NBA exec confirms league's plans to return to London after meeting with Mayor Sadiq Khan

The NBA hasn't played a regular-season crippled successful London since the 2018-19 play but lawman commissioner Mark Tatum is hopeful that volition alteration successful the "not-too-distant future"

NBA lawman commissioner Mark Tatum has fixed British hoops fans a glimmer of hope, confirming that the league is keen to marque a comeback successful London. The superior hasn't seen an NBA London Game since the 2018-19 play with Paris stepping successful arsenic the caller European host.

However, during a gathering successful New York City with Mayor Sadiq Khan past month, some parties expressed a beardown tendency to spot the instrumentality of the NBA to British shores. "We had a large gathering present successful New York," Tatum revealed to planetary media astatine a property league earlier the 2024-25 NBA play tip-off.

"And what helium reaffirmed to maine is his committedness to investing successful and increasing the crippled of hoops successful the UK. We're seeing that excitement grow. We're seeing the involvement successful the level of the crippled grow.

• Victor Wembanyama’s comments astir Caitlin Clark talk volumes astir WNBA star
• Tom Brady compares NFL prima to Steph Curry aft astir breaking record

"What helium and I talked astir was uncovering ways to bring the NBA backmost to the UK astatine immoderate constituent successful the not-too-distant future, and I'm hopeful that we volition beryllium capable to bash that. It's been a fewer years since we've played NBA regular play games successful the UK, but helium expressed a committedness to bringing the NBA backmost – and I expressed an involvement successful uncovering ways to bash that."

The NBA's planetary allure has ne'er been greater with foreign-born stars seizing the spotlight and snatching six of the past MVP awards. For the upcoming 2024-25 season, a cosmopolitan vibe permeates each squad arsenic each boasts astatine slightest 1 non-American talent.

On Opening Night rosters, a record-equaling 125 players from a record-matching 43 nations crossed six continents represented planetary basketball. Among them were Brits Jeremy Sochan of the San Antonio Spurs – who plays for Poland internationally – and the New York Knicks' OG Anunoby, some tipped to instrumentality starting roles successful 2024-25.

And successful the United Kingdom, hoops is soaring successful popularity, catching the keen eyes of NBA chiefs. "Basketball is 1 of the fastest-growing sports successful the UK close now, and we're truly seeing that growth," Tatum said.

Evidence shows a stunning 30 per cent emergence successful the country's hoops information since 2022, according to YouGov stats sourced by the NBA. Sport England says 1.5 cardinal Brits deed the tribunal weekly, elevating it arsenic the nation's second-favorite squad sport.

Adding to the buzz, NBA's fanbase successful the UK has expanded by 24 per cent since 2022 per YouGov, peculiarly thriving among Gen Z wherever it boasts 2.2 cardinal followers – clinching the spot arsenic the favourite US sports league successful Britain among the group.