A whole host of Premier League stars and famous faces from the celebrity world descended upon North Greenwich as the most popular basketball league on the planet rolled into town once again.
Chelsea's Eden Hazard, David Luiz and Andre Schurrle were also part of the 20,000-strong crowd, as were Manchester United winger Nani and Aston Villa striker Christian Benteke.
Wilshere's Arsenal team-mates Per Mertesacker, Olivier Giroud, Lukas Podolski, Serge Gnabry and Lukasz Fabianski were all sat courtside while former Gunners midfielder Robert Pires was in the crowd with his wife Jessica Lemarie.
Mertesacker sported an Atlanta Hawks jersey with the name of his compatriot Dennis Schroder, who scored eight points on the night, on the back, while Podolski opted for the black of the Brooklyn Nets.
Crystal Palace striker Marouane Chamakh was also in the expensive seats, as were Fulham trio Steve Sidwell, Darren Bent and Clint Dempsey.
Olympic boxing gold medallist Anthony Joshua was also in attendance along with music legend Paul McCartney and One Direction superstar Liam Payne.
Joe Johnson was in excellent form for the Nets, scoring 29 points in a dominant 127-110 victory as they continued their resurgence following a slow start to the season.
Paul Pierce chipped in with 18 points of his own as five Brooklyn players reached double figures.
Shelvin Mack and Mike Scott came off the bench to lead the scoring for Atlanta with 17 points each , while point guard Jeff Teague added 16.
The game was the fourth regular-season contest to be played in London since 2011.
The Nets, then based in New Jersey, beat the Toronto Raptors twice in as many nights in March 2011 before the New York Knicks faced the Detroit Pistons this time last year.
NBA commissioner David Stern, who will step down from his position next month after 30 years in charge, said: 'We are excited to be back in London. The post-Olympic glow is terrific and it's also been good for basketball.
'Our social media numbers are up and our participation numbers are up in the sport and the UK and we have a new partnership with BT Sport.'
Stern added: 'I have to thank the fans who sold this game out in record time. We are delighted that our sponsors have been able to support in the way they have. The O2 is a spectacular building. Our sponsors and broadcasters enjoy coming to London.'
Deputy commissioner Adam Silver, who will soon take over from Stern, confirmed that the NBA will look to make the regular-season game in London an annual event while also exploring the possibility of a European-based franchise.
Silver said: 'We do have plans to continue playing regular-season games in London and we hope to continue building our business in London and throughout Europe. We are looking at other opportunities to play more games or have a tournament.
'Something we have talked about for years is bringing NBA franchises to major European cities. If we were to come to Europe, it would most likely be a division than a single team for logistics. Its something we will look at, measure the response and go from there.'
Rio Ferdinand, Patrick Vieira and Adnan Januzaj were part of the crowd in Manchester last October when the Oklahoma City Thunder and Philadelphia 76ers played a pre-season game at Phones 4 U Arena.
Brooklyn Nets head coach Jason Kidd came to London as a player this time last year when his New York Knicks team beat the Detroit Pistons 102-87.
Kidd said: 'It's very important the NBA continues to come to London. This is a great city and great sports atmosphere. This is a unique situation and a unique venue.
'As a coach, the only ache or pain you have is a headache if things don't go well. It's been incredible and hopefully we can come back.'
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