Explore every episode of the podcast Hoopsfix Podcast - British Basketball with Sam Neter

In Episode 123 of the Hoopsfix podcast, we sit down with British basketball legend Bobby Kinzer to explore what he sees as "the golden era" of British basketball during the 1980's. 

Bobby shares his journey from Washington, DC to playing in the UK, highlighting the level of competition and the unique challenges faced by American players abroad.

Bobby delves into the financial and cultural hurdles that basketball encountered in the UK, emphasising the importance of grassroots development and the need for a strong foundation to elevate the sport. 

The conversation also touches on the evolution of the game, the role of corporate sponsorship, and the enduring potential of British basketball.

In this episode of the Hoopsfix podcast, we sit down with GB head coach Marc Steutel about the evolution of the Great Britain basketball program since their last Eurobasket campaign. He discusses the improvements in preparation, team culture, and leadership, as well as the challenges ahead in the upcoming EuroBasket tournament. 

Steutel emphasises the importance of player development, team identity, and the need to build a strong foundation for future success. The conversation also touches on player availability and the tough competition they will face in their group.

00:00 Intro
02:03 From Low Points to High Hopes: The Evolution of GB Basketball
08:15 Building a Winning Culture: Goals and Values in GB Basketball
13:49 Assessing Performance: Preparation and Team Identity
20:06 Facing the Giants: Strategies Against Top Competitors
26:19 Defensive Strategies Against Luka Doncic
28:36 Player Availability and Roster Decisions
35:00 Future of Young Players in the National Team
40:10 Tobi Lawal's Potential and Development
43:37 Akwasi Yeboah's Role and Impact
47:19 Preparing for Eurobasket Challenges

For Episode 121 of the Hoopsfix podcast we got sit down with San Antonio Spurs' Jeremy Sochan while he was back in London for a week.

Having just completed his third year in the NBA, and fresh off a trip to the Philippines, Jeremy shares his experiences and reflections on his journey from being drafted three years ago to becoming a certified NBA professional. 

He discusses the challenges of adapting to various roles in the team, the mental health struggles that come with the NBA lifestyle, and the importance of maintaining a support network. Jeremy also opens up about the impact of social media and gambling on players, his aspirations for EuroBasket, and his plans to promote basketball in the UK, having recently been appointed to the Mayor of London's Basketball Taskforce.

Timestamps:
00:00 Introduction and Welcome
01:47 Catching Up with Jeremy Sochan
02:54 Life in the NBA
05:36 Media and Public Perception
17:25 Mental Health and Support Systems
24:04 Off-Season Plans and EuroBasket
31:38 NBA Stars and Referees: The Ego Factor
32:47 Evolving Goals in the NBA
35:16 Financial Wisdom and Lifestyle Changes
43:02 Impacting UK Basketball
49:35 Future Aspirations and NBA Europe
56:32 Fan Questions and Personal Insights

For episode 120 of the Hoopsfix Podcast we sit down with legends of the game David Last and Terry Doherty, the masterminds behind Crystal Palace basketball club.

Crystal Palace, one of the most successful clubs in the UK through the 1970's and 80's, were known for being one of the first programs to have a fully integrated pathway from juniors through to seniors, being responsible for a number of top English talents. 

In this long-form conversation we go into the history of the club, and also the founding of the World Invitational Club Basketball (WICB) Championships - one of the top international club tournaments that has existed.

For episode 119 of the Hoopsfix Podcast we sit down with Reading Rockets CEO Matt Johnson. 

Johnson shares the journey of the Reading Rockets, a basketball club founded in 1997, emphasising the importance of youth engagement and community impact. 

He discusses the current scope of the club, its legal structures, and the challenges faced in the British basketball landscape, while highlighting the need for more participation in basketball, the significance of youth development, and the philosophy behind coaching young players. 

Matt discusses the various barriers to growth in basketball clubs, the importance of knowledge sharing and resources, and the role of governance in sports, emphasising the need for better infrastructure, support, and a clear pathway for young athletes to thrive in the sport.

Emergency pod!

With the shock news that the British Basketball Federation (BBF) has granted preferred bidder status to an investment group led by Marshall Glickman, going into an exclusive negotiating period for the professional league operating license, we got BBF Chair Chris Grant on the pod to discuss his and the BBF’s position.

It was widely expected that Super League Basketball (SLB) would be the ones to get the preferred bidder status but they did not submit a tender, citing unreasonable & unlawful demands – including a £25k non-refundable fee just to tender & a £1.5M annual license fee, all while the BBF retains a large amount of control.

For episode 117 of the Hoopsfix Podcast, we sit down with Super League Basketball (SLB) interim Chair and Sheffield Sharks and Hatters new owner Vaughn Millette.

Vaughn discussed his journey into British basketball, his role as interim chair of the league, and the challenges faced in revitalising the sport after a tumultuous summer. 

He shared insights on the business dynamics of the league, the importance of community engagement, and the need for financial stability. 

Vaughn emphasised the significance of developing British talent and improving facilities to foster growth in the sport. He also highlights the collaborative efforts with the British Basketball Federation and the potential for future expansion and investment in the league.

In episode 115 of the Hoopsfix Podcast, we sit down with Pete Taylor (Chair) and Josh Merrington (GM) of the Milton Keynes Breakers basketball club.

Over the past seven years, Breakers have gone from 40 kids to over a 1000, while adding a Senior National League side that has got promoted every year and will be in Division 1 next season. 

Not only that, but they've built a large fan base - with over 400 travelling to the National Cup Finals in January - and a thriving business, set to turnover more than £500,000 this year.

Timestamps:

Timestamps:
00:00 Intro
02:06 Introduction and Background
02:42 History of the Club
06:34 Impact of COVID-19
08:50 Expanding the Club and Community Support
11:15 Promoting the Club and Building Relationships
14:51 Developing Talent and Player Pathway
25:30 Retaining Players and Life After Basketball
32:43 Payment Structure and Off-Court Development
33:00 Club Budget and Financial Prudence
36:44 Generating Revenue and Managing Costs
41:30 Grant Funding and Sponsorship
46:30 Importance of Digital Presence
52:07 Future Growth and Expansion
57:05 Facility Development and Expansion
59:56 Potential for BBL and WBBL Franchise

For episode 115 of the Hoopsfix Podcast, we sit down with Sevenoaks Suns coach and owner Len Busch.

The Suns, one of the most successful WBBL franchises and at the forefront of youth female basketball development pulled out of the top-flight this off-season due to ‘untenable’ costs.

In this hour long episode we go in depth with Len on the behind the scenes running of the club, and why financially it did not make sense for the Suns to continue.

For episode 114 of the Hoopsfix Podcast, we sit down with Caledonia Gladiators owner Steve Timoney.

Timoney and his wife Alison – who also own the Gladiators’ WBBL franchise – took over the BBL club just before the start of this season and are self financing the project they consider to be part of their legacy.

With a net worth estimated at anywhere between £60 million and £100 million they have lofty ambitions for the club which include a £20million facility project, announced last month.

In this hour long episode we speak to Steve about his business background, how he got involved with basketball, and his plans for the franchise which they are aiming to be a powerhouse in British basketball for years to come.

