Warriors, Timberwolves will play two pre-season games in China

The Golden State Warriors and Minnesota Timberwolves will play two preseason games in China in October (Jim Mone/AP)

MINNEAPOLIS — The Golden State Warriors and Minnesota Timberwolves will play two preseason games in China in October.

The league said Monday the games will be in Shenzhen on Oct. 5 and Shanghai on Oct. 8 as part of the NBA’s Global Games China series.

The Warriors are an excellent draw and should help the league in its effort to further grow the game in China, where basketball already enjoys great popularity.

The Timberwolves feature young, marketable stars in Karl-Anthony Towns, Andrew Wiggins and Zach LaVine, a group that has made summer trips to China.

The team also has the NBA’s first Chinese minority owner. Shanghai sports marketing executive Lizhang Jiang joined Wolves owner Glen Taylor’s ownership group last summer.

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