Report: Indiana Pacers vs. Houston Rockets in the Philippines Next Season

The NBA is becoming a global phenomenon right before our eyes, and its popularity has expanded across the oceans to different continents.

Commissioner David Stern has speculated (via ESPN Radio with Scott Van Pelt and Ryen Rusillo) that there would be NBA teams situated in Europe in the next 20 years, and that just illustrates how much the league has influenced the entire globe.

Now, the NBA's mission to spread basketball to all those who adore the sport has gone to a whole new level. 

InterAKTV has reported that the Indiana Pacers and Houston Rockets will play their first preseason game of the 2013-14 season at SM MOA Arena in the Philippines.

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The SM Mall of Asia Arena will host the first-ever preseason exhibition game between two NBA teams in Philippine shores.

InterAKTV has learned that the Houston Rockets and the Indiana Pacers are set to do battle at the venue on October 10.

A new conference has been scheduled on Tuesday to announce the details of the game.

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This isn't the first time they've played in the Philippines. In 1979, the Washington Bullets played against some players of the Philippine Basketball Assocation in a few exhibition matches. However, the two leagues haven't played any organized basketball since.

We've seen NBA teams play preseason and even regular season games in European countries for the past several seasons, but a friendly match-up along the shores of the Philippines is something totally out of the ordinary.

Clearly, this is the direction that the league is heading in. They want to become a worldwide brand and be recognized by everyone across the globe.

The commissioner saw this coming and predicted the NBA would expand beyond just North America. If new teams were created in other countries, it would certainly be an interesting adventure for players and coaches.