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Manchester United players past and present were in attendance at the Phones 4u Arena for Oklahoma City Thunder and the Philadelphia 76ers' pre-season NBA game on Tuesday night.
Rio Ferdinand, David De Gea, Adnan Januzaj and Manchester City's Jack Rodwell and Patrick Vieira were among those sitting courtside, as Olympic gold medallist Kevin Durant collected 21 points, 12 assists and eight rebounds as the Thunder beat the 76ers 103-99.
"I was just trying to be aggressive," superstar Durant said. "There were some good shots I missed early and some good shots my team-mates missed early but we just stuck with it and in the third quarter it came together.
Basketball in Manchester
Britain NBA Preseason Basketball(01 of22)
Manchester United's Adnan Januzaj, centre, sits between former players Andy Cole, left, and Quinton Fortune as Oklahoma City Thunder play the Philadelphia 76ers in a NBA preseason basketball game at the Phones 4u Arena in Manchester, England, Tuesday, Oct. 8, 2013. (AP Photo/Jon Super)
Basketball - NBA Global Games Manchester 2013 - Oklahoma City Thunder v Philadelphia 76ers - Phones4 u Arena(02 of22)
Manchester United's Rio Ferdinand with Fabrice Muamba (second Left) Oklahoma City Thunder's Serge Ibaka (second Right) and NBA legend Dikembe Mutombo (right), after the NBA Global Games between Oklahoma City Thunder and Philadelphia 76ers at the Phones4 u Arena, Manchester. (credit:PA)
Basketball - NBA Global Games Manchester 2013 - Oklahoma City Thunder v Philadelphia 76ers - Phones4 u Arena(03 of22)
Manchester United's Rio Ferdinand with Oklahoma City Thunder's Serge Ibaka, after the NBA Global Games between Oklahoma City Thunder and Philadelphia 76ers at the Phones4 u Arena, Manchester. (credit:PA)
Basketball - NBA Global Games Manchester 2013 - Oklahoma City Thunder v Philadelphia 76ers - Phones4 u Arena(04 of22)
Manchester United's Rio Ferdinand watches Oklahoma City Thunder against Philadelphia 76ers, before the NBA Global Games at the Phones4 u Arena, Manchester. (credit:PA)
Basketball - NBA Global Games Manchester 2013 - Oklahoma City Thunder v Philadelphia 76ers - Phones4 u Arena(05 of22)
Manchester United's Rio Ferdinand watches Oklahoma City Thunder against Philadelphia 76ers, before the NBA Global Games at the Phones4 u Arena, Manchester. (credit:PA)
Basketball - NBA Global Games Manchester 2013 - Oklahoma City Thunder v Philadelphia 76ers - Phones4 u Arena(06 of22)
Manchester United's Rio Ferdinand watches Oklahoma City Thunder against Philadelphia 76ers, before the NBA Global Games at the Phones4 u Arena, Manchester. (credit:PA)
Basketball - NBA Global Games Manchester 2013 - Oklahoma City Thunder v Philadelphia 76ers - Phones4 u Arena(07 of22)
Manchester United's Rio Ferdinand after the NBA Global Games between Oklahoma City Thunder and Philadelphia 76ers at the Phones4 u Arena, Manchester. (credit:PA)
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Manchester United's Rio Ferdinand (C) looks on during the NBA pre season basketball game between Philadelphia 76ers and Oklahoma City Thunder at the Manchester Arena in Manchester, north-west England on October 8, 2013. AFP PHOTO/ANDREW YATES. (Photo credit should read ANDREW YATES/AFP/Getty Images) (credit:Getty Images)
Oklahoma City Thunder v Philadelphia 76ers(09 of22)
MANCHESTER, ENGLAND - OCTOBER 08: Rio Ferdinand of Manchester United attends the NBA pre season match between Oklahoma City Thunder and Philadelphia 76ers at Phones 4 U Arena on October 8, 2013 in Manchester, England. (Photo by Jamie McDonald/Getty Images) (credit:Getty Images)
Oklahoma City Thunder v Philadelphia 76ers(10 of22)
MANCHESTER, ENGLAND - OCTOBER 08: Rio Ferdinand of Manchester United attends the NBA pre season match between Oklahoma City Thunder and Philadelphia 76ers at Phones 4 U Arena on October 8, 2013 in Manchester, England. (Photo by Jamie McDonald/Getty Images) (credit:Getty Images)
