Celtics to face Philadelphia 76s in January 2018

The NBA is coming to London once again in 2018, with the Philadelphia 76ers playing hosts to Boston Celtics at the O2 Arena on January 11.

And although the big match is still several months away, Boston’s Jaylen Brown is excited about coming to the capital to showcase his skills for basketball fans in the UK.

Brown took part in a question & answer session to talk about the event.

Q: What makes it special coming over here? What’s there to get excited about? Is it just great to play basketball in a different country and experience those different fans?

Brown: “That is an important factor. Just going across seas and just being in an unfamiliar territory, it gets you out of your comfort zone a little bit. It makes you rely on your friends or your team-mates more because you don’t want to go somewhere by yourself because you’re unfamiliar. It makes you a little bit more uncomfortable and builds a stronger bond.”

Q: You’re going up against the 76ers, what do you make of them as a team? How tough are they going to be to play against when you get over here?

Brown: “I think they’re a very good young team, I think we have the edge on them now just with experience. We have some really good players but I think they have good young guys. I think in the future they’re going to be good.”

Q: Is there anyone in particular on their team who you identify as being a key player for them, someone who you think you’ve really got to stop if you’re going to beat them when you come over here?

Brown: “Joel Embiid, I think when he’s healthy he’s a problem. I don’t know how healthy he is so I don’t know.”

Q: You’re big on your education, you’re doing a lot of extra qualifications, you want to learn different languages. We’re known for Oxford and Cambridge University, do you ever think you’d like to come over here and study at one of those when you’ve retired?

Brown: “I know Oxford and Cambridge are only an hour away from London, so I would definitely like to stop by there and check it out because I think education is important. Maybe when we’re in London I’ll have the chance check it out.”

*The Philadelphia 76ers will host the Boston Celtics at The O2 on January 11; to sign up for early access to tickets, exclusive offers and the latest team news, please visit www.NBA.com/London