British legend believes clash at The O2 will be on for fans to enjoy

British basketball legend John Amaechi says fans will be in for a treat when the NBA returns to London on Thursday.

Philadelphia 76ers will host Boston Celtics at The O2 in the NBA London Game 2018 in an all-Eastern Conference Atlantic Division clash.

The match will be the eighth regular season game to take place in the capital and Amaechi, who played for Cleveland Cavaliers, Orlando Magic and Utah Jazz, is expecting an entertaining fixture.

“We are in a really fortunate position in that we’ve had some interesting match-ups in the past, we’ve had some marquee names in the past, but as the audience has matured here, so has their understanding of the NBA,” said the 47-year-old.

“In this match-up there will be a game they really appreciate; there are a lot of young stars on the two teams, there is a lot of experience in the two teams and both of their franchises are really storied.

“At the same time this game really matters for them, so it’s not just a jaunt to the UK to chill out and have tea with me! It’s a vital game for them to maintain their momentum.

“Celtics, after having a bit of a slide, are starting to turn things around. Philadelphia are going to want to consolidate, so this is going to be exciting for people to watch, a match-up that the mature watchers of the NBA can really appreciate.”

• Philadelphia 76ers host Boston Celtics at The O2 in London on January 11 as part of NBA London Game 2018. The game is live on BT Sport or via NBA LEAGUE PASS.