G League adds first Latin American team in 2021-22 season, originally broadcast on NBC Sports Chicago
The NBA G League continued to expand by welcoming its first franchise outside of the United States and Canada. The Mexico City Capitanes will debut as the first Latin American team in the 2021/22 season.
The NBA G League will have its first Latin American team in the 2021/22 season – the Mexico City Capitanes – but the Capitanes will play all of their games in the US due to COVID-19 restrictions on international travel.
– Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) September 13, 2021
The original announcement that the NBA would add a G-League franchise in Mexico City was made in December 2019. The opening season was postponed for a year due to the coronavirus pandemic. It will also limit the teams’ travel for the upcoming season.
The Capitanes will play all their games in the US due to international travel restrictions.
The NBA first ventured to Mexico with a preseason game between the Houston Rockets and the Dallas Mavericks, which took place in 1992 at the Palacio de los Deportes in Mexico City.
Nick Lagios, who has worked for the Los Angeles Lakers’ South Bay subsidiary since 2016, will be the team’s first GM.
“It is an absolute dream to become the first GM of the Mexico City Capitanes. We will play in the (G League) from next season,” wrote Lagios in an Instagram post.
“This is the first ever Mexican team in a US sports league and it’s an honor to be part of it. I hope we can make all of Mexico and Latin America proud and highlight basketball in Central and South America. Laker family, I’ll miss you all, but I’m not going to leave LA entirely yet !! “
The Capitanes will be the 30th team in the league – 28 are affiliated with NBA clubs.
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