Before the Orlando Magic played host to the Chicago Bulls in Mexico City on Thursday night, NBA commissioner Adam Silver told reporters he is getting closer to his goal of placing a G-League team in Mexico City, per NBA.com.
“We're in the third quarter, whatever the appropriate analogy is, said Silver. “Frankly we're hopeful that in the next few weeks we have more to say on that. And our goal is to have a G League team planting a flag here in Mexico City next season.”
Even more interesting is the fact that this up and coming G-League team would not be associated with an NBA franchise, which would mark the first time that would happen.
Generally, NBA organizations place their G-League affiliates in close proximity to their actual NBA teams. This would obviously be a pretty big change from that protocol, as Mexico City sits 600 miles from the U.S. border.
Currently, the G-League has 27 teams, with the New Orleans Pelicans set to add an affiliate of their own in Birmingham, Al. next season. That would leave only the Denver Nuggets and Portland Trail Blazers without G-League clubs, meaning one of those two teams could end up with a G-League team south of the border.
The NBA has two Mexico City games on schedule for this season, with both of them being hosted by the Magic. Thursday night's game against the Bulls marked the first event. The second contest will take place on Saturday, when Orlando invites the Utah Jazz to Mexico.
The game with the Magic and the Jazz will mark the 28th NBA contest in Mexico since 1992, the most NBA matchups held in any country outside of the United States and Canada.
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