London, Monday 3rd August 2026 - London Lions will become the first British club in history to face an NBA team, taking on the Portland Trail Blazers in a preseason game at the Moda Center in Portland, Oregon, on Monday 12 October 2026.
The game tips off at 1:00 PM local time (9:00 PM BST), giving supporters back home a prime-time evening slot to watch the Lions write a new chapter for British basketball. It marks the first occasion a club side from the United Kingdom has ever shared the floor with a franchise from the NBA.
The fixture carries a special resonance for Lions Head Coach Tautvydas Sabonis, who returns to a city deeply woven into his family’s story. His father, the legendary Arvydas Sabonis, one of the greatest European players ever to play the game, spent seven seasons with the Trail Blazers between 1995 and 2003, becoming a beloved figure in Portland and cementing his status as a Rip City icon.
For the younger Sabonis to lead a team out against the Blazers in the same city is a full-circle moment.
London Lions General Manager Martynas Purlys said: “Playing a preseason game against the Portland Trail Blazers is a historic moment for our club and for basketball in the United Kingdom. We see this opportunity as a recognition of the progress and ambition of the London Lions organisation, as well as an important milestone for British basketball as a whole.
“We believe this occasion will provide a significant boost to the growth and popularity of basketball across the UK, inspire the next generation of players and fans, and demonstrate that British club basketball is entering a new era. We are grateful for the opportunity to play in Portland and look forward to what will be a memorable experience for both organisations and their supporters.”
Head Coach Tautvydas Sabonis added: “I’m excited to be playing a preseason game against an NBA team, and all the more so against the Portland Trail Blazers in Portland, a city that holds a lot of meaning for me and my family. It will be fun to come back. As for the game itself, it will be a great test for our guys to try themselves against an NBA team, and a great boost for the growth of British basketball.”
The Lions head into the game as reigning champions of the SLB, following a clean sweep last season, and are set for a return to the BKT EuroCup this year.
Tickets are on sale via the Portland Trail Blazers’ official website.