Timestamps:

00:00 Intro
02:42 Interview start
03:03 How he first got involved with basketball
09:06 Steve’s business background
12:41 If you want to turn a large fortune into a small fortune buy a sports team
16:41 The low hanging fruit to make the business work when Steve took over
24:26 Spending £20million on a 6000 seat arena and 5 court training facility
31:26 How the £20million is being financed for the facility
33:31 How to get a return on the £20million investment
36:47 Interactions with 777 and other franchises
44:11 We want to be the second biggest league in the world outside of the NBA
48:00 The challenges with getting the mainstream media to cover basketball
52:53 Building out the front office of the Caledonia Gladiators and the necessary head count
56:16 How much Steve is involved operationally at the moment
57:46 Can Scotland support another professional basketball franchise?

For episode 113 of the Hoopsfix Podcast we sit down with new Chair of the British Basketball Federation (BBF), Chris Grant.

Having been announced in September and officially starting the role in November, Grant joined the organisation following a tumultuous summer for the Great Britain national team programmes, underscored by the men’s disastrous showing at EuroBasket.

In this little over an hour podcast, we discuss why he took on the role, what the challenges are, and what he is trying to do to change the future of the BBF.

Timestamps:

00:00 Intro
02:45 Interview start
03:05 How Chris came across the role and what made him want to take it on
03:56 His previous experience and knowledge of basketball
06:36 What his perception was of British basketball before getting involved
11:12 What are the specific issues that have held the BBF back over the years
16:53 The medals debate with regards to individual vs team sports
21:18 What Chris is going to do differently to try to unify the sport, and whether or not we should give up on the idea of a BBF with the Home Country Associations
29:58 Whether the option for the BBF to disband is completely off the table
32:33 Why he hasn’t done any interviews since taking the role
42:46 What commitment UK Sport has made to the programme moving forward
47:20 The terms of the UK Sport funding
50:41 The disastrous men’s EuroBasket campaign last summer
57:05 What the ideal process would be for accountability of the board
1:05:33 777’s interest in the national teams
1:08:04 Whether he could see 777 investing in the national team programme
1:09:23 Wether the increased investment in the league will mean the licence fee paid to the BBF will increase
1:11:29 How much it costs to run the BBF every year
1:14:46 Whether the men will be entered into the FIBA Pre-Olympic Qualifying Tournaments this year

For episode 112 of the Hoopsfix Podcast, we sit down with recently named CEO of the BBL, Aaron Radin.

Announced last week as the new face and boss of the league, the American joins the league after a 30-year professional career where he has held senior level positions at a multitude of sports, media and tech organisations such as the NBA, The Walt Disney Company, NBCUniversal and most recently, Meta.

He joins the league almost exactly a year since 777 Partners announced a £7million investment into the BBL.

In this hour long conversation we go into his vision for the league and his new role, and what his hopes and plans are for the future of the BBL.

Timestamps:

2:37 Interview start
2:53 Aaron background
9:13 How the opportunity arose for the BBL CEO role
13:39 Working out immediate priorities
18:45 What goes into producing a world-class broadcast
22:11 How much more investment is required to get the BBL to level desired
25:24 The importance of technology and systems
26:45 How important a TV broadcast deal is
33:03 Where the figure 70% of audience is 13-34 is from
36:07 Content versus product
38:20 How many staff the BBL office currently has and how many they are trying to get to
43:22 Organisational structure and who the CEO reports to
44:06 Managing the 777 conflict of interest as owner of London Lions and the league
46:07 How many franchises the BBL could support and how many he’d like to see
48:26 The biggest drivers of revenue for the business moving forward
49:48 Balance between British and American import talent
54:03 How to develop fandom in British fans
1:01:28 Disparity between franchises and how to minimise its impact
1:05:06 How revenue sharing would work
1:05:47 What does success look like for the BBL

The show has been approved on iTunes – find it here and please subscribe to automatically receive new episodes straight to your phone/computer/tablet – if you could give us a review/rating it would be much appreciated to help the podcast spread far and wide, meanwhile it is also on Spotify here, Overcast, Stitcher, and Google Podcasts.

You can support Hoopsfix’s work in helping to grow British basketball on Patreon.

For Episode 111 of the Hoopsfix Podcast, we sit down with Princeton Tiger and unanimous Ivy League Player of the Year, Tosan Evbuomwan.

The 21 year old out of Newcastle is fresh off a breakout season with Princeton, and is coming to London next week for the London Basketball Classic to play in front of a home crowd with his college team.

The former GB U18 and Hoopsfix All-Star Classic alumnus ended regular season play last season as the Ivy League leader in assists per game (5.0), and assist/turnover ratio (2.2). He ranked second in the conference in field goal percentage (53.2%), fourth in points (15.4), fifth in steals (1.4), and seventh in rebounds (6.4).

In this 50 minute episode we discuss his career so far, playing in the London Basketball Classic next week, and his hopes for the future.

Timestamps:

00:00 Intro
03:28 Interview start
03:35 Returning to England and playing on home soil
04:22 Looking ahead to the London Basketball Classic opener against Army
05:03 How important NCAA showcases in the UK are for young British players
06:02 Whether Tosan is going to be showing his teammates around
06:52 How he first got into basketball
08:03 What made him give up football and pursue basketball
09:03 How he ended up getting involved with the Newcastle Eagles
09:44 When the growth spurt happened
10:21 When he started taking the game seriously
12:44 Whether has has goals of being a pro and when that became the driver
13:30 Who the guys he was looking at as the best in his age group in the UK
14:22 Feeling out of his depth at first England U15s camp
15:33 His experiences in the EABL
17:28 How NBL Division 1 helped his development
18:15 How his two summers with the GB U18s in Division A was
19:16 Comparing Division A European teams to GB
21:07 Frustrations around British basketball
24:48 The recruiting process and how he ended up at Princeton
27:24 Blowing it in front of Princeton coaching staff on their visit to the UK
29:14 What his visit to Princeton was like and being a student-athlete on campus
30:50 Dealing with the academy load
32:10 His Major, and interest in finance along with work placement
33:52 Transition from the UK to the US and difference on the floor
35:33 Welcome to America moments
36:44 His Sophomore year being cancelled due to COVID
40:00 The step up from his Freshman year to his Junior year
41:27 His expectations going into the 2021-22 season
43:32 What his expectations are for this season
45:00 The best British player he’s ever played against
46:03 Favourite coach he’s played for
46:29 Favourite basketball memory so far
46:46 Most challenging basketball moment
47:20 Advice for a young aspiring British player
48:06 Where he wants to be five years from now

For Episode 110 of the Hoopsfix Podcast, we sit down with GB all-time great Dan Clark, who announces his retirement from playing professional basketball.

The London 2012 Olympian, whose final season has ended up being his only one playing domestically - with the Manchester Giants in the BBL - is fresh off becoming GB men’s all-time caps leader during their recent EuroBasket campaign last month, adding to his all-time points, rebounding and blocked shots leader titles.

The first British player to sign a junior contract in Europe as a 14 year old, he had a 17 year professional career that saw him amass over 1800 points in the ACB, the top domestic league in the world outside of the NBA, while becoming GB captain as an ever-present force in the squad each summer.

In this hour long convo we discuss his decision to retire, what's next, GB's recent EuroBasket campaign, his first season in the BBL, as well as looking back on taking the European pathway as opposed to the US route.

