The first official overseas game featuring an NBA team was an exhibition matchup between the Washington Bullets and Maccabi Tel Aviv on September 7, 1978.
In 1984, a series of exhibition matches pitting the New Jersey Nets, Phoenix Suns and Seattle SuperSonics against local European clubs were held in Israel, Italy, West Germany and Switzerland.
The first regular season NBA games outside North America were held in Tokyo, Japan in 1990, with the Phoenix Suns and the Utah Jazz splitting the two-game series.
An exhibition series between the Orlando Magic and the Atlanta Hawks was held in London, United Kingdom, a precursor of what would later be called the NBA Europe Live Tour.
[1] The newly renamed event witnessed the first NBA preseason game held in Southeast Asia, with the Indiana Pacers and the Houston Rockets facing each other in the Philippines.
The NBA eventually returned to China in 2025 after signing a five year deal to play two preseason games at Venetian Arena in Macau.
The NBA made its first trip to Abu Dhabi for two preseason games between the Atlanta Hawks and the Milwaukee Bucks in October 2022.
The NBA returned to the Etihad Arena third time for two preseason games between the Denver Nuggets and the Boston Celtics, held on October 4 and 6, 2024.
On September 30, 2024, HRW sent a letter to the NBA, asking it to ensure that the preseason games do not become a distraction, alleging the United Arab Emirates of using major sporting events to polish its image.
A group of human rights organizations also called for the NBA to cancel the Abu Dhabi games, citing the country's involvement in the ongoing Sudan crisis.