The Portland Trail Blazers are preparing to face the London Lions on October 12, and yes, you read that correctly. An NBA franchise will be competing against a professional British basketball club for the first time in history. While international exhibition games are nothing particularly new, this matchup raises some interesting questions concerning who the London Lions are, why they are playing Portland, and whether they actually stand a chance.
The London Lions are a professional basketball club based in Stratford, East London, competing in Super League Basketball, Britain’s highest professional basketball league. Founded in 1977 as the Hemel Hempstead Lakers, the organization underwent several relocations before becoming the London Lions in 2012. The team plays its home games at the Copper Box Arena, a venue originally constructed for the 2012 Summer Olympics.
The Lions have enjoyed considerable domestic success, winning multiple championships and becoming the first British men’s club to reach the EuroCup semifinals in 2024. Interestingly, their head coach, Tautvydas Sabonis, is the son of former Portland center Arvydas Sabonis.
The game is part of Portland’s preseason schedule, providing both organizations with an opportunity to prepare for their respective competitions while giving British basketball international exposure.
Interestingly, this will be the first time a British professional basketball club has faced an NBA franchise. In 1995, the Sheffield Sharks participated in the McDonald’s Championship alongside the Houston Rockets, although the two teams never actually played each other.
The matchup also comes as the NBA explores expanding its presence in Europe, making the exhibition particularly interesting for the future of international basketball. However, the game itself is not part of any proposed European NBA competition.
When examining the matchup itself, there is little reason to believe London will defeat Portland. The Trail Blazers possess considerably more individual talent, particularly following the acquisition of Ja Morant and the return of Damian Lillard. Portland also defeated the Golden State Warriors 123–118 in its preseason opener on October 7, with Lillard scoring 15 points in just 19 minutes.
However, the Lions are not necessarily going to be pushovers. The organization enters the matchup as the reigning British champions, having completed a domestic quadruple during the 2025–26 season. Players such as Devante Jones, Tarik Phillip, and Maxwell Lewis provide London with professional experience, although the disparity in overall roster talent remains substantial.
How the Trail Blazers are stacked to the gills with talent who have been playing consistently the best basketball players in the entire world.
Final prediction: Portland Trail Blazers defeat London Lions 124–96. The projected margin is speculative, but Portland’s superior roster should give it a convincing advantage.
Ultimately, the historical significance of this matchup is probably more interesting than the actual outcome. The London Lions have spent decades developing into one of Britain’s most successful basketball organizations, and now they have an opportunity to compete against players who represent the highest level of professional basketball.
However, as interesting as the matchup might be historically, there is little reason to expect an upset. Portland should win comfortably, and anything less would be surprising. Nevertheless, for British basketball, simply getting the opportunity to compete against an NBA franchise represents an accomplishment in itself.
And that is the end of my rant.
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