Timestamps:

00:00 Introduction
03:16 Interview start
03:26 Why Dan has decided to retire
05:11 Whether he thought coming into this season he could retire
06:25 What his masters is in
06:38 What the next step in his career is
07:59 Whether he had the next role lined up before making decision to retire
09:07 Whether he's completely stopped playing and working out
09:55 How difficult the recent EuroBasket campaign was 
13:27 Whether he would get involved with working with the federations
18:28 Does grassroots or elite need to be focused on first for basketball's development
20:10 Thoughts on the BBL after a full season in it
25:33 The impact Lloyd Gardner being Head Coach at Manchester had in bringing him back to the UK 
26:46 His assessment of the Giants' season
29:15 The situation in Manchester with regards to this off-season and the club's financial troubles
30:44 The lack of communication from the Giants 
32:56 Why the Giants might be struggling financially
34:34 Whether he could see himself owning a BBL franchise
36:30 Where the BBL could be better from a player experience perspective
39:00 The importance of a player association
41:20 Signing a junior contract in Spain as a 14 year old
49:06 The intricacies of signing a junior contract
51:10 What his schedule looked like as a 14 year old
52:40 How it worked with regards to getting paid
54:33 Being recruited by high major Division 1 programmes
56:34 Turning down the likes of Syracuse to take the European route
59:02 Whether he felt the NBA was in reach
1:53:05 His ability to pass the ball and where it came from
1:03:28 The standout moments from his career
1:05:29 His best individual performance
1:07:15 Best coach he's played for
1:09:34 Whether it was a surprise for him that Spain won EuroBasket
1:11:21 His favourite teammate of all time
1:12:51 Advice he would give to a young aspiring British basketball player
1:14:35 What he wants his legacy to be

For episode 109 of the Hoopsfix Podcast, we do a special with British basketball legend Jo Leedham-Warner, who has announced her retirement from playing professional basketball.

An 11-year career that reads like a fairytale, Leedham-Warner is coming off an undefeated season in the WBBL where she was named MVP after returning to play following giving birth.

A London 2012 Olympian, EuroCup champion, WNBA draft pick and the NCAA Division 2 all-time leading scorer to name a few, Jo will go down as one of the all-time greats out of the UK and in this hour episode we look at her decision to retire and her final season in the WBBL.

Timestamps:

00:00 Intro
02:46 Making the decision to retire and how she feels about it
05:20 Having had a month to reflect on it since the end of the season
06:46 How important it was to have done a season after becoming a mother
07:52 How difficult it was playing after being a mother
10:53 How the club managed having a player with a newborn
13:33 The first practices of the season after time off to give birth
16:47 How important it was for Jo to finish her career on top
18:53 Has Mark or the club tried to persuade her to come back
20:06 Not collecting the MVP trophy before the WBBL Final
21:30 Jo's mentality and where it comes from
25:52 The shock win over her former club Bourges  
29:15 Frustration with the wider British public/media and own club not caring about what her and the team were doing
33:50 The amount of media that British basketball misses out on from not having a dedicated PR person
36:18 The WBBL not bringing Jo out for the final post-game presser at the WBBL Playoff Final
37:33 What she would do as the CEO of the WBBL
39:59 Deciding on whether to go back to school next to study psychology
43:45 Whether she would want to be involved with British basketball from a federation or club standpoint
45:36 How many conversations she had with the federations while being back in the UK to capitalise on her presence
51:35 What her career highlight is
53:19 Favourite coach
54:32 How she wants to be looked back on as a player
55:05 Advice for the next generation
 

With less than 2 weeks until the NBA draft, we sit down with projected lottery pick Jeremy Sochan to discuss how his preparation is going and ask him questions submitted from the fans via our Instagram page.

Sochan is set to become the first Brit drafted since Ryan Richards in 2010, and only the second to go in the lottery, following on from Luol Deng. 

The former MK Trojan and Solent Kestrel left the UK at 16 to attend La Lumiere High School before returning to Europe to play in Germany at OrangeAcademy. From there he signed with Baylor where he has risen draft boards over the course of the season to become a projected lottery pick on June 23rd.

In this 15 minute interview we spoke about how the draft process has been and answered questions for Jeremy from fans via our Instagram page.

Timestampes:

00:00 Intro
03:21 Interview start
03:45 What the last 8 weeks have been like since declaring
04:28 When he knew he was going to declare for the draft
05:26 What a typical day looks like for Jeremy at the moment
06:30 How is he feeling about it all
07:22 His own assessment on his game
08:15 Dealing with internet trolls
10:09 Biggest thing he's learned from his journey to the draft
10:59 Which coach has had the biggest impact on his game
11:21 When he was at Itchen did he think he would make the NBA
11:43 Best players he played against in England
12:24 What colour is he going to dye his hair next
12:40 Does he consider himself British, American or Polish
13:16 Who he wants to dunk on the most
13:29 How many pairs of basketball shoes he owns and favourite brand
13:46 Who he would compare his game to in the NBA
14:17 Does he remember the MK Trojans
14:45 Was going to the Solent Kestrels the right move for him
15:13 What is he most excited about
15:42 Approaching the financial side of things with NBA money
16:29 Would he consider owning an AAU team
17:10 What advice he would give to the next young player from the UK

For episode 107 of the Hoopsfix Podcast, we sit down with Lenz Balan, Vice President of 777 Partners and new owners of the BBL and London Lions.

Following on from the announcement that 777 have invested £7million into the BBL for a 45% stake (though their ownership of the Lions takes it to 50%), we thought it was necessary to get a look into who is behind the scenes at 777, find out their reasons for investing into British basketball and what their plans are for the league.

In this hour and a half podcast we dig deep into how the investment came about, what their learnings have been so far, and the scale of their ambition for British basketball.

Timestamps:

00:00 Introduction
05:01 Interview start
05:28 Why did they invest in British basketball?
08:42 What 777's assessment is of what has held the game back in the UK so far
13:55 How private equity works and how investors will get a return and how long it will take
16:45 What the immediate plan looks like for the next 12 months
19:50 How important the TV piece is 
21:00 The scale of ambition of 777 and how much money is really needed
24:10 How 777 have been received in the British basketball community and dealt with politics
27:29 The level of collaboration required and involving other stakeholders in the plan
29:55 How the investment into the London Lions led to the BBL investment
31:29 The percentage stake 777 have in the BBL and how decision making will work now
33:34 The similarities between the Australian NBL and the BBL's situation and creating a situation for NBA draft prospects to do a rookie year in the UK 
38:04 The BBL's role in developing British talent 
40:47 His thoughts on British basketball culture
44:14 The GB national team programme 
46:14 Whether a strong national team programme is more important than a strong professional league
47:40 The London Lions mens teams not playing British players in European competition
50:39 Why BBL teams competing in Europe is so important
54:30 Is the Euroleague the aspiration with the London Lions?
55:49 Whether it's a conflict of interest to own the league and a club in it
57:21 What the key cities are the BBL is targeting for new franchises
59:19 How many franchises the BBL could realistically support 
1:00:43 Would the BBL ever consider promotion and relegation
1:02:13 Whether the size of the task ever becomes overwhelming
1:03:52 If the investment was to fail, why would it fail
1:06:00 What the biggest learnings and surprising things are so far 
1:08:30 How to work out which opinions to take seriously and which to disregard
1:11:07 The biggest mistakes they've made so far
1:14:30 How difficult hiring and finding the right people is 
1:17:39 How this BBL investment will impact the WBBL and the women's game
1:20:01 How the BBL will look in 10-15 years time if everything goes to plan
1:22:23 Facilities and how important the infrastructure around the game is
1:24:15 Whether current BBL owners will want to split their franchise equity stakes with other investors
1:25:44 What message he would have for fans 
1:27:22 Wrap up
      

For Episode 106 of the Hoopsfix Podcast we sit down with Jon May and Tom Bennett from the Malvern Hoops campaign, who have recently transformed their local basketball courts.

