Basketball fans in Taiwan have a chance to watch NBA players in a series of FIBA World Cup warm-up matches at the Sinjhuang Gymnasium in New Taipei City from Saturday to Tuesday.
The men’s national basketball teams from Lithuania, Latvia and Puerto Rico are to play three exhibition games, featuring an opening match between Lithuania and Puerto Rico that is to begin at 2pm on Saturday, said the T1 League, which is organizing the event.
Puerto Rico are to play Latvia in the second exhibition game at 2pm on Sunday, while Latvia and Lithuania are to square off at 7pm on Tuesday, the league said in a statement.
Photo: AFP
The exhibition games are being held ahead of the FIBA Basketball World Cup, which is to be held from Friday next week to Sept. 10 in the Philippines, Japan and Indonesia.
Among the NBA players taking part in the event are the New Orlean Pelicans’ Jonas Valanciunas, and the Oklahoma City Thunder’s Davis Bertans.
The Washington Wizards’ Kristaps Porzingis of Latvia was due to play in New Taipei City, but on Tuesday wrote on social media platform X that he would miss the World Cup because of a foot issue called plantar fasciitis.
Fan events are to be held on Saturday and Sunday 30 minutes after the games for people who have bought tickets that day, the T1 League said.
The fan event on Saturday is to feature Lithuania players Valanciunas and Rokas Jokubaitis, while Latvia’s Bertans is to attend the one on Sunday.
Up to 30 people who spend NT$1,500 or more at the gymnasium shop that day can high-five the players, and up to five fans who spend NT$3,000 or more can take a photograph with them, the league said.
Tickets for the exhibition games can be purchased on tixcraft.
Additional reporting by Reuters
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