The tour of NBA All-Stars mentioned here a couple of months back is indeed coming to fruition. Australian NBA fans have been waiting with bated breath to discover whether the brightest and best from America would be touring downunder and the latest news indicates a positive.
After passing through Puerto Rico, London and Macau, the international tour will reach Melbourne, Australia for two games, according to reports from Yahoo! Sports’ Adrian Wojnarowski today.
To summarise the details for Australian fans, in short:
What: World All-Star Classic
When: 8th and 9th November, 2011
Where: Rod Laver Arena, Melbourne
Who: Kobe Bryant, Dwyane Wade, Dwight Howard, Kevin Durant (these first four are locked in, according to ESPN). A total of 18 players will be named, including 14 from the following candidates, also per ESPN: LeBron James, Chris Bosh, Amare Stoudemire, Blake Griffin, Carmelo Anthony, Chris Paul, Derrick Rose, Paul Pierce, Kevin Garnett, Carlos Boozer, Tyson Chandler, Steve Nash, Russell Westbrook, Kevin Love, Rajon Rondo and Chris Kaman.
Tickets: As details emerge, how to buy tickets has not been announced (nor have prices), however check back here for details, which we’ll pass on as soon as they’re available (follow us on Facebook below, or on twitter).
The games prior to the All-Stars’ arrival in Australia are as follows:
- October 30: Jose Miguel Agrelot Colliseum, San Juan, Puerto Rico.
- November 1: O2 Arena, London, United Kingdom.
- November 3: O2 Arena, London, United Kingdom.
- November 6: Cotai Arena, Venetian Hotel, Macau.
This tour will be fantastic for the fans in the respective countries, will be handy for the pockets of the superstars involved and for promoting their personal brands throughout the world (thus why the tour is not happening around the United States), but will do nothing for the 400+ other lesser-known NBA players who still await a resolution to the NBA lockout. It is reported that each of the players involved will receive a salary of between six-figures and a million dollars (with much expected to go to charity).