The five year campaign came to an end in August, after the brand new courts at Victoria Park, in Malvern, Worcestershire, were officially opened.

Not purely aesthetic, the courts have been resurfaced with new hoops installed, completed with spring loaded rims and fibreglass backboards.

In this hour long podcast, we go into the backstory of the Malvern Hoops campaign, how they managed to pull it off and what others who are trying to do the same thing can learn from them.

Timecodes:

00:00 Introduction
2:56 Interview start
3:30 Jon May's background
08:35 Tom Bennett's background
08:45 What made them both decide to take action
13:30 Their first steps after being positively received by the council
14:20 How confident they were of being able to make it happen
18:43 Where to go to find out about land permissions
20:02 What is the role in the council responsible for basketball court renovations
20:56 What they were looking to do
24:55 The first budget they drew up and the costs they were looking at
26:50 What the breakdown of costs were for an estimated £90,000 budget
28:10 What makes the Malvern Hoops campaign different to a lot the other art court projects
28:57 How they were going to be able to raise the money
29:56 How long of a process it is working with councils
31:36 The process of trying to raise £5,000 themselves
36:55 Deciding to involve netball for a different part of the park to help gain more support
40:25 Ensuring you publicise your campaign and getting media coverage
42:36 Importance of being able to show a need/desire for the project from the community
45:14 Jon and Tom's top 10 tips for anyone trying to their own basketball court project
45:43 1) Check the Malvern Hoops website for more details
46:13 2) Don't expect it to be easy
47:41 3) Get your budget and financials in order
49:54 4) Use 2D/3D software to get a mockup of the court project done
51:35 5) Be a spokesperson & advocate for your project
53:28 6) Get as much help as possible
56:04 7) Include costs for security in the project
58:11 8) Consider the use of FlexCourt flooring
1:01:20 9) Consider putting other sports into the proposal
1:02:54 10) Focus on having a big launch

The show has been approved on iTunes – find it here and please subscribe to automatically receive new episodes straight to your phone/computer/tablet – if you could give us a review/rating it would be much appreciated to help the podcast spread far and wide, meanwhile it is also on Spotify here, Overcast, Stitcher, and Google Podcasts.

You can support Hoopsfix’s work in helping to grow British basketball on Patreon.

For episode 105 of the Hoopsfix podcast, we sit down with England international and nine year pro, Joe Ikhinmwin.

In this two hour bumper episode, the former London Lions captain exclusively reveals he is retiring from basketball, with a smooth transition to The Cyber Nerds, the business he set up with three friends to review movies, comics and games which has become a huge success.

Starting his basketball career as a 14 year old at East London Royals, he moved on to Barking Abbey basketball academy before attending Seminole State Junior College and then NCAA Division 1 South Carolina State where he turned pro upon graduation.

He signed with the Newcastle Eagles in his rookie year before moving to his hometown London Lions where he has remained since, captaining the club for the past 6 seasons whilst winning a Cup, Trophy and League title.

We discuss all of that and more in this episode that crosses the intersection of basketball, business, content creation, player welfare, and more.

Time stamps:

00:00 Intro
03:37 Interview start
04:00 Joe reveals he is retiring
06:50 Why he's decided to retire now
09:24 Is Joe still working out to stay in shape?
10:48 Whether Joe is 100% of if he could come out of retirement in years to come
11:42 The transition to retirement from playing being easier due to his other stuff
13:28 Advice for younger players starting their career in the BBL
25:00 Whether the level of the BBL is underrated
26:54 Minutes and wages for British players in the BBL
28:51 The important of continuity of a roster for marketing
30:50 Clubs arguing they operate within the rules so signing naturalised British players is fine
31:55 Whether his contracts would have been enough to live well off and British players not being paid enough
33:55 What he would say to teams that say they don't have the budgets to pay players more
39:25 Where is the player union?
42:13 How much do players communicate throughout the league?
43:40 If players discuss their contracts with each other
50:20 Perception is everything
51:55 Joe's early days playing starting at East London Royals
56:30 How he ended up going to Barking Abbey
1:01:23 Sam's two standout memories of Joe
1:03:57 The impact Barking Abbey had on Joe's development as a person
1:06:49 Where Joe's work ethic came from
1:09:23 Self awareness as a player and why so many players lack it
1:11:27 Whether Joe has been able to have input on systems with teams he plays on
1:13:10 The London Lions last season and Joe's evaluation of it
1:17:39 Whether the big roster was a source of issues with players having to sit out on rotation
1:19:00 How much 777 have changed things internally with the London Lions
1:19:55 The impact of COVID last season on the Lions' European run and the Cup Final
1:23:13 The Cyber Nerds and the stuff Joe has going on off the court
1:27:37 Whether he started the Cyber Nerds with the intention of it being a business
1:28:35 The different revenue streams of the Cyber Nerds
1:32:30 How to monetize Hoopsfix, and size of the British basketball market
1:47:03 Having almost 100,000 followers on Instagram
1:48:29 Whether there is more pressure when posting with a large audience
1:50:24 Importance of a personal brand for athletes and whether players with a bigger following will have greater leverage with contracts
1:54:14 Marketing advice for the league and teams
1:56:44 Favourite basketball memory
1:59:50 Favourite coach he's ever played for
2:00:08 Best junior player he's ever seen
2:01:30 Best individual performance he's ever witnessed
2:02:33 His best performance of his career
2:05:12 What's next for Joe in the next 3-5 years

The show has been approved on iTunes – find it here and please subscribe to automatically receive new episodes straight to your phone/computer/tablet – if you could give us a review/rating it would be much appreciated to help the podcast spread far and wide, meanwhile it is also on Spotify here, Overcast, Stitcher, and Google Podcasts.

You can support Hoopsfix’s work in helping to grow British basketball on Patreon.

For episode 104 of the Hoopsfix Podcast we sit down with Jay Marriott, CEO of Gloucester Sport, responsible for new WBBL franchise Gloucester Queens and potential BBL franchise Gloucester Kings.

A former pro player and Head Coach of the Plymouth Raiders, Marriott was brought in by long-term friend Alex Petheram - 100% owner of the new Gloucester operation - to oversee and manage the basketball side of things, including the WBBL franchise that was recently accepted for this coming season, and a potential BBL franchise for the 2022-23 season.

In this hour plus conversation, hear from Jay on how the franchise came to be, what the process has been like, along with their plans for the future in a unique behind the scenes insight into what it is like to get a professional basketball franchise off the ground in the UK.

Time codes:

00:00 Intro
02:22 Podcast start
02:30 How did the franchise come to be?
05:08 The specific date Jay first heard of the potential franchise
06:02 Who the people are involved behind the scenes
08:35 The projected costs of having a BBL and WBBL franchise
11:01 What is the current BBL franchise fee
11:46 What is the value in a BBL franchise, is it a good investment
16:14 Whether there are standard operating procedures and documentation you receive as a BBL franchise owner
21:24 The timelines for a WBBL and BBL franchise and how they changed
26:18 How confident they are of having the BBL franchise accepted in 2022
28:50 Whether clubs should have to work their way up through the NBL and spend longer building their base before getting a professional franchise
34:35 Venues, and where Gloucester will be playing
42:14 Biggest surprises so far in the whole process
47:48 Visas and the process to be able to get import players
51:46 Roster make up with visa limitations
52:54 Whether Gloucester have scholarships to offer players
56:29 What their expectations are performance wise on the floor
1:01:29 Who will be coaching the WBBL franchise
1:05:10 Whether the WBBL gets less focus because its the same owners of the BBL clubs
1:08:58 Immediate priorities heading into the new season and over the next 18 months

The show has been approved on iTunes – find it here and please subscribe to automatically receive new episodes straight to your phone/computer/tablet – if you could give us a review/rating it would be much appreciated to help the podcast spread far and wide, meanwhile it is also on Spotify here, Overcast, Stitcher, and Google Podcasts.

