The first British-born player to feature in the NBA was Chris Harris, who represented St. Louis Hawks and Rochester Royals in the 1955-56 season.

San Antonio Spurs’ Jeremy Sochan was born in the United States but raised in England and played for multiple English sides, most notably Southampton-based Solent Kestrels.

He is classed as a British player by the NBA, despite playing internationally for Poland.

Williams’ arrival adds some much needed front-court depth to the Celtics, who are the most successful team in NBA history having won a record 18 championships.

He is the second player to join the team in the 2025 draft after Spanish wing Hugo Gonzalez, who was selected from Real Madrid as the number 28 pick in the first round on Wednesday.

Basketball is one of the fastest growing sports in the UK and is the second most popular team sport, with more than 1.5m people playing on a weekly basis.