The O2

NBA Legend Robert Parish Visits the Venue which will host the NBA Europe Live presented by EA SPORTS UK Date this Autumn

NBA Legend Robert Parish toured The O2 today to see the construction progress of the O2 Arena which will play host to the Boston Celtics and Minnesota Timberwolves as part of the NBA Europe Live presented by EA SPORTS this autumn. He was joined by London Olympic hopeful Luke Power, aged 15 years old from Eltham Green Sports College.

The pair surveyed what will become the biggest and most state-of-the-art basketball arena in Europe when it opens in July 2007; a venue that will also host the Olympic Basketball finals in 2012.

The NBA will host the first basketball game to be held in the new arena with an exhibition match at The O2 on Wednesday 10th October. Tickets for the event are on sale now and are available to book through www.theo2.co.uk or by calling 0871 984 00 02. The Boston Celtics, led by five-time NBA All-Star Paul Pierce, are one of the founding teams of the NBA having won a record 16 NBA Championships, three in the Robert Parish era. The Minnesota Timberwolves are sure to bring intensity and excitement to the game in the UK's capital, behind the spectacular play of 2004 NBA Most Valuable Player Kevin Garnett.

Philip Beard, CEO of The O2, commented: "There has never been a stronger appetite here for American sports, with more than 12,000 tickets being sold for NHL only one week from the on-sale date, and similar successes expected for the NBA game. It's a fantastic honour to welcome Robert and Luke to the venue today, and we look forward to hosting some of the best basketball teams in the world at our state of the art new arena in the autumn."

"We are thrilled to be bringing the excitement of the NBA back to London as part of the 2007 NBA Europe Live Tour" said Andrew Messick, NBA Senior Vice President International. "It is only fitting that the game be staged at the best arena in Europe - UK fans are in for a real treat."

"EA SPORTS and the NBA share a passion for basketball," said Jan Bolz, Vice President, International Sales and Marketing at EA. "We're excited to bring the NBA Europe Live tour to the UK this year, creating a common platform for fans to enjoy the world's best real and virtual basketball under one roof."

James Bidwell, Chief Executive of Visit London, said: "NBA Basketball is a spectacle that everyone can enjoy, from die-hard sports fans to anyone looking for somewhere to take the kids. The fact that The O2 has scooped yet another world class event to take place in London is another jewel in the crown for this prestigious new venue. Coming hot on the heels of announcements about the National Hockey League and the NFL, the list of major sporting events that London can boast this year is growing all the time".

NBA Europe Live presented by EA SPORTS will also visit the Italian cities of Rome and Treviso; Spanish cities Madrid and Malaga; as well as the Turkish city of Istanbul this autumn. After the 2007 NBA Europe Live Tour, NBA teams will have played 41 games in 15 cities throughout Europe over the past two decades. The inaugural NBA Europe Live visited seven cities in five countries and drew more than 36 million viewers, 115,000 spectators, and 18 marketing partners in October 2006.

For further information about AEG please call the AEG Press Office at Freud Communications, on 0207 291 6422, or email This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it

Editor's notes

About AEG

AEG is one of the leading music, sports and entertainment presenters in the world. It owns or operates some of the world's best arenas and theatres such as STAPLES Center in Los Angeles, The Forum (as exclusive bookers of sports and entertainment), the Colosseum at Caesar's Palace Las Vegas, the El Rey Theatre, The Home Depot Center, Nokia Theatre Grand Prairie (Texas) and Nokia Theatre Times Square (New York); numerous sports franchises including the Los Angeles Kings (NHL) and The David Beckham Academy; and AEG Live, a collection of companies dedicated to producing, promoting and presenting world-class live entertainment.

In May 2005, AEG announced that it had joined forces with O2 to help transform the former Millennium Dome and the surrounding area into the UK's most exciting and technically advanced music, sport and entertainment destination. It has been renamed The O2 and will open in 2007.

AEG employs more than 3,000 staff in over 45 operating companies worldwide. Its international head office is at STAPLES Center, Los Angeles, and its European headquarters is now based in London.

