NBA Early International Presence

NBA and FIBA began discussions in 1986 to create an international competition involving FIBA and NBA teams.
McDonald’s Championship started in 1987 when the Milwaukee Bucks hosted the Soviet national team and Tracer Milan in a three-team tournament.
In 1988, the NBA began hosting the McDonald’s Championship outside the United States: the Boston Celtics to Madrid in 1988, the New York Knicks to Barcelona in 1990, the LA Lakers to Paris in 1991 and the Phoenix Suns to Munich in 1993.