Miami Heat in China to play exhibition games against the Los Angeles Clippers – NBA News
As teams around the league reach the climax of their training camp with the opening of the preseason games, the Miami Heat are one team that will be playing their preseason games in a different territory. Different continent would
be the right word to use here, as the Heat travel to China to play a bunch of exhibition games against the Los Angeles Clippers as part of the NBA China Games, a programme aimed at growing the sport and the league around the world. Miami played the Atlanta
Hawks on Sunday, from where they boarded the 14 hour flight to Beijing.
"Should be fun. It's a very long trip to be bonding together, but we're going to use it and not waste an opportunity,” said the league’s reining MVP, LeBron James.
The Heat have an action packed week ahead of them, with games against the Clippers on Thursday and Sunday, VIP receptions and excursion trips including one to the Great Wall. The team is looking forward to making full use of the
opportunity and learning about the culture of the most populous country in the world, while also spending time with team-mates to develop better chemistry and understanding.
“You only have these type of opportunities so often. You want to take advantage of it. This is the preseason. It's a great program that the NBA runs when you have an opportunity to play overseas,” said Miami Head Coach Erik Spoelstra.
Miami arrived late on Monday night, but had their first practice on Tuesday morning and the team looked well rested and in good spirits. After the practice, they were planning to take around six hours to visit the Great Wall.
"We're looking forward to the opportunity. I think as an organization, as players individually, once we get over there it will be a great opportunity to continue to grow our game,” said Heat All Star guard Dwyane Wade.
Wade did not play the preseason game against Atlanta on Sunday night, as he continues to recover from offseason knee surgery. He had said during the offseason that he was going to take his comeback one step at a time, and was in
no hurry to be ready for preseason as it was not important enough to risk injury. However, pictures released by the organization showed Wade dunking during the practice on Tuesday, which means he might be ready for action and could possibly take the court
on Thursday. Wade was with the Miami Heat team when they played the New Jersey Nets in France and England back in the 2008 preseason. He knows exactly what to expect from the trip and is looking to make full use of the opportunity and bond with teammates as
he knows that a tough NBA season lies ahead for them.
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