You can support Hoopsfix’s work in helping to grow British basketball on Patreon.

For episode 103 of the Hoopsfix Podcast, we sit down with former England senior international and BBL pro, Jason Swaine.

Swaine, known to be one of the great all-time shooters, picked up 24 caps for England, is a three-time BBL title winner and 12-time National League Division 1 title champion.

Starting his professional career with the Sheffield Sharks, he led the BBL in 3-point percentage in his second year, and also played for Chester Jets and Manchester Giants.

Eventually signing with Teeside Mohawks, he was a part of one of the most successful teams in national league history as they pulled off the clean sweep treble three times in four years.

After choosing to focus on his teaching career in 2004, he continued to play in the lower national leagues (winning Division 3 MVP twice in 2009 and 2010), before retiring from the national league in 2016 but still playing to this day in local leagues and in the masters tournaments.

Timestamps:
00:00 Intro
01:58 Interview start
02:10 Swaine's take on the BBL this season in comparison to his playing days
05:18 Whether Jason followed the league much prior to this season
06:21 The growth of netball and Jason's daughter being a player
08:39 Whether it's hard for him to enjoy basketball as a fan
09:36 What made Jason first get into basketball
11:19 Balancing football and basketball
12:32 Curtis Xavier and his impact on Jason
15:17 Where are the roles for ex pros in the UK?
16:08 Whether he saw a career in basketball at 15
18:02 Swaine's work ethic to become a great shooter
20:17 When he became known as a good shooter
21:53 Players he looked up to coming up
23:13 Access to the NBA in the early 90s
24:02 Why he switched from Calderdale to Doncaster
25:07 The level of competition in Division 1
26:46 Other great players of his generation
28:00 How the opportunity with the Sheffield Sharks came about
30:05 Whether he had a welcome to the pros moment
31:45 How much money he could earn as a 19 year old in the BBL
33:08 Whether playing in the BBL felt like 'a thing'
35:41 To be a professional you need a tax code!
36:49 The increase of his role from his rookie year to his second year
39:19 The McDonald's Open Championship
43:21 Playing Real Madrid being up 17 at the half and losing by 3
45:24 Making his debut with the England Senior national team at 21
47:28 Standout memories with the England team
49:16 How good were John Amaechi and Steve Bucknall?
50:58 Standout victories with England
52:55 Why he left Sheffield Sharks
57:15 His half season in Chester
58:50 Playing for Manchester Giants in their prime years
1:00:19 The level Manchester were operating at compared to other teams
1:01:30 Whether he thinks Manchester can get back to where they were
1:03:15 His dominant years with Teeside and why he chose to go D1
1:05:22 Teeside doing a treble three years out of four
1:07:23 What has kept Jason playing for so long
1:09:21 Playing with his son Eisley at Bradford in Division 1
1:12:59 The importance of having family support
1:14:33 Standout best British junior players
1:15:29 The best British player he has played with or against
1:16:20 Best individual performance he has ever witnessed
1:17:36 Favourite basketball memory
1:18:51 What is in the future for Jason in the next 3-5 years 

The show has been approved on iTunes – find it here and please subscribe to automatically receive new episodes straight to your phone/computer/tablet – if you could give us a review/rating it would be much appreciated to help the podcast spread far and wide, meanwhile it is also on Spotify here, Overcast, Stitcher, and Google Podcasts.

You can support Hoopsfix’s work in helping to grow British basketball on Patreon.

For episode 102 of the Hoopsfix Podcast, we sit down with Warwick Cann, the former Performance Pathways Co-ordinator and National Teams Director for GB and Basketball England.

Warwick, an Australian, was hired in 2009, and had a number of different roles through to 2016 focused around performance pathways and the national teams, as he sat between both the BBF and BE.

In this little over an hour conversation, we look back on his time in the UK with basketball, what the issues were, and what we can learn from them.

Timestamps:

00:00 Intro
02:48 Interview start
02:55 Warwick's background before getting involved with British basketball
05:00 The original role he applied for within British basketball
07:19 What his plans and expectations were coming into the role
09:12 His early impressions of British basketball compared to his expectations
12:52 Why there was a gap in coaches' knowledge about the game
15:40 The ease of which clubs can get set up in the UK compared to Australia 
18:28 The first thing he needed to do in his role and getting buy in
23:45 The Regional Institute of Basketball model
28:44 Is basketball in the UK made more complicated by having clubs and educational institutions?
31:04 The difficulty of relying on a volunteer workforce
39:07 The Areas of Emphasis
44:37 The need for a focus on point guard play
46:49 Whether it is disappointing the Areas of Emphasis is not used anymore
49:04 Did he think the London 2012 Olympics was going to change everything
55:36 What he thinks the Olympic legacy was
58:16 The politics involved with British Performance Basketball being a separate entity
1:05:35 If he could go back, what ]he would  change to ensure there was a London 2012 legacy

The show has been approved on iTunes – find it here and please subscribe to automatically receive new episodes straight to your phone/computer/tablet – if you could give us a review/rating it would be much appreciated to help the podcast spread far and wide, meanwhile it is also on Spotify here, Overcast, Stitcher, and Google Podcasts.

You can support Hoopsfix’s work in helping to grow British basketball on Patreon.

For episode 101 of the Hoopsfix Podcast we sit down with British coaching trailblazer Tim Lewis.

Lewis, who most recently was an advanced scout for the Toronto Raptors, left the UK in 2006 to pursue his coaching dream, starting at CBA in Spain, before returning to set up Essex Pirates in the BBL as a pathway for young British talent.

A former junior and senior national team player who went on D1 scholarship to the University of New Hampshire, Lewis has coached at European Championships, Commonwealth Games and at the Olympics.

Since then he did time in Germany's pro B with Weissenhorn Japan with Hitachi Sun Rockers, times in the NBA G-League between Bakersfield Jam and Raptors 905, before heading to Thailand, where he also took the helm of their Senior National Team.

Time with the Qatar National Team followed, and he is currently surveying for the next opportunity.

Timestamps:

00:00 Intro
02:55 Interview start
03:17 Opportunity over money
06:43 Whether being single makes pursuing dreams easier
08:54 The barriers British coaches face and the perception of British coaches
11:26 The need for more professional coaching roles in the BBL
15:41 Advice for young coaches who want a career in coaching
19:17 What he would do if he was working for the federation to develop coaching
23:54 How importance the level of coaching is for the development of the game
25:45 Why we haven't seen another pro club try to replicate Essex Pirates efforts to give young British talent meaningful minutes
31:19 Could the UK produce a compelling enough offer to keep kids here instead of the US college route
33:51 Why the Essex Pirates failed
37:37 How much of a personal blow the failure of the Pirates was
39:55 Skepticism of being able to run a pro franchise with young British talent
41:31 the London 2012 Olympics and lack of British presence on the men's coaching bench
48:43 Thoughts on the London 2012 Olympic legacy
51:39 What needed to be done differently to ensure a legacy
1:01:40 Thoughts on British player talent development over the years
1:04:48  What he is currently doing
1:06:18 Whether he feels he is close to getting a gig in the NBA
1:08:36 Having to start from the bottom again if an NBA gig was to come to fruition
1:09:27 The job opportunity in Thailand that gave him financial stability
1:12:48 Losing his job in Thailand
1:15:15 Reaching different tiers in coaching and being put in different brackets
1:18:31 Whether coaches have agents
1:19:45 Favourite basketball memory
1:21:21 Best British junior player he's ever seen
1:22:17 Whether it was obvious certain British guys were going to the NBA
1:23:35 Best individual performance ever witnessed by a British player
1:24:28 Other top British coaches
1:26:46 What's in the future for Tim

The show has been approved on iTunes – find it here and please subscribe to automatically receive new episodes straight to your phone/computer/tablet – if you could give us a review/rating it would be much appreciated to help the podcast spread far and wide, meanwhile it is also on Spotify here, Overcast, Stitcher, and Google Podcasts.

