Magic vs. Grizzlies Take Center Stage as NBA Launches Three-Year European Slate
Europe tour overview
The Memphis Grizzlies and Orlando Magic will headline a historic week in Europe, playing regular-season games in both Berlin and London as part of a newly announced three-year schedule of NBA games on the continent. After this season’s showcase, the NBA will bring future matchups to Manchester and Paris in 2027 and then return to Berlin and Paris in 2028, extending the league’s footprint across major European cities.
Get ready for a packed stretch of on-court excitement and off-court fan experiences, beginning with the Berlin matchup on Jan. 15 at 2 p.m. ET on Prime Video as the Grizzlies and Magic tip off their European tour.
What is the NBA Berlin Game?
The NBA Berlin Game presented by Tissot is one of seven international showcases on the 2025-26 calendar, joining stops in Abu Dhabi, Melbourne, Canada, China, Mexico City and London. This contest will be the 14th game featuring an NBA team in Germany since 1984, but it stands out as the league’s first-ever regular-season game in the country.
Berlin’s game is designed to anchor a broader European effort, with the Grizzlies and Magic helping to introduce regular-season basketball to new fans while continuing a long tradition of NBA exhibitions in Germany.
Key game details
The Magic and Grizzlies will meet on Jan. 15, with tipoff set for 8 p.m. CET (2 p.m. ET), officially counting in the 2025-26 regular-season standings.
The matchup will be played at Uber Arena, a modern 17,000-seat venue opened in 2008 in the heart of Berlin, providing a big-stage setting for the league’s first regular-season game in Germany.
Fans in the United States can watch the game live on Prime Video, while viewers in other regions should check local listings for broadcast and streaming information.
Germany’s NBA history and fan events
Germany has hosted 10 exhibition games between NBA and European clubs since 1984, along with three preseason matchups between NBA teams in cities such as Berlin and Cologne. Those previous visits paved the way for this season’s step forward into a full regular-season contest on German soil.
Beyond the game itself, NBA House in Berlin will serve as a central hub for fans, featuring appearances by legends, on-court competitions, gaming areas, a look at the Larry O’Brien Trophy, and exclusive or customized NBA merchandise. NBA House will be open Jan. 9–11 from 12 p.m. to 8 p.m. at Uber Eats Music Hall, with free entry available via NBA ID registration and a ticketed Official Viewing Party on Jan. 15 at 6:30 p.m.
Tickets, experiences and community events
Tickets for the NBA Berlin Game can be purchased through authorized ticketing partners, giving fans access to the league’s first regular-season contest in Germany.
Fans can also explore NBA Experiences packages in Berlin, unlocking premium seating, VIP access and unique behind-the-scenes moments built around the game.
In addition to Thursday’s showdown, the NBA, Grizzlies and Magic will host a slate of community-focused programming, including NBA Cares outreach, Jr. NBA/Jr. WNBA and Her Time to Play youth clinics, as well as coach and referee development sessions and interactive fan activities throughout Berlin.
Three storylines to watch
Wagner brothers’ homecoming
Moe Wagner recently returned to the court for Orlando after a long recovery from a torn ACL, logging eight points, two rebounds and two assists in limited minutes in his first game back. Moe, his younger brother Franz and teammate Tristan da Silva have all represented Germany internationally, with the Wagner brothers helping secure the 2023 FIBA World Cup title and Franz and da Silva contributing to Germany’s EuroBasket triumph the following summer.
Franz, who had been sidelined since Dec. 7 with a high left ankle sprain, circled the Berlin game as a meaningful milestone, describing it as a full-circle moment after growing up watching pros in that same arena. As of Jan. 14, he has been removed from the injury report and cleared to return, setting up his first appearance after missing 16 straight games.
Desmond Bane faces his former team
Orlando and Memphis reshaped their futures in mid-June, completing a trade that sent Desmond Bane to the Magic in exchange for Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, guard Cole Anthony (later waived and now with Milwaukee) and draft capital. Because the teams had not met earlier in the season, the Berlin and London games will mark the first time Bane and Caldwell-Pope go head-to-head against their former franchises, adding extra emotional weight to the European leg of the schedule.
Young All-Stars on the global stage
Fans in Berlin will see a mix of homegrown heroes and rising stars, with the Magic featuring 2024 All-Star Paolo Banchero alongside German standouts Moe and Franz Wagner and Tristan da Silva, and the Grizzlies showcasing All-Stars Ja Morant and Jaren Jackson Jr. Orlando enters the week at 22-18, sixth in the East, while Memphis sits at 17-22 and 10th in the West, meaning both clubs will be eager to grab wins and momentum as the regular season nears its midpoint.
As of Jan. 14, Morant has been ruled out of the Berlin Game due to a calf contusion, shifting more responsibility onto Jackson and the rest of the Grizzlies’ rotation to carry the load in front of an international crowd.