (NBAE/Getty Images)
“Ninety-nine percent of fans will never be able to come to an NBA arena and see an NBA game, so this is an opportunity for us to create authentic NBA experiences outside of the game itself,” Flatow said. “It’s not just the games themselves, but the games are the crescendo of that.”
The league hopes the same way Hall of Famer Dirk Nowitzki inspired the Wagner brothers, the duo in turn inspire the next generation of German and European players.
It’s why the NBA is heading to London on Sunday, Manchester in 2027 and back to Paris in ’27 and 2028.
“It is an opportunity for us to showcase, not just to the local fans but to our fans around the world, the growth of our game,” Flatow said.
Jason Beede can be reached at jbeede@orlandosentinel.com
Up next …
Magic vs. Grizzlies
When: Noon, Sunday, The O2 Arena (London)
TV: Amazon Prime Video