NBA pre-season game in MTL is a slam dunk
This article was published on September 12, 2023.
While Montréal is internationally renowned for the top-notch crop of professional hockey players it produces every year, in recent times it’s also become a prolific breeding ground for pro basketballers. And though the city doesn’t have an NBA franchise (yet!), the rapidly ascendant popularity of the sport among local players and fans alike is undeniable, once more making Montréal a no-brainer for the NBA Canada Series preseason matchup between the Oklahoma City Thunder and the Detroit Pistons.
The court is going to rule
The NBA Canada Series is the National Basketball Association’s annual, marquee preseason live professional basketball event. This ninth edition of the series will feature two games: one in Vancouver and the other in Montréal at the downtown Bell Centre arena (home of the NHL’s storied Montréal Canadiens) on October 12, 2023.
The Oklahoma City Thunder feature Canadians Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and star guard Luguentz Dort, who was born and raised in Montréal. Also of note, the Detroit Pistons will have 2021-22 Kia NBA All-Rookie First Team member Cade Cunningham, 2022-23 Kia NBA All-Rookie Second Team member Jaden Ivey and 2023 No. 5 overall draft pick Ausar Thompson in their lineup. And preseason or not, these games are over the top: last year’s 2022-’23 NBA Canada Series saw the Toronto Raptors eke out a dramatic 137-134 win over the Boston Celtics in front of an electric, sold-out Bell Centre crowd.
MTL brings the ballers
Montréal has been making sports headlines lately for the number of NBA players, many of them first-round draft picks, coming out of the city. Among them are Khem Birch (San Antonio Spurs), Chris Boucher (Toronto Raptors), Benn Mathurin (Indiana Pacers), Olivier-Maxence Prosper (Sacramento Kings) and the aforementioned Luguentz Dort, who plays shooting guard for Oklahoma City, and will doubtless generate an enormous amount of excitement among MTL b-ball players and fans at the NBA Canada Series.
“After growing up and learning to play basketball in Montréal, it will be a special experience to play a warm-up game in my hometown,” Dort said in a press release. “Canada, and particularly Montréal, has some of the best basketball fans in the world. I can't wait to take to the court at the Bell Centre.”
Live your hoop dreams
A range of sweet, premium access NBA Official Experience Packages are available for indulging the hoopheads in your crew. A Rookie package offers an NBA Championship Trophy photo op; the MVP features the photo op plus a post-game party; the Legend has a pre-game, meet-and-greet reception with food and open bar; and, for the win, the Hall of Fame package has the pre-game reception plus courtside seats.
Jamie O'Meara
Jamie O'Meara was the Editor-in-Chief at C2 Montréal and the former Editor-in-Chief of alt-weekly newspaper HOUR Magazine.