MANCHESTER, England – If there was ever such a thing as a friendly, this was it.

Things were so chummy Thursday night at the Manchester Arena that one of the best players on the British men’s basketball team took the microphone before the game and thanked the U.S. collection of NBA superstars for stopping by on their exhibition tour to play.

You half expected Pops Mensah-Bonsu to join the crowd as it applauded the dazzling assortment of passes and dunks put on display by an American group that seems to be growing increasingly comfortable with each other.