Horford, the glue that binds the up-and-coming Celtics together, says Boston has two of the biggest weapons in the league in Kyrie Irving and rising star Jaylen Brown.

And the 31-year-old power forward is backing both of them to put on a show in front on a sell-out crowd at London’s O2 Arena when they take on the Philadelphia 76ers in a regular-season match-up.

Horford, a four-time All-Star and two-time NCAA champion, said: “We have great individual players - an amazing dunker in Jaylen Brown and a playmaker in Kyrie Irving. We have a lot of weapons.

“We’re a team that’s up and coming and I feel that our style of play is something that will appeal to the fans.

“We’re a team that plays great defence, plays as a team and move the ball around well.

“To win a championship would be amazing. It’s the goal that I’ve had since I’ve been in the NBA. It’s a tough journey and takes a lot of things to go your way for it to happen.

“Right now, we’re trying to build something special and grow as a group. Hopefully at the end of the year we’ll be in a position that we’re there.”

Many wrote Boston off after their big free agent signing Gordon Hayward went down with a serious injury six minutes into their season opener.

But behind the star power of former Cleveland Cavaliers point guard Irving, rookie sensation Jayson Tatum and Brown, they have defied the odds to become contenders.

They currently own the best record in the Eastern Conference and will be favourites to win in London despite the Sixers boasting stars of their own like Joel Embiid and Ben Simmons.

Horford said: “Those guys are tough. No question. Ben Simmons’ ability to get to the basket and do it all on the court makes him a tough matchup on the court.

“And Embiid with his size and ability to shoot the ball makes them a duo that are just very tough to cover.”

Horford has had a taste of NBA London before when he was with the Atlanta Hawks in 2014, but injury prevented him from playing against the Brooklyn Nets.

Now he hopes to make up for lost time, saying: “I didn’t play as I was injured but London is a city that my wife and I really love. I can’t wait for it - it’s going to be a lot of fun.

“I’ll make sure that I come up with a little list for my team-mates to hit up. We did the double decker buses, the whole tour and stops.

“I’ll point them out some good restaurants - make sure that they have some fish and chips. We’ve got to make the most of it.

“It almost feels like a vacation, but it’s not, but we’re definitely excited about it.

“It was a lot of fun last time. It was a great time for us. When I found out we were going to play there my wife said right away ‘I’m coming on the trip’.

“Hopefully we can take in a soccer match - that would be a lot of fun as well if the schedules coincide. It will be a great experience to finally play there - I’m looking forward to it.”

The Boston Celtics take on the Philadelphia 76ers at NBA London on January 11, live on BT Sport and NBA League Pass.