You can support Hoopsfix’s work in helping to grow British basketball on Patreon.

For Episode 100 of the Hoopsfix podcast, we do a deep dive into the London 2012 Olympic legacy, interviewing 8 different people who were in and around the British basketball programme.

We wanted to do something a little bit different for hitting the century mark and after a suggestion on Twitter from @auld_jethart to look at the Olympic legacy, we jumped on it.

There were plans to interview a lot more people - but already reaching just short of 3 hours, we figured release this is as a part one with a potential part two to come with other guests, if people want to see it.

The eight people interviewed for this Olympic legacy special were Ron Wuotila, Head of Operations for British Basketball amongst other roles, Dan Clark, current GB co-captain and Olympian, Tim Lewis, GB assistant coach at the London 2012 Olympics, Phil Waghorn, GB Senior Men's Team Manager, Tony Garbelotto, GB assistant coach in the run up to London 2012, Warwick Cann, GB's Pathways Performance Co-Ordinator, Mark Clark, the GB Senior Women's coach from 2006-2009, and Mark Woods, the UK's leading basketball journalist who covered (and continues to cover) GB pre and post London 2012.

Timestamps:

00:00 Intro
03:41 Ron Wuotila
19:05 Dan Clark
35:37 Tim Lewis
51:51 Phil Waghorn
1:18:28 Tony Garbelotto
1:39:37 Warwick Cann
2:00:43 Mark Clark
2:24:31 Mark Woods

The show has been approved on iTunes – find it here and please subscribe to automatically receive new episodes straight to your phone/computer/tablet – if you could give us a review/rating it would be much appreciated to help the podcast spread far and wide, meanwhile it is also on Spotify here, Overcast, Stitcher, and Google Podcasts.

You can support Hoopsfix’s work in helping to grow British basketball on Patreon.

For Episode 99 of the Hoopsfix Podcast, we sit down with British coaching legend John Collins.

Collins, awarded an MBE in 2009 for his services to basketball, has been coaching for over six decades and done it at every level.

He was at the helm of Sutton for the first ever National League game, and again when they became the first ever English team to win a game in Europe, coached both the England and Great Britain Senior Women, where he qualified England for the European Championships, was at the helm of the legendary Avon Cosmetics women's programme who dominated the national league for a number of years, and has been instrumental for the development of basketball in Northamptonshire, founding the early stages of Northants Basketball Club in 2000 along with Moulton College basketball academy in 2005.

Having also helped set up the Basketball Coaches Association (BCA) with Mark Dunning, Collins has dedicated his life to the sport and been a long-term advocate for the development of the British game.

In this 90 minute episode, we look back at John's journey.

Note: We had some technical issues, so the episode does end rather abruptly and not in the usual fashion - expect a part 2 at some point!

Timestamps:

00:00 Intro
02:59 Interview start
03:15 How John was first introduced to basketball
04:35 Whether he fell in love with the game right away
05:38 How far he took his own playing before coaching
07:34 Royal Albert Hall as a basketball venue
09:14 The evolution of the skill level 
12:48 Where basketball sat within English culture in the '60s
14:54 Where the hotbeds of basketball were in the '60s and '70s
18:10 How John's early coaching career progressed
20:33 Working out what to teach and how to learn
23:30 The role the governing body had to help coaches develop
25:44 How the move to Sutton & Crystal Palace happened
29:58 Coaching in the first ever National League game and its formation
32:42 How basketball had been able to develop from the 60s to 70s
35:09 Whether the national league was being administered by the NGB or the clubs in the early years
35:55 Not learning from our mistakes in the past
36:44 The important of getting British basketball history accessible and documented
39:12 Under-appreciated success stories in British basketball history
40:56 British Performance Basketball initially wiping history in the sport's narrative
44:11 What can be done to make the basketball history more accessible
46:03 Losing his job with Sutton & Crystal Palace
48:00 How important it was to be the first English team to get a win in Europe
49:46 How important it is for British clubs to be competing in Europe
51:47 Getting involved with Central YMCA
53:38 His first exposure to women's basketball and whether it changed his approach
55:02 The progression of his coaching development journey
59:34 Why English coaches were so closed in their sharing of tactics
1:01:55 Whether English coaches mentality is more open now
1:03:17 The founding of the BCA UK
1:06:02 His proudest achievements with the BCA
1:08:50 The Avon Cosmetics women's programme
1:12:44 The level of dominance the Avon Cosmetics team were having
1:14:23 The barriers to development of the women's game over the years
1:17:32 The founding of Northants Thunder   

The show has been approved on iTunes – find it here and please subscribe to automatically receive new episodes straight to your phone/computer/tablet – if you could give us a review/rating it would be much appreciated to help the podcast spread far and wide, meanwhile it is also on Spotify here, Overcast, Stitcher, and Google Podcasts.

You can support Hoopsfix’s work in helping to grow British basketball on Patreon.

For Episode 98 of the Hoopsfix Podcast we sit down with Solent Kestrels forward and England and GB Senior international Orlan Jackman.

Originally out of Hackney, Jackman started out with the Hackney White Heat before heading to the US to prep school in California. Unable to get the NCAA Division 1 offer he was looking for, he returned to the UK for a season playing for Manchester Magic under Jeff Jones in NBL D1, before heading back to the US to JUCO.

He attended Seminole State College - with current London Lion captain Joe Ikhinmwin - before being stung by the NCAA's eligibility rules at NCAA D2 school Newman, and ended up at Oklahoma City University in the NAIA.

Turning pro in 2012-13, he signed with his hometown London Lions for his rookie year, and has gone on to a pro career that saw him have success in Germany, a stint in Portugal before returning to play domestically, having played for Worcester Wolves, Newcastle Eagles, Cheshire Phoenix, London City Royals and since the Royals folded, time with Essex Leopards in NBL D1 and now Solent Kestrels.

Having always wanted to use basketball as a tool to give back to his community, Jackman has set up his own business coaching younger players to help the next generation.

