Suns to play first outdoor game?

[DTX3]

At parks and in driveways across the country, basketball is played outdoors under the lights.

So why not let the pros play an NBA game in the great outdoors, too?

The Phoenix Suns are planning to play the NBA's first outdoor game during next year's preseason at the Indian Wells (Calif.) Tennis Garden, Suns president and CEO Rick Welts said, according to the Arizona Republic.

The idea is far enough along that the Suns have laid out a basketball court at the outdoor tennis stadium, and team general manager Steve Kerr has visited the site, according to the report. While some details need to be ironed out, an official announcement could be made in a month, the newspaper reported.

According to the report, Suns part-owner Dick Heckmann, who lives in the Palm Springs, Calif., area, got the idea from a local parks manager and passed it along to Welts.

"It's a completely unique experience," Welts said, according to the Republic. "We like to do new and exciting things. I think it would be remarkably successful."

Indian Wells has a capacity of 16,100 and features loge seating and 44 suites, but no roof. The Suns would need to provide the playing floor, scoreboard and video boards for the event, according to the report.

"It's going to be incredibly cool," Welts predicted, according to the Republic.

http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/news/story?id=3214243

Being only 5 minutes away from the stadium, id be pretty excited if this happen. I just hope its against the Lakers.

[oakfan162]

Re: Suns to play first outdoor game?

That'd be pretty cool. I'd try and go if I was in Cali at the time.

[ex carrabba fan]

Re: Suns to play first outdoor game?

That's awesome. It'd be sweet if they actually did this for a regular season game.

[Stumbleweed]

Re: Suns to play first outdoor game?

Yeah with wind, etc., I'd think that a regular season game would be basically impossible. There's a certain regularity of conditions that is expected in NBA basketball games, so I don't think playing an outdoor game that counts would fly with the teams that had to play it. If every team had to play 1 outdoor regular season game, then maybe... but weather conditions are so unpredictible across most of the country during b-ball season that it would be a disaster.

Pre-season will be the only place that this ever goes. But yeah, hopefully they expand it and make every team play a pre-season outdoor game. Especially since the NBA already has pre-season games in locations other than the home team's stadium, the issue of ****ty local weather might be solved.

should be fun to see either way. I want to see if Stevie can nail such a high percentage of 3-pointers with a 20 MPH crosswind.

[Cebby]

Re: Suns to play first outdoor game?

For preseason, it doesn't really matter if it's played in Japan, outdoors, or on the moon.

I don't really see this as that big of a deal. Doing it for a real game would be stupid though.

[jfsolo]

Re: Suns to play first outdoor game?

I hope some dude rolls up wearing some black socks and some Keds, and says "I got next"

[superjames1992]

Re: Suns to play first outdoor game?

Pretty cool idea. They need to wear the "short" shorts as well. I wish they would bring those back!

[RAZRr1275]

Re: Suns to play first outdoor game?

This would be cool.

[Stumbleweed]

Re: Suns to play first outdoor game?

Pretty cool idea. They need to wear the "short" shorts as well. I wish they would bring those back!

They did that earlier this year. If this picture doesn't dissuade you from wishing for retro shorts, nothing will... Haha, so ridiculous-looking.



Heh in the background, you can see that Ariza rocked the James Worthy look hard... which was pretty cool.

[SPTO]

Re: Suns to play first outdoor game?

This would be cool but it'd only work in the California/Arizona area and Florida.

I dunno, what happens if it starts to rain? It'd be weird to have an NBA Rain Delay LOL

[ZM Punk]

Re: Suns to play first outdoor game?

The outdoor hockey idea was awsome... this not so much.

[SPTO]

Re: Suns to play first outdoor game?

The outdoor hockey idea was awsome... this not so much.

I dunno, the Globetrotters used to play outdoors quite a lot in the late 70s and early 80s.

[lbartlett_32]

Re: Suns to play first outdoor game?

I like it. Why not try somethin new?

[dkgojackets]

Re: Suns to play first outdoor game?

I think they need to use chain nets.

[cooldude]

Re: Suns to play first outdoor game?

Yeah with wind, etc., I'd think that a regular season game would be basically impossible. There's a certain regularity of conditions that is expected in NBA basketball games, so I don't think playing an outdoor game that counts would fly with the teams that had to play it. If every team had to play 1 outdoor regular season game, then maybe... but weather conditions are so unpredictible across most of the country during b-ball season that it would be a disaster.

Pre-season will be the only place that this ever goes. But yeah, hopefully they expand it and make every team play a pre-season outdoor game. Especially since the NBA already has pre-season games in locations other than the home team's stadium, the issue of ****ty local weather might be solved.

should be fun to see either way. I want to see if Stevie can nail such a high percentage of 3-pointers with a 20 MPH crosswind.

I'd like to see it as a regular season game