BERLIN (AP) _ From Beijing to Berlin, All-Star point guard Chris Paul is getting a firsthand look at the globalization of basketball.
Paul, who won a gold medal with the U.S. national team at the Beijing Olympics in August, leads the New Orleans Hornets against the Washington Wizards in an NBA preseason game Tuesday in the German capital.
“The game of basketball has grown unbelievably, and Europe has a lot to do with that,” he said Monday. “I just played in the Olympics. I think for a while everyone thought about basketball as an American thing. It seems more and more it’s a world thing.”
Paul had a breakout season in 2007-2008, averaging 21 points and four rebounds a game. He helped lead the Hornets to a 56-26 finish, and the team is considered a contender for the NBA title this season.
“We feel like we have a championship-caliber team,” Paul said. “We want to come out here and show the fans what we can do. Every time we play we play against these guys it’s a hard-fought game.”
Hornets coach Bryon Scott said he would use the game at Berlin’s new O2 World arena to evaluate players and strategy ahead of the regular season opener against the Golden State Warriors on Oct. 29
“It’s a game we take very seriously, but it’s also a game where we take a look at certain players on our team to see what they can do to help us this season,” Scott said.
Washington coach Eddie Jordan said the matchup was the continuation of a friendly rivalry dating back to when he and Scott spent time together coaching the New Jersey Nets.
“We beat them twice last year, and they won over 50 games. So, there is some rivalry,” said Jordan, whose team finished 48-39 last year.
Wizards forward Antawn Jamison, who will sit out Tuesday’s game with a bruised knee, said his team will be ready for the Hornets despite injuries to key players.
“Our question is how vital can our young guys be,” he said. “We need them to produce early on,” Jamison said.
The Wizards and Hornets will play again Friday in Barcelona, Spain.
In other NBA preseason games in Europe, the New Jersey Nets beat the Miami Heat 100-98 in overtime in Paris last week. The Nets beat the Heat 94-92 in London on Sunday.
Scott envisions the NBA playing some regular season games in Europe soon.
“I definitely see players or teams coming over here in the near future,” he said. “It’s inevitable, because of the way the game has grown.”
Jamison agreed.
“The knowledge of the game of basketball — it’s everywhere,” he said. “It just shows you how global NBA basketball is.”
“I love experiencing different cultures,” he added. “Seeing things I haven’t seen before. Every time you go to a different country, I think you owe it to yourself as an individual to see something that you haven’t seen before, to meet different people.
Wizards forward Caron Butler is a particular fan of the bratwurst sausages.
“I do love the brats,” he said. “The brats are real good. I’m a Wisconsin native, and we’re real big on brats. Brats and Polish sausages and stuff like that. To come out here and eat some of the brats is great.”
 
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