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Nuggets Takes on Pacers at Taipei Arena

For local basketball fans, the anticipated showdown between Denver Nuggets and Indiana Pacers at the Taipei Arena in the evening of October 8 is arguably the most important event to take place in Taipei.
Taipei Mayor Hau Lung-bin and National Basketball Association (NBA) Commissioner David J. Stern appeared at the international press conference before the match. The two talked about how the two sides worked together to bring the game to Taiwan.
The mayor indicated that holding major international sports events helps the publicity of the city and boosts the confidence of Taipei residents. He also expressed his gratitude to Stern for taking a 17-hour flight from London to Taipei to attend the game. The popularity of the games in Taiwan is evident, seeing tickets sell out within 85 minutes.
He noted that not everyone who wants to attend the game was able to secure a ticket. To allow many more people to experience the excitement of the match, the city government held a live-broadcast session at the stadium next to Taipei arena. Those who weren’t able to attend the game at the Taipei Arena were still able to watch the match live in front of a 300-inch screen.
When answering media questions about future prospects, Hau said he hoped that in addition to the exhibition game, Taipei would be able to host a NBA regular season game. He joked that capturing the players’ stomach with great cuisine would give them more incentives to play in Taipei again.
The mayor exchanged gifts with Stern at the end of the press conference. The Commissioner of the NBA presented Hau with a basketball bearing signatures by players.