Historic exhibition in Australia
The USA Basketball gold medallist Allan Houston was joined by Australia’s own NBA legend Luc Longley and Boomers up & coming star Mitch Creek at Etihad Stadium, Melbourne, Monday for the official ticket launch of the 2019 Australian Boomers v USA Basketball series.
This historic exhibition series between two basketball powerhouses will be played at Etihad Stadium on August 22 and 24, 2019.
Houston, a two-time NBA All Star and member of the USA Men’s Basketball teams that won gold at the 2000 Sydney Olympics and 1999 FIBA Americas championship, and USA Basketball CEO Jim Tooley were given their first glimpse of Etihad Stadium less than one year out from the historic series that has already captured the imagination of basketball lovers around the globe.
“It’s exciting to visit Melbourne again and it is a fantastic city. The trip in 2000 still remains one of the memorable playing experiences of my life. You can just see how this stadium is going to come to life for the series next year,” Houston said.
“Australia has a long history of developing talented basketball players and there is no question this will be an entertaining and competitive series come August next year.”
The Australian basketball family and fans who registered via the TEG Live pre-sale waitlist will be given priority access to purchase tickets starting 10 p.m. (EDT) on August 26 through www.ticketmaster.com.au, with general public tickets available starting at 11 p.m. (EDT) on August 28.
“The growth and popularity of basketball in Australia continues to get stronger and stronger each year,” Boomers legend and assistant coach Longley said.
“This series is a great reward for all the fans in Australia that have pushed long and hard for NBA players and teams to play games over here.
“We have the talent to compete with the best in the world and this series is a vital part of preparation to win gold at the FIBA World Cup in China next year,” Longley said.
Victorian Major Events Minister John Erenpraised the Australian basketball community for their support of the series while declaring it another opportunity to showcase Melbourne to the rest of the world.
“This is a truly once in a lifetime event that will showcase our city and our state to the entire sporting world,” Minister Eren said.
“Basketball continues to go from strength to strength in Australia and I can’t wait to see our homegrown stars take on the might of USA Basketball right here at Melbourne’s Etihad Stadium,” Minister Eren said.
About Basketball Australia
Basketball Australia (BA) is the governing and controlling body for the sport of basketball in Australia and is located in Wantirna South, Victoria. BA runs the Chemist Warehouse WNBL Championship, SEABL, NWBL and WNWBL as well as 15 national teams and national junior championships. Basketball is an Olympic and Paralympic sport and shares one of the highest international profiles with over 1.1 million people currently playing basketball in Australia.
About USA Basketball
Based in Colorado Springs, Colorado, and chaired by retired Gen. Martin Dempsey, USA Basketball is a non-profit organization and the national governing body for basketball in the United States. As the recognized governing body for basketball in the U.S. by the International Basketball Federation (FIBA) and the United States Olympic Committee (USOC), USA Basketball is responsible for the selection, training and fielding of USA national teams that compete in FIBA-sponsored five-on-five and 3×3 international competitions, as well as for some national competitions and for the development of youth basketball.
About TEG
TEG is Asia Pacific’s leading Ticketing, Live Entertainment and Data Analytics company. TEG includes Ticketek, TEG Live, TEG Dainty, TEG Analytics, TEG Insights, TEG Digital, Softix, Qudos Bank Arena, Eventopia, Life Like Touring, The Entertainment Store, Brickman Exhibitions and TEG Asia.
