By Johnny Askounis/ info@eurohoops.net
BKT EuroCup participant based in Germany, ratiopharm Ulm will pause official action early in the 2024-25 season to take on the Portland Trail Blazers.
The friendly meeting opposite the NBA team will be held on Wednesday, October 16, at Moda Center, as announced by Ulm and the Blazers.
“As far as I know, this is the first time that a Bundesliga team will play a friendly game at the home court of an NBA team,” the sports director of Ulm, Thorsten Leibenath referred to the importance of the fixture.
With the Blazers in the 2024 NBA Preseason, they will face the Los Angeles Clippers in Seattle on October 11 and the Sacramento Kings at Sacramento on October 13, before placing in Moda Center with Ulm visiting on October 16 and the Utah Jazz on October 18. However, official games in the EuroCup and Germany’s easyCredit BBL will be already underway for Ulm.
Upon a request to Euroleague Basketball, the Regular Season Round 4 contest versus Besiktas Fibabanka in Istanbul was moved from October 16 to October 14. From there to Portland and back to Germany for an away game in the BBL against EWE Baskets Oldenburg on October 19. A tight schedule for the Sparrows.
The latest EuroCup campaign was ended by Joventut Badalona in the Eighthfinals last March. After capturing the first BBL title in team history in 2023, Ulm was knocked out by Wurzburg Baskets in the Quarterfinals of the 2024 Playoffs.
Photo Credit: EuroleagueBasketball.net