NBA Comes to the UK!

Although athletics is obviously my number one sport, I do also have a healthy appreciation for other sports too. There's something about live sport that's exciting and captivating in my opinion. So I'd been looking forward to seeing the NBA when it came back to the UK, for what seemed like months!

What now seems to have become a regular yearly fixture held in the O2 arena in London, is the NBA basketball game, which is part of the American league series, but that is played as a one off exhibition game here in the UK. This year it was the turn of the New York Knicks and the Milwaukee Bucks to play each other in what was sure to be an atmospheric match with 20,000 fans looking on. Although the Knicks came into the game as the underdogs having experienced a run of poor luck in their previous games, I kept everything crossed that this game might break the bad luck spell.

NBA player's Warm-up

Whilst the basketball is the main event of the night, there are loads of other things to enjoy from the NBA experience. This year both basketball teams brought along their professional dance squads that came on during the breaks and during time-outs. The Bucks brought their hysterical mascot Bango who entertained the crowd in his own special way throughout the game. There was also what I would describe as a gymnastic/ trampoline squad that thrilled the crowds during the breaks, with a mixture of acrobatic skills and basketball trick shots. Another fun activity to enjoy during the basketball is what I like to think of as 'star spotting', seeing which celebrities are sat courtside watching the basketball. This year celeb NBA fans included ex-footballer Thierry Henry, actor Idris Elba and apparently even a member of one direction.

Unfortunately the New York Knicks didn't manage to win on this occasion, but it was still a brilliant night that brought fans from all around Europe together to appreciate the athletic prowess of American basketball.

Foam Fingers