NBA Mexico City Game 2024: Miami Heat to take on Washington Wizards on November 2 regular season matchupÂ
The NBA is returning to Mexico City in November with a clash between the Miami Heat and the Washington Wizards on Nov. 2. The league announced the decision on Friday, following a long line of tradition that has seen the league make the trip to Mexico City since 1992.
Both the Heat and the Wizards have competed in the league's Mexico City games in the past. Miami has played twice before, while the Wizards have played three times.
Local fans will also be celebrating Dia de los Muertos, also known as the Day of the Dead. On the holiday, friends and family members get together to remember those who have died while paying their respects and celebrating them.
The league announced the news of the game at a fan event hosted in Mexico in honor of the finals. The league notably didn't include a start time for the game. However, it will be available to fans on ESPN and NBA League Pass.
NBA Mexico Senior Vice President and Managing Director Raul Zarraga spoke about the situation.
"Bringing the Heat and the Wizards to Mexico City next season in conjunction with 'Dia de los Muertos' will mark another special milestone in the NBA's long history in Mexico," Zarraga said (via NBA.com).
"The game and surrounding events will serve as the ultimate celebration of the NBA for fans in Mexico and across Latin America at a time when the momentum around basketball in the region is at an all-time high."
Looking at the NBA's potential expansion into Mexico City
Of course, this year's Mexico City trip for the league comes amid talk of an expansion.
Earlier in the week, while speaking to media members ahead of the finals broadcast on ABC, Adam Silver spoke about the situation. While he did name Mexico City as a possibility for an expansion team, he named Seattle and Las Vegas as two major possibilities.
In addition, Silver explained that while Mexico City could be an expansion destination one day, the league has received interest from other US and Canadian cities. Given that, it sounds like, despite Mexico City being on the league's radar, it could be some time before the city gets its own NBA team.
In the past, when dealing with an expansion, the league has added a range of teams to the NBA. For example, the most recent expansion in 2004 added the Charlotte Bobcats to the league. However, the 1995 expansion added two new teams.
With that in mind, it will be interesting to see how many teams the league decides to add once talk of an expansion gains momentum.