When the NBA finally returned to London in January 2026, the O2 Arena felt less like a neutral stage and more like a crossroads. Fans from across Europe arrived hungry for Ja Morant highlights and a rare taste of regular-season intensity, but the night refused to stay inside the lines of sport. Vanessa Williams’s poised anthem performance was pierced by a single, unexpected cry: “Leave Greenland alone!” In an instant, the arena became a referendum on American power, its echo bouncing between cheers, boos, and uneasy silence.Yet as soon as the ball tipped, the familiar rhythm of the game reclaimed the building. Morant’s explosiveness, Memphis’s control, and Orlando’s resilience reminded everyone why the NBA travels so far from home. The controversy lingered in headlines, but in the stands, something quieter endured: proof that basketball can hold together people who disagree on nearly everything else, if only for four quarters.
NBA Fans in London Stand Out During National Anthem
