NBA's LA Lakers to meet Minnesota at London's O2 Arena

Reigning NBA champions the LA Lakers will play the Minnesota Timberwolves at London's O2 Arena in a pre-season game on 4 October, it has been confirmed.

It will be the first time the Lakers have played in Europe since 1991.

Last season, the O2 witnessed British star Luol Deng's Chicago Bulls side dramatically beat Utah Jazz 102-101.

It will be the fifth straight year the NBA is playing pre-season games in Europe, with London hosting a game for the fourth year in a row.

NBA commissioner David Stern said: "This is a very important continuing step to bring our best-known team, the Lakers, to London."

Back in 1991, NBA legend Magic Johnson helped the Lakers to a win over Spain's Joventut Badalona in the final of the McDonald's Open tournament in Paris.

This time, the Lakers will be led by another superstar, Kobe Bryant, who is expected to be one of the leading lights for the US in September's World Championships in Turkey.

Also on the Lakers squad will be Pau Gasol, who led Spain to the World and European Championship titles in 1996 and 1999.

After London, the Lakers will travel to Spain to play FC Barcelona on 7 October in a match that will see Gasol playing against his former club. Minnesota will travel on to Paris to take on the New York Knicks.

The Timberwolves are returning for a second game at the O2, having lost to the Boston Celtics in the inaugural game in 2007.

"We had a good tournament last time with the Timberwolves - the Celtics may have had something to do with that as well," said Stern.

"But the Timberwolves enjoyed the process very much. They thought it helped with their team bonding and they said they would like to go again."

Since then, the Miami Heat and New Jersey Nets met in 2008 before Deng's Chicago Bulls met Utah Jazz in last October's showcase.

According to Stern, the decision to install the Lakers in the O2 was not taken as a 'follow that' measure after Deng's return to London.

"Not specifically - but we have a place where a lot of decisions get made and then they tell me what they are," joked Stern.

"I think that's a good reason - it is hard to follow Luol so bringing the world's best-known basketball team to the O2 is a good follow-up step. We think that we've come up with a good solution."