NBA players adjusting to London

Oct 11, 2008 - 3:54 PM By Ian Parker PA SportsTicker Contributing Writer

LONDON (Ticker) -- Michael Beasley might be able to drive to the basket at will, but don't ask him to drive a car in London.

The Miami Heat rookie, in town for Sunday's NBA Europe Live game against the New Jersey Nets, admitted he almost got himself run over this week as he tried to get his head around cars driving on the left-hand side of the road.

"Wow, I've never seen that," the 6-10 forward out of Kansas State said. "You have the steering on the right (of the car) and you drive on the left. I don't think I could drive over here."

The Heat just need to make sure he doesn't go out alone during the rest of their stay in the British capital.

"I was crossing the street and I looked the wrong way," he said. "I looked to the left and the cars are coming at me from the right. Thank God people were looking out for me."

In the much safer environment of the basketball court, Beasley and his teammates are hoping to use Sunday's game to get on the same page.

They have lost both of their pre-season games so far, narrowly edged out 100-98 by the Nets in Paris on Thursday.

"Our communication is not where it should be right now," said Shawn Marion. "A lot of us still haven't played with each other yet so we're still learning about each other, but we've seen signs of some great energy."

Some of that energy will be needed just to get through what can be an exhausting schedule of promotional activities during these European trips.

There are some advantages in coming away from home, however.

"Off the court, you bond with each other," said All-Star Dwyane Wade. "On the court you continue to get comfortable with each other - we've only been together for two weeks - but off the court we're ahead of the curve because you start to learn people's personalities and who and how you can go and talk to."

That's important for both of these teams as they rebuild their rosters.

Yi Jianlian joined the Nets this summer in a trade that sent leading scorer Richard Jefferson the other way.

For the 7-foot Yi, it means a second fresh start after he was drafted by the Milwaukee Bucks last year.

Coming to Europe has been an ideal way for him to spend more time with his teammates - particularly after an injury kept him out of the start of training camp back in the States.

"You stay together, practice together and see each other every day," said Yi.

Talk at Saturday's practice session was once again dominated by the idea of the NBA one day expanding into Europe.

Originally floated last year, the proposal appears to have lost a little ground - commissioner David Stern indicated Friday that nothing was in the works - but that has not ended the speculation.

"You never know what can happen," Wade said. "Just a couple of years ago we didn't think of the game as being as global as it is now. You just have to keep your mind open and your heart open to where our game is going. Basketball is getting bigger and bigger."

While the success of the Europe Live model has hinted at the potential, New Jersey head coach Lawrence Franks remains cautious - even as he assured himself a place in the commissioner's affections with his comments. .

"I don't know so much what the plan is, whether it is expansion of the NBA or setting up another league here," he said. "You'd have a great honeymoon period, but there's the logistics of it. How do you work the travel? Before, the longest trip point to point was Miami to Vancouver, but this is further, so I don't know.

"Can you get a team in London? Yes. Can you get a team in Paris? Yes. Mexico City? Probably. But the great thing about where we're at right now is that we have the greatest commissioner in all of sports, so whatever he thinks we're going to be able to do, we'll be able to do it."

The players remain open to it as well.

"I don't think it's out the door," said Heat forward Shawn Marion. "I think it's possible. I'm hoping it all comes but it's not up to me to decide."

One thing is certain however. If a London team ever wanted to sign Beasley, they'd need to get him a chauffeur.