Positive signs that NBA UK isn't just a Euro marketing tool

So after a few years living in London and occasionally complaining about the poor treatment of UK basketballers, I return home to Australia only to hear that the New Jersey Nets and Toronto Raptors are playing the first regular season game in Britain.

And by the sounds of it, the fans and complete strangers to the game are all going crazy for it. Photo and comments on NBA UK's Facebook page attest to that.

Still, the Nets and the Raptors? When Heat play Lakers or Celtics play the Bulls, then we can get really excited. I know the NBA has domestic ticket sales in mind versus the huge cost of flying the entire showcase to the UK but if they really want the European fanbase to build, bringing in big-ticket teams is the only way to go.

Just look at some of the votes cast on Fan Night. Last time I checked, Wolves v Bucks received only 2% of the votes from fans as their favourite lineup of the night. But those two teams are more likely to play in a London showdown than the league leaders.