NBA basketball returns to London

Fresh from hosting Olympic gymnastics this summer, the O2 Arena has been announced as the host venue for the return of NBA basketball to London.

Basketball at the O2 in 2007 - Chicago Bulls v Utah Jazz
Pic - The Telegraph

The New York Knicks will take on the Detroit Pistons on 17 January 2013, as the third regular season fixture to take place in London.

The O2 was the venue for the previous matches, as the Toronto Raptors took on the New Jersey Mets in March 2011.

This fixture is a part of the NBA's reach into Europe during the 2012/13 season. Berlin and Barcelona both play host to the Dallas Mavericks, while the Boston Celtics travel to Milan. The Mavericks and Celtics will take on local opposition, but the O2 event will be a regular season NBA fixture.

NBA commissioner David Stern said: "London was the epicentre of global sports this summer, and the Olympics were a tremendous showcase for basketball.

"Playing our third regular-season game in the city in three years and having historic franchises like the Knicks and Pistons serve as our ambassadors provide extraordinary opportunities to further the game's growth and development in the UK and throughout Europe."

The NBA have also taken regular season games to Mexico and Japan, with London being the only European venue for such an event.

The O2 has hosted basketball exhibition fixtures in the recent past, but this expansion of NBA's season confirms the sport's global appeal.