NBA Global Games 2014: Complete Schedule and Games to Watch
The NBA preseason is underway, and less than a month remains before the regular season kicks off in the Association.
With the return of exhibition play comes another installment of exciting, overseas action, courtesy of the NBA's Global Games. In an effort to connect with fans around the world, the league has arranged for five teams to participate in five games in countries around the world.
| October 8 | Berlin, Germany | 2:00 p.m. ET | San Antonio Spurs vs. Alba Berlin | NBA TV |
| October 11 | Istanbul, Turkey | 12:00 p.m. ET | San Antonion Spurs vs. Fenerbahce Ulker Istanbul | NBA TV |
| October 11 | Rio de Janeiro, Brazil | 5:00 p.m. ET | Cleveland Cavaliers vs. Miami Heat | N/A |
| October 12 | Shanghai, China | 1:00 a.m. ET | Brooklyn Nets vs. Sacramento Kings | NBA TV |
| October 15 | Beijing, China | 7:30 a.m. ET | Brooklyn Nets vs. Sacramento Kings | NBA TV |
With teams like the defending champion Spurs, the second-place Miami Heat and the new Eastern Conference powerhouse Cavaliers, the Global Games should provide fans with plenty of entertainment.
This comes on the heels of Israeli club Maccabi Tel Aviv arriving stateside for a matchup with the Cavs—one Cleveland won handily:
Maccabi will play one more contest in Brooklyn on Tuesday before heading back overseas.
As for the NBA teams overseas, make sure to tune in to these big matchups.
San Antonio Spurs vs. Alba Berlin from Berlin, Germany
The opener of the NBA Global Games schedule takes place Wednesday in Germany's capital city and features the defending NBA champions.
The game marks the Spurs' first contest since winning the NBA title in June.
Having the Spurs travel overseas to represent the league seems fitting.
Not only is the NBA showing the rest of the world that it's willing to send its premier clubs to other countries, but the Spurs epitomize the rise of international basketball:
The team is sure to be welcomed with enthusiasm in both Berlin and Istanbul thanks to that international contingent.
For fans back in North America, this game provides the first glimpse into the 2014-15 Spurs.
How will this team set up, and how much will they use players like Tim Duncan, Tony Parker and Manu Ginobili?
This game should help whet the appetite of those waiting to see the champs embark on their title defense.
Cleveland Cavaliers vs. Miami Heat from Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
This one is a must-watch for a number of reasons.
First, and foremost, it represents the first time that LeBron James will face off against the Heat—the team he went to four consecutive NBA Finals with, winning two of them.
That storyline alone makes it worth watching.
Then there's the fact that Anderson Varejao—a native of Brazil—will be playing his first ever game on home soil.
Cleveland play-by-play man Fred McLeod tweeted that the big man is having some fun with it as well:
It's not all fun and games, though, as Varejao still has plenty to play for, per Jason Lloyd of the Akron Beacon Journal:
Then there's the fact that this will only be the second game that James, Kevin Love and Kyrie Irving play together—and the first against another NBA squad.
Brooklyn Nets vs. Sacramento Kings from Shanghai and Beijing, China
This matchup will be played twice in three days from two different cities in China.
The main storyline to follow will certainly be whether the Nets can repeat last year's success, when they reached the second round of the NBA playoffs before bowing out in five games against the Heat.
With another year tacked onto the bodies of Kevin Garnett and Deron Williams, and no more Paul Pierce—who was one of the team's leaders in the 2014 postseason and recorded the series-clinching block in Game 7 against the Raptors—questions abound as to whether this team can remain competitive.
Then there's the drama that took place this offseason.
First, there was the Jason Kidd saga that saw him bolt for Milwaukee:
Then, just before the preseason, reports surfaced that Russian billionaire owner Mikhail Prokhorov may be looking to sell the franchise:
Now Pierce has come out to stir the pot further, claiming that the Nets didn't even offer him a contract this offseason:
What a mess.
Usually a team's preseason results don't mean all that much, but for this Brooklyn team, a poor showing in exhibition play could really cause some unrest.
Beating the up-and-coming Kings in China could go a long way to settling some nerves in Brooklyn.
Even if they're just symbolic preseason victories.
Jon Reid is a correspondent for Bleacher Report. Follow him on Twitter @JonReidCSM.
