The best day of the year for basketball fans in the UK arrived for the first time since 2019. The Grizzlies, led by fan favorite Ja Morant, faced the Orlando Magic with Paolo Banchero and Franz Wagner, who were coming off a big win against Memphis in the first of the two-game slate in Europe for the NBA.
The game at The O2 Arena reunited multiple footballers from across Europe, including several from Tottenham Hotspur, a club that was very connected to the NBA festivities in London.
Tottenham x Grizzlies
Destiny Udogie from Spurs exchanged jerseys with Grizzlies star Jaren Jackson Jr., while Yves Bissouma attended as a guest of NBA Europe and sat courtside in the second row. A day prior to the game, Dejan Kulusevski was a special guest judge in a Slam Dunk Contest at Ja Morant’s House of Ja, an event that featured high school prospects from around London. Kulusevski even took part in one of the dunks, holding the ball for the dunker, which resulted in a perfect ‘10’ from the judges.
Earlier on Saturday, several Memphis Grizzlies players attended Tottenham Hotspur’s match against West Ham in North London. Spurs fell 2–1 at home after a late winner by Callum Wilson. Among the players in attendance were Jaren Jackson Jr., Zach Edey, Olivier-Maxence Prosper, Jaylen Wells, and others.
NBA legend Steve Nash, who was honored after the first quarter of the NBA London Game, also attended the Spurs match and has previously revealed that he has been a lifelong Tottenham fan.
Overall, only the NBA in Europe can bring together the cultures of basketball and football in this way. While both disciplines produce world-class athletes, moments like these show that even they remain fans of other sports and stars.