MEXICO CITY - The neighborhoods were crowded with vendors, hawking all things NBA from makeshift tents.

The crowds inside the Mexico City Arena swelled early, with a buzz seldom found at most regular-season NBA games. But this was not just another NBA game, not to those who came to celebrate and not even to those playing the game - they could not help but feel the electricity and know the importance of the endeavor.

When the Rockets faced the Timberwolves on Wednesday, there was a palpable sense that the latest in their many NBA Global Games experiences was special. It was the first regular-season international game broadcast by ESPN. It was the first here since last season's game between the Spurs and Timberwolves was canceled when the arena filled with smoke. It was one of few regular-season games played abroad.

More than any of that, however, to players it came with an understanding of what it meant to fans so vividly appreciative of the experience.

"It's difficult, but at the same time, we're blessed to be able to play the game of basketball," Rockets center Dwight Howard said. "Our team is excited to be here. That's all we've been talking about, coming to Mexico. Being here, seeing the people, has been great. I've been looking forward to being here all season."

The NBA goals, once considered quixotic, now are part of doing business, assumed and accepted as the league unrelentingly seeks to extend its reach beyond its borders.

The game was the 21st in Mexico, more than any country outside the United States and Canada, and the fifth appearance for the Rockets, tied with the Mavericks for the most.

Though much has changed since the Rockets and Mavericks played in Monterrey in 1997, the idea remains the same. Mexico in particular has embraced basketball, offering signs of potential as a market for NBA products.

"We believe basketball has tremendous potential on a worldwide basis," said Philippe Moggio, NBA Latin America vice president. "We have a tremendous commitment to grow our game internationally. The reason we do this is we need to bring the game closer to our fans and through it also develop new fans. This is our product. To be able to bring not only the level of play that happens on an NBA basketball court, but also the entertainment that fans experience in the U.S. … to transport that to a local market is essential for us to continue growing this game.

"There are more basketball courts (at schools) than there are soccer fields. That translates to a very passionate fan base for the NBA."

Commitment to market

Last season's game between the Timberwolves and Spurs was canceled when a generator malfunctioned, sending smoke throughout the arena. That made this season's game, with the Timberwolves as the home team, important as a statement about the NBA's determination to succeed in Mexico City.

"It's imperative," Moggio said. "For us to be able to come back to Mexico and send a strong message that we're very committed to this market, independent of what happened last year, is very important. It goes to our long-term commitment to this market."

To the NBA, Mexico's increasing interest in basketball is similar to soccer's growth in the United States. While soccer is Mexico's most popular sport, basketball is played extensively on the youth level, as soccer has been in the United States for decades.

"I think it's a fair comparison," Moggio said. "On the youth level, it's a tremendously practiced sport. It's about how that pyramid comes together. In the U.S., you obviously have the youth (soccer) system well-established. You have now on the university level tremendous competition soccer-wise. Now the MLS is getting a lot of momentum. I think here we have that youth level, but we're still lacking the next level of the pyramid."

'Great opportunity'

The NBA cannot require teams to participate in international events more than once every three years, but a year after playing preseason games in the Philippines and Taiwan, the Rockets agreed to play Wednesday's game in Mexico because of a belief in the value of extending the brand of the league, team and players.

"The Houston Rockets are one of the most popular teams globally," Rockets president Tad Brown said. "Mr. (Leslie) Alexander has always felt it's our obligation to make sure we give back as much as we can, not only to the league, but also to our players who really enjoy these types of activities. Having the opportunity to come down to Mexico City for a couple days is really a lot of fun, even though this is a business trip.

"It's a great opportunity to expand the Rockets, to expand the players' popularity throughout this region, and also to expand the NBA."

That brings extra responsibilities. In the one full day in Mexico City without a game, the Rockets had a practice, a Special Olympics event, a youth clinic, and a welcoming reception. There was also a sense of what it meant to many just to have the team here.

"This is why we do it," guard Pat Beverley, who has played extensively overseas, said while motioning to the court. "We do it to give little kids the possibility to try to do the same thing. Playing in front of different people, different cultures, different countries is something I've enjoyed over my years of playing basketball. You never know who is watching."

That doesn't matter to the NBA, as long as they keep watching and bring more fans with them.