BASKET-NBA-GBR-OKLAHOMA-PHILADELPHIA(11 of22)
Manchester United's Belgium midfielder Adnan Januzaj looks on during the NBA pre season basketball game between Philadelphia 76ers and Oklahoma City Thunder at the Manchester Arena in Manchester, north-west England on October 8, 2013. Oklahoma City Thunder won 103-99. AFP PHOTO/ANDREW YATES (Photo credit should read ANDREW YATES/AFP/Getty Images) (credit:Getty Images)
Britain NBA Preseason Basketball(12 of22)
Manchester United's soccer player Adnan Januzaj, of Belgium, watches Oklahoma City Thunder play the Philadelphia 76ers in a NBA preseason basketball game at the Phones 4u Arena in Manchester, England, Tuesday, Oct. 8, 2013. (AP Photo/Jon Super)
Basketball - NBA Global Games Manchester 2013 - Oklahoma City Thunder v Philadelphia 76ers - Phones4 u Arena(13 of22)
Fabrice Muamba with wife Shauna (right) NBA legend Dikembe Mutombo after the NBA Global Games between Oklahoma City Thunder and Philadelphia 76ers at the Phones4 u Arena, Manchester. (credit:PA)
Basketball - NBA Global Games Manchester 2013 - Oklahoma City Thunder v Philadelphia 76ers - Phones4 u Arena(14 of22)
Oklahoma City Thunder's Kevin Durant (right) takes on Philadelphia 76ers' Darius Morris, during NBA Global Games at the Phones4 u Arena, Manchester. (credit:PA)
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Oklahoma City Thunder's Kevin Durant (right) takes on Philadelphia 76ers' Darius Morris, during NBA Global Games at the Phones4 u Arena, Manchester. (credit:PA)
Basketball - NBA Global Games Manchester 2013 - Oklahoma City Thunder v Philadelphia 76ers - Phones4 u Arena(16 of22)
Oklahoma City Thunder's Kevin Durant dunks the ball against the Philadelphia 76ers, during the NBA Global Games at the Phones4 u Arena, Manchester. (credit:PA)
Basketball - NBA Global Games Manchester 2013 - Oklahoma City Thunder v Philadelphia 76ers - Phones4 u Arena(17 of22)
Oklahoma City Thunder's Kevin Durant dunks the ball against the Philadelphia 76ers, during the NBA Global Games at the Phones4 u Arena, Manchester. (credit:PA)
Basketball - NBA Global Games Manchester 2013 - Oklahoma City Thunder v Philadelphia 76ers - Phones4 u Arena(18 of22)
Oklahoma City Thunder's Kevin Durant (right) skips past Philadelphia 76ers' Evan Turner, during NBA Global Games at the Phones4 u Arena, Manchester. (credit:PA)
Basketball - NBA Global Games Manchester 2013 - Oklahoma City Thunder v Philadelphia 76ers - Phones4 u Arena(19 of22)
Oklahoma City Thunder's Kevin Durant dunks the ball against the Philadelphia 76ers, during the NBA Global Games at the Phones4 u Arena, Manchester. (credit:PA)
Basketball - NBA Global Games Manchester 2013 - Oklahoma City Thunder v Philadelphia 76ers - Phones4 u Arena(20 of22)
Oklahoma City Thunder's Kevin Durant dunks the ball against the Philadelphia 76ers, during the NBA Global Games at the Phones4 u Arena, Manchester. (credit:PA)
Basketball - NBA Global Games Manchester 2013 - Oklahoma City Thunder v Philadelphia 76ers - Phones4 u Arena(21 of22)
Oklahoma City Thunder's Serge Ibaka shots past Philadelphia 76ers' Spencer Hawes, during NBA Global Games at the Phones4 u Arena, Manchester. (credit:PA)
Basketball - NBA Global Games Manchester 2013 - Oklahoma City Thunder v Philadelphia 76ers - Phones4 u Arena(22 of22)
Oklahoma City Thunder's Serge Ibaka shoots past Philadelphia 76ers' Thaddeus Young, during the NBA Global Games at the Phones4 u Arena, Manchester. (credit:PA)
"I just love basketball and any time I have the chance to compete I go for it. Tonight it was pretty fun to play in front of that crowd."
Although the game lacked the intensity of a regular-season contest - with both teams showing the effects of a hectic travel schedule to play across Europe in the NBA's annual summer tour - those on hand, a crowd listed at 13,472, were treated to enough highlight reel plays to keep them entertained.