Essendon players took some time out of their busy schedule at the club’s high altitude training camp in Boulder to watch some live NBA action.

The four players on the camp witnessed a convincing performance from the Denver Nuggets as they overcame the Miami Heat.

Michael Hurley, Michael Hibberd, Jobe Watson and Cale Hooker enjoyed the entertainment from courtside of some of the best athletes in America plying their craft.

Watson in particular is a big fan of American sports in particular the NBA and American football.

The captain said it was always interesting to watch the way the best athletes in the world go about their performance.

“Certainly whether it is watching this professional sport or being at the college you get the idea of hard work and how these guys operate,” Watson said.

“It would be incredibly taxing to play 82 games in a season and travel right around the country.”

“Obviously the preparation, recovery and all the sorts of things they have gives them the ability to be able to play and back up night after night.”

The Bombers had a rest day on Thursday before getting into further running, hikes, skills and weights sessions over the next few days.