Celtics To Play Real Madrid In Preseason
BOSTON (CBS) -- The Boston Celtics are adding a few more miles to their preseason trip to Europe.
Boston's version of "European Vacation" will now include a preseason game against Euroleague Basketball's Real Madrid, the league announced on Monday. The game against the 32-time Spanish League Champions, part of NBA Global Games Madrid 2015, will be played on October 8 at the Barclaycard Center in Madrid.
It comes two days after the C's play 26-time Italian League Champion Olimpia Milano in Milan.
The Celtics and Real Madrid previously squared off in 1988 in a game that saw Fernando Martin, the first Spanish player ever to play in the NBA, and the late Drazen Petrovic compete against Celtics legends Larry Bird and Danny Ainge.
Ainge, now the team's President of Basketball Operations, hopes his players enjoy their experience as much as he enjoyed his.
"On behalf of the Celtics organization, we are proud to return to Madrid for NBA Global Games 2015. I have particularly fond memories of playing in Madrid back in 1988 and I am sure our current players will relish this unique opportunity," Ainge said in a release.
"It will be an honor to represent the Celtics and the NBA in Madrid," said Celtics guard Avery Bradley. "I know there are passionate NBA fans in Spain and we look forward to an electric atmosphere on game night."
"The Boston Celtics are one of the most prestigious basketball teams in the world, a club with great tradition," said former NBA forward Rudy Fernandez, now a forward on Real Madrid. "It will be an honor playing against the Celtics as European Champions and we will be sure to put on a great show game and offer an exciting game to all the fans."
The games in Milan and Madrid will mark the Celtics' seventh and eighth games in Europe in franchise history.
The Celtics will also play a regular season game against the Sacramento Kings in Mexico City on December 3.
