LONDON — Roger Moreland, the British basketball chairman, knows two things about Thursday’s Knicks-Pistons contest at O2 Arena.
First, it will continue the recent popularity of basketball in Britain.
And secondly, there will be more fans pulling for the orange and the blue. The British just don’t do holidays in Detroit.
“I’m pretty sure the edge will be for the Knicks,’’ Moreland told The Post yesterday. “New York is closer to here, and a lot of people go there to shop and make holiday trips.’’
The game was the fastest sellout for a game at the O2 in its young history. It’s the second time in three years the NBA has played a regular-season game in Britain. (There have been four preseason games staged at O2 Arena).
“We could’ve sold it out three times over,’’ Moreland said.
The recent success of the national team in Great Britain, the Olympic basketball spectacle in August, the notion England will play host to the EuroLeague Final Four in May and the increased participation in the sport are signs there may one day be an NBA team wearing London on its chest. Former Knicks general manager Ed Tapscott is in the process of forming a second pro league here beginning in 2015, trying to make it more than a niche sport.
“Why not?’’ Moreland said of a London NBA team. “How many years? I don’t know. But it’s still David Stern’s decision.’’
Actually it comes down to NBA deputy commissioner Adam Silver, who will inherit Stern’s position in 2014. And tomorrow is a night that blazes that trail.
“We understand the future of the NBA and future of basketball,’’ Knicks forward Steve Novak said. “It’s hard not to think one day the NBA won’t expand overseas. Obviously, there’s a ton of NBA fans in London and pretty much everywhere in Europe.’’
Moreland points to NBA games now appearing on TV network Sky Sport and the ESPN feed Londoners get on satellite. According to Moreland, a study shows basketball is the second-highest participation sport among 11- to 15-year-old boys after soccer. “There’s just an increasing amount of NBA product new in our media,’’ Moreland said.
Still, the Knicks arrived at the team hotel in downtown London without fanfare. The London tabloids largely ignored the Olympic basketball event as Great Britain got wiped out before the medal round. No one was staked out seeking autographs as Carmelo Anthony, Amar’e Stoudemire and Jason Kidd strolled off the team bus with their wives.
J.R. Smith said the NBA can never touch soccer.
“It’s good to try to bring the game throughout the world, but soccer will be the biggest sport over here, regardless,’’ Smith said. “And I think I’ll finally get to catch a soccer game [tonight at Chelsea], so it will be good.’’
Moreland said the British national teams are no longer an embarrassment. Since 2009, national men’s and women’s teams have qualified five times for the European Championships. In the 50 years before that, from 1959 to 2009, the teams qualified just twice. “That’s staggering, unprecedented improvement,’’ Moreland said.
But basketball still has its place. Neither the Queen nor Knicks owner James Dolan are expected to attend.