Timestamps:

00:00 Intro
02:09 Interview start
02:44 How Orlan first started playing basketball
05:09 Players that Orlan looked up to when first playing
06:35 How much natural ability he had versus having to work on his skills
07:09 The different competitions he was playing in
08:30 Junior career memories
09:29 His formative years and the impact of Joe White
11:07 When he set his sights on the States
14:09 The other talented players of his generation
15:08 How the move to the US came about for prep school
16:19 The transition to California from London
17:46 His numbers in high school
18:44 The recruiting process
20:17 Playing in Manchester for a year after high school
23:21 Returning to the US to JUCO after his year in England
26:14 Getting to play with Joe Ikhinmwin at Seminole State
27:11 Breaking his foot and becoming aware of eligiblity issues
35:19 His crazy dunk at OKC University
35:58 Standout memories from college
39:45 How he felt about signing in London for his rookie year
44:33 Getting called up to the GB Senior Men in the summer of 2013
56:17 How he felt about returning to the BBL with Worcester after being abroad
57:19 Signing with Cheshire and their BBL Cup run
1:01:37 His time with the London City Royals
1:06:00 His evaluation on the first London City Royals season
1:07:40 People rooting against the Royals
1:11:14 The communication from ownership when things started getting shaky
1:13:49 The players' reaction to knowing the club was folding
1:16:45 Signing with Solent this season
1:17:56 Solent being so dominant in NBL Division 1
1:20:11 Playing for friend Matt Guymon
1:21:50 How many years playing Orlan has left
1:22:34 Almost signing for London Lions this season
1:23:48 Signing for Solent despite it being less money than London and a commute away
1:24:52 Rooting for the Lions' success
1:27:00 His thoughts on the state of British basketball
1:30:15 His favourite basketball memory
1:31:55 Best coadch he's every played for
1:33:16 Best Brtish player he's played with or against
1:33:50 Best invidivual performance he's witnessed
1:34:58 The future, where he wants to be in the next 3-5 years

The show has been approved on iTunes – find it here and please subscribe to automatically receive new episodes straight to your phone/computer/tablet – if you could give us a review/rating it would be much appreciated to help the podcast spread far and wide, meanwhile it is also on Spotify here, Overcast, Stitcher, and Google Podcasts.

You can support Hoopsfix’s work in helping to grow British basketball on Patreon.

For Episode 97 of the Hoopsfix Podcast we sit down with 3-year pro and Ireland Senior international Taiwo Badmus.

Badmus did not start playing until he was 16 years old, under the legendary Mike Cartey in South London, before attending Hackney Community College. After struggling to get to the US, and enrolling at the University of West London, Badmus exploded onto the scene in the summer of 2014 with a strong showing at Midnight Madness, eventually leading to a scholarship to Fairmont State, one of the top NCAA Division 2 programmes in the US.

After a season and a half of barely playing, Badmus transferred to UVA Wise for his final two years, putting up crazy numbers as he averaged 20 and 10 to seize the opportunity, turning pro in 2018-19 in Spain, where he led his side Marin to LEB Gold promotion, and has played in Spain's second Division ever since.

Timestamps:

00:00 Intro
03:18 Interview start
03:35 How Taiwo first picked up a basketball
05:27 What made him move to Ireland as a 5 year old and his history there
06:29 Learning the game under Mike Carty in South London
08:26 His progression with playing National League
10:53 Being under the radar and the moment he felt he had a future in the sport
13:54 Blowing up in the summer of 2014 and what he had been doing before going to the US
15:49 Doing a year at the University of West London in 2013-14 and how he stayed sharp
17:39 Whether he ever questioned whether basketball was the right path for him
19:09 The players in London who helped him on his path before heading to the US
21:06 The players from around his generation that he was looking up to or going against growing up
22:44 What the process was to end up in the US at Fairmont State
25:14 Going Division II as opposed to NCAA Division I
26:26 The transition of going to the US from the UK
28:39 Whether the transition was challenging just athletically/physically or also skill-wise
29:45 How long the transition took
30:59 Not getting a chance to play a lot at Fairmont State
33:14 Memories from Fairmont State
35:19 Finding somewhere to transfer to without having played a lot
36:37 The transition to a new school in UVA Wise
37:37 Putting up crazy numbers at UVA Wise after not playing for 2 seasons
39:32 If he still had one eye on turning pro whilst at college
40:34 Dropping 38 points on his previous school when they played each other
44:16 His standout memories from UVA Wise
45:36 The process of turning pro
47:32 The options on the table for his rookie year
48:44 Transition to pro life from college life
51:34 Whether he had to adapt his game for pro life compared to college
52:44 The cultural transition to Spain
54:33 His rookie season with Marin and earning promotion to LEB Gold
57:00 Making the decision to re-sign with Marin for his second year in the pros
58:29 The gap between LEB Silver, LEB Gold and the ACB
1:00:26 His second season being cut short by COVID-19
1:02:29 Being back in London for lockdown in the Summer of 2020
1:04:34 This season with Coruna
1:06:29 Representing the Ireland national team in the summer of 2018
1:08:36 His thoughts on FIBA 3x3 having played in it and its potential for the future
1:10:25 His favourite basketball memory
1:11:41 Best British player he's played with or against
1:12:14 Best coach he's played for
1:12:57 Best individual performance he's ever witnessed
1:13:49 Taiwo's future aspirations for the next 3-5 years

The show has been approved on iTunes – find it here and please subscribe to automatically receive new episodes straight to your phone/computer/tablet – if you could give us a review/rating it would be much appreciated to help the podcast spread far and wide, meanwhile it is also on Spotify here, Overcast, Stitcher, and Google Podcasts.

You can support Hoopsfix’s work in helping to grow British basketball on Patreon.

For Episode 96 of the Hoopsfix Podcast, we sit down with Toyotsu Fighting Eagles Nagoya big man, Ben Lawson.

The 7’1″ centre originally out of Oaklands College, turned pro in 2017-18 after a four year career at NCAA Division 1 school Western Kentucky University where he finished up as their fourth all-time blocked shots leader, starting his career in Cyprus before making the switch to Japan in 2018-19 where he has remained since.

A former England Under-18 and GB Under-20, Lawson played for the Memphis Grizzlies in the 2019 NBA Summer League, and was recently named to the GB Senior Men’s squad long list.

In this 1 hour and 20 minute interview, we look back on Lawson’s journey so far and how he has fought through adversity to carve himself out a pro career.

Timestamps:

00:00 Intro
 02:44 Interview start
 03:01 How COVID-19 has affected the leagues in Japan
 05:29 Whether COVID-19 impacted his decision to sign in Asia
 06:51 How much he is in touch with other British guys overseas
 07:54 His inclusion on the GB Senior squad long list and how much that is an aspiration
 09:17 Whether his involvement with the GB program will be limited to summer months
 10:33 Ben’s early years being involve with multiple sports
 13:03 How serious about basketball he was when he enrolled at Oaklands
 14:27 How much his height played a role into funnelling him into basketball
 16:02 Getting to grips with his body and height
 17:35 Coming out of nowhere onto the scene and when things started to click
 20:23 The talent in the ’95 generation and if he ever felt out of his depth
 23:14 Being coached by Steve Bucknall with the national team
 24:59 Standout memories from playing in Division A with the England U18s
 27:10 When the US colleges started recruiting him
 29:26 How early he knew he was going to sign with WKU
 30:50 Being a true freshman
 31:20 The transition from England to WKU
 33:15 Whether the biggest thing about the UK to US transition is the physicality & athleticism
 34:50 Sticking out all 4 years at WKU
 37:37 How much he’s thinking about stats at college to be able to turn pro
 40:41 The standout memories from college
 42:15 How much he goes back to visit WKU now
 43:03 Turning pro
 44:36 Whether he ever second guessed turning pro
 46:42 Whether Cyprus was the only pro offer he had
 47:43 Reflections on whether he made it when he was in Cyprus because of the lifestyle
 49:16 Knocking down the game winner at the buzzer in the Playoff Semi-Finals in Cyprus
 52:35 Whether the offers started coming in after his good year in Cyprus
 55:43 Why he thinks the offers didn’t come
 58:30 Getting two big offers from Japan after a workout in LA
 1:01:47 The cultural transition from West to East, playing in Japan
 1:05:12 Whether he feels like he has embraced the culture and found a second home in Japan
 1:06:29 If he feels like he’ll spend a lot of his career in Japan
 1:08:10 The level on the floor in Japan and if he feels he is being challenged enough
 1:10:58 Playing for Memphis in the NBA Summer League
 1:13:23 How close he feels to being able to play in the NBA
 1:14:44 Whether he wants to do NBA Summer League again
 1:15:47 Turning down a G-League offer to play in Japan
 1:18:39 Staying with the same agent since his rookie year
 1:19:11 His favourite basketball memory
 1:19:37 Best coach he’s every played for
 1:20:22 Best teammate he’s ever had
 1:20:33 Best British player he’s played with or against
 1:21:08 Best individual performance he’s ever witnessed
 1:21:52 Where he wants to be in the next 3-5 years

The show has been approved on iTunes – find it here and please subscribe to automatically receive new episodes straight to your phone/computer/tablet – if you could give us a review/rating it would be much appreciated to help the podcast spread far and wide, meanwhile it is also on Spotify here, Overcast, Stitcher, and Google Podcasts.

