U.S. President Barack Obama shared his passion for basketball Tuesday night with visiting British Prime Minister David Cameron.

The two traveled to a major U.S. college basketball tournament game in the state of Ohio between Western Kentucky University and Mississippi Valley State.

President Obama is an avid basketball fan, and the White House described the game as one event during Mr. Cameron's official visit that “underscores the special relationship” between the United States and Britain.

On Wednesday, Mr. Obama and Mr. Cameron will meet at the White House, where they are expected to discuss Afghanistan, Iran, Syria, and the upcoming G-8 and NATO summits. The British prime minister will also be honored with a state dinner.

In a newspaper opinion piece this week, the president and prime minister hailed the U.S.-British alliance as a “partnership of the heart, bound by the history, traditions and values” the two countries share.

The two leaders wrote in The Washington Post that they are working with G-8 and G-20 partners to put people back to work, sustain the global recovery and stand with Europe to resolve the debt crisis.

President Obama and Prime Minister Cameron also say they are proud of the progress their troops have made in Afghanistan, while noting that recent events — which they did not specify — show that the mission remains difficult.

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