The new offices of the National Basketball Association (NBA) in Mexico City offer a dynamic and playful environment, allowing visitors and employees to experiment different experiences throughout their visit and workday. MEXICO CITY -- The NBA G League will welcome its first franchise from outside the United States and Canada starting next year, when the Mexico City-based Capitanes make their debut as the league's 29th team. "I think [the timing] is indicative of the great things that are happening here and with the Mexican economy.". But it's not an NBA city. Support our journalism. Home / NBA Events - Latin America / NBA Mexico City Games. Calling it a "historic milestone for the NBA," commissioner Adam Silver made the announcement moments before the league kicked off its latest iteration of the Global Games in Mexico City with the Dallas Mavericks and Detroit Pistons facing off at the Arena Ciudad de Mexico. "It's an honor to for Capitanes to be the 29th team in the G League and the first in Mexico," Hernández said. First, the nearly 9 million people in the city and the 20 million in the metro area would make it the biggest market in the league. This was the same facility in which the United States basketball team won the gold medal in the 1968 Olympics. The Capitanes will continue to play in the 5,000-seat Gimnasio Juan de la Barrera, a venue that hosted volleyball at the 1968 Summer Olympic Games. Compare this to Europe or Asia’s major time differences. The club, founded in 2016 and based in Mexico City, will become the 29th G League team after reaching a five-year agreement with the NBA. The team plays their home games in the Gimnasio Juan de la Barrera. In December 1994, the Mexican peso crashed, losing half of its value against the U.S. dollar, ultimately costing over a million Mexicans their jobs in the recession that followed. The team will play its NBA G-League home games at the Gimnasio Juan de la Barrera in Mexico City. On February 10, 1995 the team lost 159-154 to the Tri-City Chinook in double overtime; this, despite the fact that Mexico City was nearly one hundred times the size of the Chinook's home of Kennewick, Washington, possibly the largest disparity in North American sports history. They played just 21 games there (with a 4-17 record in front of much smaller crowds than the ones in Mexico) before folding in January 1996. He was joined by G League president Shareef Abdur-Rahim; Raúl Zárraga, the managing director of NBA Mexico; and Capitanes co-owners Patricio Garza and Gilberto Hernández. The team will play its NBA G League home games at the Gimnasio Juan de la Barrera in Mexico City. The NBA is set to establish a G league franchise in Mexico City, according to reports. The Mexico Aztecas (or Mexico City Aztecs, Aztecas de México) team was a professional basketball team in the Continental Basketball Association (CBA). The NBA G League and Capitanes, a professional basketball team based in Mexico City, today announced that Capitanes will join the NBA G League as its first team … Capitanes becomes the NBA G League’s 29th team and will make its debut for the 2020-21 season. The NBA returned to Mexico with two regular-season games! Games wouldn’t need to take place at odd hours. The NBA first ventured into Mexico in 1992, with a preseason game between the Houston Rockets and the Mavericks taking place at the Palacio de los Deportes in Mexico City. [1][2], The Aztecas played their home games at the Palacio de los Deportes (Sports Palace), where they were supported by a popular cheerleading squad. The College Park Skyhawks, affiliated with the Atlanta Hawks, recently began their inaugural season in College Park, Georgia, this year after the franchise played its first two seasons in Erie, Pennsylvania. The league most recently expanded in 2004, when the Charlotte Bobcats joined. An NBA team in Mexico could also operate as a regional hub for Latin American talent by exploiting social and cultural similarities. Nikola Vucevic records a double-double of 15 points and 19 rebounds as the Orlando Magic dispatch the Utah Jazz 96-89. The team will play its NBA G League home games at the Gimnasio Juan de … The G league serves as the official minor league to the NBA. In 2013, when the New Orleans Hornets rebranded as the Pelicans, the Bobcats regained the Hornets' branding and inherited the team's history dating to 1989. It’s complicated to get that teams because a problem of Relative Prices. Mack Calvin was named the new head coach and general manager. Despite a 19-37 record (missing the playoffs), the Aztecas' home attendance was huge by CBA standards, with several