About 'The O2'

The O2 will host up to 150 world-class music, entertainment and sport events in The O2 Arena in its first year of opening. Within the facility there will also be a smaller music club with a capacity of 2,200, an 11-screen cinema, an ice rink, a world-class exhibition space and a vibrant ‘entertainment district' featuring more than 20 bars, restaurants, retail and leisure facilities.

In Zone 2 of London's Underground, The O2 is situated at the North Greenwich station on the Jubilee Line, which provides direct access to central London in less than twenty minutes. In September 2006 AEG Europe acquired a majority stake in Thames Clippers, the capital's largest fleet of commuter boats, improving transport connections to the Greenwich Peninsula and The O2 via the river.

The O2 is an official venue for the 2012 Olympics hosting both the gymnastic and basketball events.

About Greenwich Peninsula

Over the next 15 years, the Greenwich Peninsula will be transformed into a thriving new riverside community. Planning permission was issued in 2004 and will see the delivery of 10,000 new homes in distinct residential neighbourhoods (including 38% affordable housing), the creation of 24,000 long-term job opportunities within a central business district as well as shops, schools, community facilities and landscaped open spaces. Pedestrians and cyclists will have priority over the car and a relaxing, safe environment will be promoted.

The £5bn comprehensive regeneration of 80 hectares of Greenwich Peninsula is being led by Lend Lease and Quintain Estates and Development PLC, who together have formed Meridian Delta Limited (MDL) and entered into a long term joint venture with English Partnerships.

About the NBA

The NBA, founded in 1946, is a global sports and entertainment brand that features 30 teams in the United States and Canada. During the 2005-06 season, the NBA distributed 44,000 hours of programming to 215 countries and territories in 43 languages. The league's worldwide reach can also be seen with 85 international players on NBA rosters. As fans witness tremendous performances on the court, some of the NBA's most significant efforts occur off the court. This past year, the league launched its most ambitious community outreach endeavor, NBA Cares. Over a five-year span, players and teams will raise and contribute $100 million for charity, donate more than one million hours of volunteer service to communities worldwide, and build more than 100 educational and athletic facilities where children can learn and play. For more information on the NBA, visit NBA.com.

About Electronic Arts

Electronic Arts Inc. (EA), headquartered in Redwood City, California, is the world's leading interactive entertainment software company. Founded in 1982, the company develops, publishes, and distributes interactive software worldwide for videogame systems, personal computers, cellular handsets and the Internet. Electronic Arts markets its products under four brand names: EA SPORTSTM, EATM, EA SPORTS BIGTM and POGOTM. In fiscal 2006, EA posted revenue of $2.95 billion and had 27 titles that sold more than one million copies. EA's homepage and online game site is www.ea.com. More information about EA's products and full text of press releases can be found on the Internet at http://info.ea.com.

About Euroleague Basketball

Europe's premier basketball competition, Euroleague Basketball S.L, was founded in 2000 under a private organizational model that is considered a breakthrough for European professional team sports. The competition features 24 clubs from 12 or more countries per season and crowns its' champion each spring at the Euroleague Final Four, one of the signature events of European sports. The 2006 - 2007 Euroleague Final Four will take place in Athens, Greece, May 4 - 6. Basketball in Europe has experienced spectacular growth in recent years, along with the development of Euroleague Basketball. In just six years, Euroleague Basketball has consolidated a competition of the highest sporting level, has introduced the concept of a professional league to Europe and has expanded its television reach beyond Europe, where 100 percent of all Euroleague Basketball games were televised in 2005-06, reaching coverage in all the five continents for the 2006-07 season.

Electronic Arts, EA, EA SPORTS, EA SPORTS BIG, and POGO are trademarks or registered trademarks of Electronic Arts Inc. in the U.S. and/or other countries.

For more information, please contact:

Tom Marchesi, NBA Europe, +33 (0) 1 53 53 62 62 or This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it

Kirsten Haack, Euroleague Basketball, +34 93 3278 427 or This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it

Bettina Munn, Electronic Arts Europe, +41 22 316 1327 or This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it