The 2025 Eastern Conference champions are officially taking their high-octane brand of basketball south of the border.
The NBA and Zignia Live, a Mexican live entertainment company, announced that the Indiana Pacers will face the 2023 NBA champion Denver Nuggets in the 2026 NBA Mexico City Game.
The regular-season matchup is scheduled for Nov. 7, at Arena CDMX.
The contest represents a major milestone for the Pacers organization as they make their Mexico City debut, stepping onto the league’s most frequented international stage. This will be the NBA’s 35th game in Mexico since 1992 — the highest total for any country outside the United States and Canada.
“We’re thrilled to bring Indiana Pacers basketball to Mexico City during such a meaningful and vibrant time of year,” President and CEO of Pacers Sports & Entertainment Mel Raines said. “This is a great opportunity to celebrate our growing fan base in Mexico and across Latin America, while also recognizing the strong Hispanic and Latin American communities here in Indiana. By connecting our local and global fans, we’re strengthening the shared culture, energy and love of the game that make this event so special.”
For the third consecutive year, the game will be integrated into the local “Día de Muertos” (Day of the Dead) celebrations. The cultural significance will be front and center throughout the arena, complete with a specially themed basketball court and numerous fan engagement initiatives designed to honor the Mexican holiday.
On the floor, the matchup pits modern NBA heavyweights against each other. Indiana brings a reloaded roster anchored by two-time All-Star Tyrese Haliburton, 2019 NBA champion Pascal Siakam and 2025 All-Defensive Second Team center Ivica Zubac. They will be tasked with neutralizing the Nuggets’ powerhouse trio of three-time league MVP Nikola Jokić, Jamal Murray and Aaron Gordon.
While the Nuggets are making their second appearance in Mexico, the gravity of the event extends well beyond the 48 minutes of regulation play.
The league is treating the weekend as a comprehensive cultural exchange. In tandem with a deep roster of corporate partners — including Jordan Brand, AT&T, Banco Azteca and Mazda — the NBA will conduct its signature NBA Cares programming. These initiatives will focus on community health, sustainability and youth development through the Jr. NBA and Jr. WNBA programs.
“The NBA Mexico City Game continues to give fans in Mexico a front-row connection to the league, its teams and its players,” NBA Latin America and Canada Senior Vice President and Head of Operations Raul Zarraga said. “Hosting our 35th game in the country reflects the depth of the NBA’s relationship with Mexico and the role this event plays in bringing the global game to fans locally, across Latin America and around the world.”
The game will boast a massive global reach, broadcasting to over 200 countries and territories. Fans looking to secure their seats for the historic matchup can register for an exclusive ticket pre-sale taking place May 27-28 at NBAMexicoCityGame.mx, ahead of the general public on-sale date of May 29.
Contact multimedia reporter Noral Parham at 317-762-7846. Follow him on X @3Noral. For more, visit indianapolisrecorder.com.
Noral Parham is the multi-media reporter for the Indianapolis Recorder, one of the oldest Black publications in the country. Prior to joining the Recorder, Parham served as the community advocate of the MLK Center in Indianapolis and senior copywriter for an e-commerce and marketing firm in Denver.
