The NBA announced that the Miami Heat and Washington Wizards will play a regular-season game in Mexico City on Nov. 2 next season. This will be the 33rd time the NBA has played a game in Mexico since 1992.
The Heat, led by Jimmy Butler and Bam Adebayo, will be playing their third game in Mexico, while this will be the Wizards' fourth time traveling south of the border for a game. While it isn't the most exciting matchup, as Washington finished with the second-worst record in the league, it will draw some attention as the Wizards have the No. 2 overall pick in the upcoming NBA Draft. Couple that with already having Kyle Kuzma and Jordan Poole, and Washington should have an entertaining team next season.
Miami last played in Mexico City in December 2022, when it beat the Spurs during a regular-season matchup. The Heat also beat the Brooklyn Nets in Mexico City during their 2017 meeting. While the Wizards are playing their fourth game in Mexico City, this will be their first regular-season contest, with the previous three being preseason matchups. This is also the first time since 2000 that they've been back, and only the second time they've been to the country as the Wizards. During their other two visits, the team was still known as the Washington Bullets.
The NBA's relationship with Mexico City builds on the goal of expanding the reach of the league. In addition to Mexico City, the NBA has held games in London, Abu Dhabi, Tokyo and Paris, among others. But Mexico City certainly holds a special place in the league's heart, as Mexico's capital is the only city outside the continental U.S. where the association has considered establishing an NBA franchise team. There's already a G League team in Mexico City, and commissioner Adam Silver said in 2023 that having regular season games as well as a G League affiliate are just stepping stones to what could one day become a full-fledged NBA franchise.
"We see this as a gateway, essentially, to the rest of Latin America," Silver said. "We think, whether it be additional G League franchises in Mexico City and ultimately a larger footprint here in Latin America or ultimately the dream of an NBA franchise coming to Mexico City one day."
There isn't another country that has held more NBA games since the league started hosting games around the globe, and that trend will continue when the Heat and Wizards face off in November.
