NBA news: Cavs to host first-ever Australia Day celebration at Quicken Loans Arena

The Cleveland Cavaliers will host their first-ever Australia Day celebration at the Quicken Loans Arena on Jan. 25 (Jan. 26 AEDT).

The Cavs’ first Australia Day celebration, powered by UP&GO, will be on Monday (Tuesday AEDT) against the visiting Minnesota Timberwolves, which will be broadcast live on ESPN Australia. The celebration will be part of the Cavs’ international theme night honouring Australia, which is one of the NBA’s largest global markets.

“With the continued growth of the Cavaliers global audience, the team’s popularity has opened the doors to expand its international reach with opportunities to showcase the Cavs brand and connect with a passionate fan base that is so close, yet so far away,” the Cavs said in a media release as stated on the NBA’s official website.

As part of the celebration, Cavs players will wear their alternate gold jerseys in honour of Australia’s national colours. Aussie native singer and songwriter Cody Simpson will also be in attendance to perform the Australian national anthem in front of more than 20,000 fans at The Q.

There are eight Australian players in the NBA, including Cavs guards Matthew Dellavedova and Kyrie Irving. Dellavedova became a huge hit in Cleveland after being the team’s cult hero during last year’s NBA Finals against the Golden State Warriors, while Irving, who has a dual citizenship in Australia and the United States, is one of Cavs’ three superstars, alongside Lebron James and Kevin Love.

The Cavs will also host an international theme night to celebrate Chinese New Year, which falls on Feb. 8 in the Chinese lunar calendar. The Cavs’ presentation will be part of a league-wide initiative to pay tribute to the team’s other international fan base, joining the Golden State Warriors, Houston Rockets, and Washington Wizards in honouring one of China’s main holiday seasons.

The NBA also released a Chinese New Year promotional video earlier this week, which features Warriors’ Stephen Curry, Rockets’ James Harden, and Jeremy Lin of the Charlotte Hornets. The Warriors, known for its large Chinese fan-base in the Bay Area, will be one of the three NBA teams who will don Chinese New Year alternative jerseys.

"We have an amazing following from our Chinese fans both here in the Bay Area and abroad," Warriors President and Chief Operating Officer Rick Welts said in a statement, reports Warriors World. "Hosting a Chinese New Year celebration at Oracle Arena and wearing the uniforms to honor Lunar New Year is a great way to not only connect with the Asian culture, but thank our fans for supporting us throughout the season."