NBA London Showcase Between New York Knicks and Milwaukee Bucks, As Covered by the UK Press

When the New York Knicks and Milwaukee Bucks tipped off in London earlier this week, a sizable portion of NBA fans cringed. "We really sent the Knicks to Europe as a way of showcasing our beautiful game?" the sentiment seemed to go.

The Bucks dismantled the hapless Knickerbockers, 95-79, and justified those who were strongly against forcing the worst team in the league down British throats.

But Londoners seemed to enjoy themselves.

The BBC focused on the celebrity appearances at the game — including soccer stars Cesc Fabregas and Didier Drogba — while The Guardian took a stiff approach to the game story, reporting as though it had been following the Knicks for most of the year.

Still, there were plenty of across-the-pond quirks, as the later source referred to games as "matches" and misidentified Bucks star Giannis Antetokounmpo as his brother, Thanassis, who currently plays for the D-League's Westchester Knicks.

That isn't to say the Brits misinterpreted the poor display of basketball in front of them.

"The worst-ever NBA record in an 82-game season belongs to the Philadelphia 76ers, who finished the 1972-73 season with a 9-73 record," The Guardian's Sean Ingle wrote. "Such is the patched-up look of this Knicks' roster it is not impossible they could surpass them."

As is their custom, The Daily Mail utilized several high-quality photographs to showcase the game, as opposed to in-depth analysis. There were still more quirks in the writing ("periods" instead of "quarters," ha!) but it was all in good fun.

The conclusion: Basketball — even horribly ugly basketball — is a lot of fun when discerned through a London lens, and foreign analysis is sometimes the best way to understand how your product is perceived.

The NBA appeared to get a positive reception in London. However, that might change next season if the league attempts to send the Knicks back overseas.

Tags

Nba