Current NBA champions the Los Angeles Lakers left behind their star-studded home court at the Staples Center and touched down in the UK today at another courtly venue, Heathrow Airport's Royal Suite.
The Royal Suite usually plays host to heads of state but today's visitors were heads and shoulders taller. Superstar basketball players including Kobe Bryant, Pau Gasol and Lamar Odom, as well as cheerleaders, posed for snaps and TV interviews before heading into London.
The Lakers have left their dedicated home fanbase, including celebrity season-ticket holder Jack Nicholson, for a visit to the UK. They will play the Minnesota Timberwolves at the O2 on Monday 4 October as part of the NBA Europe Live 2010 tour.
Heathrow is the only UK airport offering flights to both Los Angeles and Minneapolis, amongst 180 different destinations in 90 countries.
Passengers can fly direct from Heathrow to 21 different destinations in the USA on eight different airlines, from Boston on the east coast to San Francisco in the west.