announced crowds over 9,000. On Saturday, the Phoenix Suns will face the San Antonio Spurs in Mexico City, capping the first occasion on which four NBA teams make the trip south of the border. An NBA expansion team in Mexico City makes a ton of sense on a couple of fronts. The Capitanes competed as a member club in the Liga Nacional de Baloncesto Profesional (LNBP) and has been announced to join the NBA G League for the 2021–22 season. "This is a historic moment, not just for our organization, but also for basketball in Mexico as well as our passionate fans.". Capitanes becomes the NBA G League’s 29 th team and will make its debut for the 2020-21 season. "We have an opportunity to create Mexico's team.". One of the largest cities in the Western Hemisphere, Mexico City has a significant fan interest in basketball. In their two seasons, they've made the final series twice, losing both times. The NBA announced Thursday that Capitanes, a professional basketball team based in Mexico City, will join the NBA G League as its first team from outside the U.S. and Canada. In 1994, the owner of the Fargo-Moorhead Fever, Doug Logan, decided to move his team to the Mexican capital; in earlier incarnations, the club had played as the Detroit Spirits (1982/83 to 1985/86), the Savannah Spirits (1986/87 to 1987/88), the Tulsa Fast Breakers (1988/89 to 1990/91) and the Tulsa Zone (1991/92). [4] But it wasn't enough to keep the team south of the border. Update #1, 8:29 pm: The league has published a press release formally announcing the addition. [5] Logan could not afford another season in Mexico. During the design process KMD worked side by side with NBA’s staff in an effort to know and improve their needs. The Capitanes have a … Of that group, only Nájera played in more than 140 career games. They will not be associated with any NBA franchise as of now, Silver announced. The NBA's G League has already added the Capitanes, the 29th team in the league that will play next season at the Gimnasio Juan de la Barrera in Mexico City. "The assumption is Portland and Denver will be adding teams over time.". A professional basketball team from the Mexican league will join the NBA… The closest team would 700 miles away( The Spurs), and you're looking at about 1,500 miles to play teams in Los Angeles, and 2,500 miles to NY. "I'm proud to welcome the Capitanes to the G League and hope to watch them here next season.". The Erie Bayhawks, who play as the New Orleans Pelicans' affiliate, will move to Birmingham, Alabama, starting in the 2022 season. Commissioner Adam Silver spoke ahead of the first of the On September 20, 1995, the Aztecas announced their move to San Diego, as the San Diego Wildcards. December 12, 2019 – The Dallas Mavericks defeated the Detroit Pistons, 122 to 111. The list of NBA players who were born in Mexico is rather short – the league’s four Mexican-born players have been Eduardo Nájera, Gustavo Ayón, Jorge Gutiérrez, and Horacio Llamas. That's just way too much travel time, and not to mention security, culture, and the language barrier. The NBA has long discussed the idea of having a franchise based in […] San Diego Wildcards history, stats, career at Basketpedya.com, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Mexico_Aztecas&oldid=982799585, Articles with dead external links from January 2018, Articles with permanently dead external links, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License, This page was last edited on 10 October 2020, at 12:16. After this weekend, the league will have logged 30 regular-season contests in the country. Unlike Europe and Asia, Mexico City shares the same time zone as many NFL teams. "We're particularly proud that we're a pioneer here," Silver said. Capitanes was established in 2016 and currently competes in Mexico… December 14, 2019 – The San Antonio Spurs defeated the Phoenix Suns, 121 to 119. "We're growing, too," said Abdur-Rahim, who played 13 seasons in the NBA before joining the league as an executive. Two days later, they went on to delight their fans with a 90-88 win over the Chicago Rockers in their first home game. During the season, the Aztecas produced at least two NBA call-ups, Steve Henson in early November and Greg Grant in 1995. Subscribe today. The Capitanes de Ciudad de México (English: Mexico City Captains) are a Mexican professional basketball team based in Mexico City. Outside of the Mexican capital, the northern city of Monterrey has also hosted preseason games. The NBA is plans to put a G-League team in Mexico City as early as next season, Marc Stein of The New York Timesreports. The Capitanes, a Mexico City-based