The Prudential Center in Newark, N.J., has been selected to host the 2011 NBA Draft, scheduled for June 23, 2011, NBA Commissioner David Stern, Chairman and Managing Partner, Devils Arena Entertainment, Jeff Vanderbeek, and the Honorable Cory A. Booker, Mayor for the City of Newark, announced today at the Prudential Center before the New Jersey Nets’ home opener against the Detroit Pistons.
This marks the second time the NBA Draft is being held in New Jersey.
“We are delighted to bring one of the NBA’s premier events to Newark,” said Stern. “The Prudential Center is a state-of-the-art, multi-purpose arena that will be a great host for another exciting NBA Draft.”
“Hosting the draft is further affirmation of Prudential Center as a home for the NBA,” said Vanderbeek. “In fact, this season the Rock will host more basketball games at the NBA, WNBA and college levels than all but two other arenas, Madison Square Garden and STAPLES Center.”
“Newark, New Jersey, is a basketball City,” said Mayor Booker. “We are proud and honored to host one of basketball’s most significant annual events here in the Prudential Center. It will be a fantastic event, in our great City, helping to wrap up what is expected to be a tremendous year of basketball in Newark.”
The NBA Draft became a public event in 1979, and was held in various venues in New York City through 1991. It was held in Portland in 1992, followed by Detroit (1993), Indianapolis (1994), Toronto (1995), East Rutherford, N.J. (1996), Charlotte (1997), Vancouver (1998), and Washington D.C. (1999).
The Prudential Center, which opened Oct. 25, 2007, is located in downtown Newark and is the temporary home of New Jersey Nets. It also is the home arena of the NHL’s New Jersey Devils and Seton Hall University’s Men’s Basketball.
The Theater at Madison Square Garden, which has hosted the NBA Draft for the last several years, is unavailable to hold this year’s Draft due to the ongoing transformation of Madison Square Garden.
