The buzz word this week: “hustle, hustle, hustle.”

And it didn't just apply to basketball players.

Since Wednesday, more than 100 Phoenix Suns and Indian Wells Tennis Garden employees have been scrambling to set up today's historic NBA outdoor exhibition game.

The preseason game between the Phoenix Suns and the Denver Nuggets at the Indian Wells Tennis Garden marks the first time such an event has been held in the United States.

“The unique thing is that we have two great rosters. From Shaq, Steve Nash, Grant Hill and company to Carmelo Anthony and Allen Iverson, the game will be packed full of stars,” said Steve Simon, chief operating officer for the Indian Wells Tennis Garden.

“And the Suns are known for the entertainment they bring to the game,” Simon added, “so there's that element too, that will ensure everyone will have a great experience out here.”

The outdoor game is the culmination of a year's worth of planning that materialized when the crew mounted two video boards Wednesday morning, said John Walker, the Suns' senior vice president of business development.

Now, with the night here, Walker said they have spent more than $400,000 to stage the event, from renting a total of four video boards to the 230-panel portable NBA floor.

And that work doesn't even include all the fun set up outside the stadium.

“We have a lot of interactive elements outside, so we encourage everyone to get here early,” Walker said. “It'll be like a festival outside.”

Pre-game activities planned to begin at 3 p.m. include the NBA “Jam Van,” mini courts for children to dribble and dunk on and a Sony PlayStation interactive station.

“This is a very intimate setting and exciting setting,” said Alvan Adams, Vice President, Facility Management for Sports & Entertainment Services, the facility management company for the Suns and US Airways Center.

And with the event expected to sell out — packing the 16,100-seat stadium — Adams said he's excited for the players.

“It's always fun to play in front of a full crowd, so I think it's going to be a great time for the guys,” Adams said.

A 13-year Suns player who helped lead the team to the NBA Finals in 1976, Adams reminisced about how he used to play preseason games for small crowds of 2,000 in 10,000-seat arenas.

Seeing this historic event come to fruition, Adams joked that he almost wishes he was on the court.

“In preseason, we're only allowed to play eight games,” he said, “and you don't get to play in venues like this very often.”

Which is why Walker said players from both teams are just as excited as their fans for the outdoor game.

“A lot of these guys grew up playing outdoors in their driveways,” Walker said. “So for many of them, it's like going back to their roots.”