The NBA is reportedly close to reaching an agreement for regular season matches to be held in Manchester from as early as next season.
The league has been more conscious of reaching a worldwide audience in the past few decades with their 'Global Games' being held all over the world.
London hosted regular season games between 2011 and 2019 as well as several pre-season matches.
They then moved to Mexico and Paris but now looks set to return to England in the very near future.
LeBron James and the Los Angeles Lakers may be set to place in Manchester
REUTERS
According to The Times, an agreement is close for the NBA to return to England for regular season games to be held in Manchester.
It's claimed that a 'multi-year deal' to play regular season games at Manchester's 23,500-capacity Co-op Live arena is set to be agreed.
The report adds that matches could be held at the venue as early as next season.
NBA deputy commissioner Mark Tatum held a meeting with London mayor Sadiq Khan last year to discuss the potential of NBA returning to England.
"We had a great meeting here in New York," Tatum said in October.
"And what he reaffirmed to me is his commitment to investing in and growing the game of basketball in the UK.
"We're seeing that excitement grow. We're seeing the interest in the level of the game grow.
"What he and I talked about was finding ways to bring the NBA back to the UK at some point in the not-too-distant future, and I'm hopeful that we will be able to do that.
"It's been a few years since we've played NBA regular season games in the UK, but he expressed a commitment to bringing the NBA back – and I expressed an interest in finding ways to do that.
"The agreement could see top stars such as LeBron James play regular season matches in England very soon.
London previously hosted NBA games
PA
The Los Angeles Lakers never played a regular season match in London when The 02 hosted the Global Games, although they did play a pre-season match against the Minnesota Timberwolves in 2010 where Kobe Bryant played six minutes of action.
The UK has a growing presence in the NBA having gone decades without any representation in the league.
Nick Nurse previously coached the Manchester Giants in the British Basketball League before taking the step into the NBA and winning the title with the Toronto Raptors in 2019.
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There are more and more British players in the league now too with Newcastle-born Tosan Evbuomwan recently signing for the Brooklyn Nets.
London-born OG Anunoby was a part of the Raptors team that won the title under Nurse six years ago.
San Antonio Spurs star Jeremy Sochan also has British links having been raised in England and playing for Southampton-based Solent Kestrels.
