Chicago Bulls, Dallas Mavericks to play Lincoln exhibition
LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) - If all goes as planned, the Chicago Bulls' Doug McDermott will return to play basketball in Nebraska next fall. But it won't be in the arena where he entertained sellout crowds as a collegian.
Lincoln's Pinnacle Bank Arena announced Tuesday it would host an NBA preseason game between the Bulls and Dallas Mavericks on Oct. 23.
McDermott's exploits for Creighton earned him three-time All-American and 2014 national player of the year honors some 50 miles away at CenturyLink Center in Omaha.
The Metropolitan Entertainment and Convention Authority, which runs CenturyLink Center, began negotiating with the Bulls for an exhibition shortly after the first-round draft pick landed with Chicago last June, spokeswoman Kristi Andersen said.
But Pinnacle Bank Arena was talking with the Bulls well before the draft, said Tom Lorenz, general manager for SMG, which operates the Lincoln arena. Once McDermott ended up in Chicago, Lorenz said, negotiations "heated up."
Lorenz declined to comment on financial terms. He said he sensed the Omaha and Lincoln arenas offered similar deals to the Bulls. Both are NBA-style arenas, with Omaha's seating 17,390 and Lincoln's 15,500.
The arenas regularly compete against each other for events, but word about both bidding for a Bulls exhibition created buzz among area sports fans.
"We are happy they chose us," Lorenz said. "I'm not so sure we stole it. The Bulls appreciate the opportunity in Nebraska, and I don't think this is the last preseason game in the next several years they'll play in this area."
The 2-year-old Pinnacle Bank Arena is home of the Nebraska Cornhuskers men's and women's basketball teams. Creighton and Nebraska play each other every year, but the game was in Omaha during McDermott's senior season. He is yet to play in Lincoln.
McDermott has had a challenging rookie season, missing time because of knee surgery and playing very few minutes since returning last month. The transitory nature of pro sports means there's no guarantee McDermott will be with the Bulls in October, but Lorenz is optimistic.
Tickets ranging from $18 to $203 will go on sale Friday. The exhibition is the night before Nebraska plays Northwestern in a Big Ten football game, making for an exciting sports weekend in the capital city, Lorenz said.
Andersen, the CenturyLink Center spokeswoman, said her arena continues to talk with the Bulls about a preseason game in Omaha another year.
"It would be great to see Doug McDermott play on his college home court again," she said.