Declan Rice reveals best basketball player in Arsenal dressing room as star goes court side at NBA London
DECLAN RICE has revealed the best basketball player in the Arsenal team – and admitted he is ‘terrible’ at free throws!
The Gunners midfielder sat courtside at the O2 Arena on Sunday evening for London’s NBA match between the Orlando Magic and Memphis Grizzlies.
Rice, 27, is one of the best midfielders in the Premier League and has propelled Arsenal to the top of the table.
But he said SportSun in an exclusive on-court interview, his skills don’t transfer to the basketball court.
Rice said: “William Saliba is really good. We have a small hoop and we always play inside – Saliba is always there practicing.
“It’s really good to be in court and witness it in the flesh.
Revolutionary
Construction of former Premier League club’s new £100m stadium enters next stage
POTTOR’S PICK
Best UK Betting Sites: Top Bookmakers for January 2026
“The speed of thought, always trying to look for the best open person and seeing up close how fast they are.
“Free throws are actually a very difficult thing to make.
“You don’t appreciate how hard it is and I’m bad at it.”
“But they make things look really easy.”
BEST FREE BETS AND BETTING REGISTRATION OFFERS
Saliba was also present when the NBA returned to London this weekend after a seven-year absence.
The Arsenal duo were part of the star-studded sellout crowd of 18,424, which also included Premier League stars including Virgil van Dijk and Joao Pedro.
The NBA season in the United States takes place around the same time as the Premier League campaign.
Rice will play on American soil this summer as he leads England’s World Cup bid.
The Arsenal midfielder added: “There are games very late and, when we have our evening games, they are always on TV.
“So we always watch the games and we always keep up to date.
“One of my best friends is a huge NBA fan and a Knicks fan, so when we saw the Grizzlies-Magic was on, we decided to come.”