Mayor Sadiq Khan met with NBA Deputy Commissioner and Chief Operating Officer Mark Tatum to discuss their mutual goal of expanding basketball’s presence and
influence in London. The Mayor reaffirmed his commitment to bringing more NBA games and events to the capital, building on basketball’s rising popularity.
Sadiq Khan announced the creation of a first-of-its-kind basketball taskforce aimed at promoting the sport, improving access, and attracting high-profile events, including the return of live NBA games. The taskforce will unite key figures from the world of sport, business, national governing bodies, and professional basketball, and the Mayor has extended an invitation to senior NBA leaders to participate.
Basketball is one of the fastest-growing sports in the UK, and with over 1.5 million people playing weekly, it is the second most popular team sport in the country. The Mayor aims to leverage this momentum, particularly among young people, to grow the sport even further in London.
Previously, the Mayor supported the London Coaches Program, a collaboration between the NBA and Basketball England, which trained hundreds of coaches across the city to boost basketball participation.
London has a long history of hosting major North American sports events. This year alone, the city welcomed the USA Basketball Men’s and Women’s National Teams for the USA Basketball Showcase, as well as Major League Baseball games between the New York Mets and Philadelphia Phillies. In July, Khan also held discussions with Paul "Triple H" Levesque about the potential of bringing WrestleMania to London.
The meeting between Khan and Tatum coincided with new research showing Londoners’ enthusiasm for major sporting events. A YouGov poll revealed that 62% of Londoners feel proud of their city when it hosts big events, with 72% of 18- to 24-year-olds sharing this sentiment. Furthermore, 69% of Londoners believe hosting such events has a positive impact on the local economy.
An estimated six million people attended sporting events in London this summer, including the UEFA Champions League Final and the European Professional Club Rugby Finals, solidifying London’s reputation as a global sporting capital and providing a significant boost to the city's economy.
The Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, said: “It was great to meet with NBA Deputy Commissioner Mark Tatum today to discuss the possibility of bringing more NBA games and activities to London and how we can further expand the game in the capital. Basketball continues to go from strength-to-strength and by creating a new taskforce I want to help it grow even further, enabling more young people to access and enjoy the sport.
“London has provided the stage for so many unforgettable sporting moments and I’m committed to making sure we further cement our position as the sporting capital of the world. I look forward to working closely with the NBA and other global sports to extend their activities in London and ensure we continue to have a packed calendar of world-class sporting events.
NBA Deputy Commissioner and Chief Operating Officer Mark Tatum, said: “The NBA has a long history of playing games in London, and we are committed to further growing the game in the city and across the UK. Through grassroots programs for youth and coaches, weekly games that air in primetime on TNT Sports, the beautiful new NBA Store on Oxford Street and more, there has never been a better time to be an NBA fan in London. We look forward to working more closely with Mayor Khan and his administration to build on these efforts in the years to come.” Photo by DAVID HOLT from London, England, Wikimedia commons.