The two teams went head-to-head at the O2 Arena on Sunday evening in the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame London Showcase, giving fans in England the chance to see some of the brightest prospects in NCAA basketball in action on these shores, with Kentucky securing a 73-69 victory over Michigan.

Before they went up against each other on the court, though, the two sides were united in their admiration for Chelsea as they visited Stamford Bridge and took a look around pitchside and behind the scenes at the home of the Blues.

Joined by representatives of the Basketball Hall of Fame, including president and CEO John L. Doleva, the players also learned about the club’s history in the Chelsea Museum, although the chance to see inside the home dressing room, where our Champions League trophy was proudly displayed, seemed to be the highlight for many of the visitors.

‘I feel like it’s cool,’ said Michigan’s Terrance Williams. ‘I love what you guys have in the locker room. It’s a good stadium, I know it probably gets loud in here too! This is a great stadium, a great environment.’

His team-mate Joey Baker was also impressed by his surroundings at Stamford Bridge, adding: ‘Chelsea is one of, if not the, most historic football clubs in the world, so being able to be here in person, you see all the history. It’s incredible.’

With this visit coming shortly before the USA’s World Cup last-16 tie with the Netherlands on Saturday, there was also plenty of excitement about that game and the country’s Chelsea forward Christian Pulisic in particular.

The Blues no.10 ended the tournament with one goal and two assists from four games, despite the USA’s eventual defeat to the Dutch, and certainly seemed to have some big fans among the college basketball players.

‘Pulisic is a phenomenal player here,’ continued Baker. ‘We’re happy that he’s at a great club.’

That admiration for Chelsea’s own American star was shared by the players of Kentucky, with Ugonna Kingsley offering high praise for Pulisic, as well as a Blues legend from previous triumphs at the Bridge.

‘Pulisic is like the LeBron James of football,’ enthused Kingsley, who was born in Nigeria and began his basketball career with the NBA Academy in Senegal. ‘Drogba is one of the greatest players from Africa who has made an impact all over the world.’

It may be Kentucky who leave London with the victory – inspired by the performance of star man Oscar Tshiebwe, who held up his personalised Chelsea shirt courtside before scoring 13 points in the game – but thanks to their visit to the Bridge both teams can return to America with some fond memories of their trip to the capital.