Wizards will face Heat in NBA regular season game in Mexico City

The Wizards franchise has played three exhibition games in Mexico City — two in 1995 when the team was known as the Bullets and another in 2000 — but this will be its first regular season game there.

“We are delighted at the opportunity to represent the NBA and Washington, D.C. at the Global Games and are proud that our team reflects the growing globalization of the NBA,” President of Monumental Basketball Michael Winger said in a statement. “Previous Washington Bullets and Wizard teams have had the opportunity of playing in Mexico City. We are honored to follow in their footsteps and look forward to introducing this new Wizards team to NBA fans in Mexico City.”

The NBA plans to honor Día de los Muertos in a variety of ways, including having a specially themed court.

The Wizards last competed internationally in 2022, when they played a pair of exhibition games against the Golden State Warriors in Saitama, Japan. Japanese star Rui Hachimura was a member of the Wizards at the time.

Washington’s previous international regular season game was a 2019 matchup against the New York Knicks in London.