team from the top Mexico pro league, will be joining the G League starting with the 2020-21 season, NBA commissioner Adam Silver announced Thursday night. The NBA will announce a new basketball development and training academy in Mexico City during the Global Games Dec. 7 and 9, in conjunction with CONADE (Mexico’s National Commission for Physical Culture and Sport) and the Mexican Basketball Federation, sources told ESPN. Created as an experiment in fielding a team outside the United States and Canada, it played one season, the 1994-95 season. The Capitanes currently play in the Liga Nacional de Baloncesto Profesional, the top professional league in Mexico since 2017. In 1994, the owner of the Fargo-Moorhead Fever, Doug Logan, decided to move his team to the Mexican capital; in earlier incarnations, the club had played as the Detroit Spirits (1982/83 to 1985/86), the Savannah Spirits (1986/87 to 1987/88), the Tulsa Fast Breakers (1988/89 to 1990/91) and the Tulsa Zone (1991/92). Attending a final match in Mexican Soccer Professional League in good seats costs 1,500 pesos (about U$75). G League to add Mexico City team in 2020-21, LeBron: Having ASG 'a slap in face' to players, Memo: NBA, NBPA finalizing agreement on ASG, Sources: Wood's injured ankle concerns Rockets, Durant leads LeBron at top of All-Star voting, Dudley: Lakers took issue with George's remarks, Team USA men's hoops planning Vegas bubble, Warriors' record-setting night hints at small-ball possibilities, Three big questions that will shape the NBA trade deadline, 'He covered a lot of ground': How Zion is becoming a bigger factor on defense, In shadow of NBA, Mexico City's pro team fights for fans. "There are only two NBA teams left with no direct G League affiliate," Silver said. One of the largest cities in the Western Hemisphere, Mexico City has a significant fan interest in basketball. The addition of the Capitanes marked the latest move for the G League. NBA to play two regular-season games in Mexico City The Brooklyn Nets, Oklahoma City Thunder and Miami Heat will clash on Dec. 7 and Dec. 9 at the Arena Ciudad de Mexico Official release The Capitanes will finish their third and final season in the Mexican top division in early 2020 before joining the G League when its 20th season officially commences. The Capitanes, a Mexico City-based team from the top Mexico pro league, will be joining the G League starting with the 2020-21 season, NBA commissioner Adam … Mexico City is a much easier transition. "Mexico City is the largest market in North America," Silver said. At the very least, much remains to be learned about how a prospective N.B.A. Mexico City’s time zone is ideal. MEXICO CITY – The NBA G League, the NBA’s official minor league, and Capitanes, a professional basketball team based in Mexico City, today announced that Capitanes will join the NBA G League as its first team from outside the U.S. and Canada.. Capitanes becomes the NBA G League’s 29 th team and will make its debut for the 2020-21 season. Plus, basketball is an international game. Though Silver was adamant in saying that the NBA "is not in expansion mode," the commissioner said he hoped Mexico City would be on the short list for the league if and when the NBA ever decides to go beyond its current 30-team format. For both attendance and television purposes, this is great. The team would be owned and operated locally, and would act as a test case for further NBA expansion into Latin America. The Aztecas also drafted Andy Olivarez, formerly of USC and a member of the Mexico National Team, but he did not play for them. [3] .The Aztecas opened their season on November 18, 1994 at the Oklahoma City Cavalry. Attendance at the Palacio was 8,295.[4]. The team could become a magnet for regional talent, adding to a list of successful Latin American NBA players that includes Manu Ginobili (Argentina), Al Horford (Dominican Republic) and Nene Hilario (Brazil). I've got love for Mexico City. Take Toronto for example. Most of the Aztecas' expenses, primarily player salaries, were in American dollars, but revenues, including ticket sales, were in the now devalued peso. “The NBA G League has long been focused on growing the game in Latin America and internationally. Though all three major North American sports leagues have flirted with the idea of expansion into Mexico over the past decade, the NBA will be the first to field an official team in the Latin American country. In their final home game of the season, they beat the Omaha Racers 124-109 before 12,587 fans, an all-time record for the CBA. 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