You can support Hoopsfix’s work in helping to grow British basketball on Patreon.

For Episode 95 of the Hoopsfix Podcast we sit down with GB Senior Men's Acting Head Coach Marc Steutel, who has just led the team to EuroBasket 2022 qualification.

An assistant with the squad since 2018, Steutel was given the reins of the team for the February 2020 window when the British Basketball Federation became aware Nate Reinking would be unavailable due to his commitments with the Canton Charge.

Since then, he has taken the helm through all three windows across the past 12 months, going 4-2, and qualifying for EuroBasket 2022 this past week after a big victory over Germany at the buzzer before defeating France to round out the campaign.

In this interview, Steutel reflects on the campaign, discusses being in the position of acting Head Coach, and looks ahead to what is next for the group.

Time stamps:
 00:00 Intro
 03:09 Interview start
 03:14 What EuroBasket qualification means for him and the team
 06:46 Whether qualification exceeded people’s expectations
 09:54 Whether qualification exceeded the team’s own expectations
 11:53 Whether the team bought into the underdog mentality
 14:22 How much of a project it is to change the perception of GB basketball
 16:49 How much of an advantage the new FIBA qualification system is for GB
 19:56 When selecting the squad whether continuity of the squad is taken into account
 23:14 If the programme had more funding and resource whether they would do extra camps
 26:25 Jacob Round, Kareem Queeley and Cameron Hildreth and having younger guys with the team
 29:35 The challenge of balancing minutes and egos
 34:00 Being thrust into the role of Head Coach
 39:03 Dealing with criticism of the level he has coached at whilst being the GB Head Coach
 41:49 Whether he feels vindicated having secured EuroBasket qualification
 43:27 Gabe Olaseni coming out in a press conference to stand up for the coaching staff
 46:31 How the dynamic has worked with Nate Reinking and the role he is playing
 50:19 Whether there’s a chance Marc could take the reins of the team for EuroBasket 2022
 52:29 How GB were able to turn around a heavy defeat to France into such a resounding victory in Game 2
 58:45 The Luke Nelson game winner against Germany and that final possession
 1:03:25 GB previously always being close but not quite winning and whether that’s changing
 1:08:43 The importance of playing home games and the game in Newcastle against Germany
 1:14:20 What’s next for this GB group

The show has been approved on iTunes – find it here and please subscribe to automatically receive new episodes straight to your phone/computer/tablet – if you could give us a review/rating it would be much appreciated to help the podcast spread far and wide, meanwhile it is also on Spotify here, Overcast, Stitcher, and Google Podcasts.

You can support Hoopsfix’s work in helping to grow British basketball on Patreon.

For Episode 94 of the Hoopsfix podcast, we sit down with St Benedicts prep wing and Cal commit, Sam Alajiki.

Alajiki left the UK in January of 2020, where he had started the season with Barking Abbey having initially been developed by Kent Crusaders, to attend Beckley Prep in Virginia. 

After a half season there – which was cancelled due to COVID – he made the switch to St Benedicts in New Jersey, but not before committing to PAC-12 side Cal, becoming the third British-developed player in the Class of 2021 to sign with a high major programme.

The 6’7″ small forward with a 7’2″ wingspan and 44 inch max vertical, jumped on the Hoopsfix podcast to discuss his journey so far, being 
intent on taking the US High School route, and his aspirations for the future.

Timestamps:

00:00 Intro
 03:10 Interview start
 03:16 Alajiki’s American accent
 04:33 Sam’s upbringing in Ireland and how he ended up in England
 08:07 Making the decision to focus on basketball over football
 09:13 Whether the move from Ireland to England was difficult
 10:36 The role of Jesse Sazant, Adam Davies on his early stages
 11:50 How Sam was difficult as a younger player
 12:34 How he matured
 13:48 When he started taking basketball seriously
 14:17 His involvement with the England U15 development programme
 16:00 His initial focus on representing England/GB then that becoming Ireland
 17:31 His relationships that are still in Ireland
 18:10 His early aspirations in the sport
 19:13 Wanting to prove himself to Coach Jesse Sazant
 20:06 Sam’s physical gifts and matching the skills to them
 22:25 Finding his shot and working on his jump shot
 23:14 Deciding to make the switch to Barking Abbey for year 12
 23:48 Being intent on going to the US
 24:54 Why he felt the need to go to the US for HS rather than stay in the UK
 26:59 Why his visa was denied in Year 10
 27:19 Concerns about his eligibility
 27:38 Why choosing to go to Barking Abbey from Canterbury
 28:18 Leaving Barking Abbey midway through the season
 29:57 Coaches from the US getting in his ear
 30:30 Having D1 options in the UK already and still wanting to go to the US
 31:36 Whether he has any regrets on the route he took
 32:17 If Barking Abbey was the step up he wanted in the UK
 33:33 Whether he ever felt out of his depth in the UK
 34:43 US High school vs NBL D1 men
 37:35 Whether the ultimate allure to the US is exposure and coaches wanting to see prospects against US competition
 39:37 The transition to the US from England
 42:20 How quickly the college interest came when going to the US
 44:06 The Xs and Os in the US compared to England
 45:12 2019-20 season being cancelled, staying in the US last summer
 46:09 Making the decision to commit to Cal early
 46:42 Why he chose Cal, who else he was looking at
 47:42 The role he sees himself having at Cal
 48:45 Is the goal to be a professional basketball player?
 49:01 Choosing a bigger school over a smaller one
 50:44 Switching to St Benedicts this season
 52:51 Status of their current season
 55:03 The impact of COVID-19 on the Class of 2021
 57:58 How Cal are anticipating the 2021-22 season being
 59:53 Whether he’s coming back to the UK this summer
 59:29 His NBA aspirations and potential barriers
 1:00:57 His favourite basketball memory
 1:02:27 Feedback on the Hoopsfix All-Star Classic
 1:05:15 best British player he’s played with or against
 1:06:18 best individual performance he’s witnessed
 1:07:05 His basketball role models
 1:08:50 His goals for the next 3-5 years

The show has been approved on iTunes – find it here and please subscribe to automatically receive new episodes straight to your phone/computer/tablet – if you could give us a review/rating it would be much appreciated to help the podcast spread far and wide, meanwhile it is also on Spotify here, Overcast, Stitcher, and Google Podcasts.

You can support Hoopsfix’s work in helping to grow British basketball on Patreon.

For Episode 93 of the Hoopsfix Podcast, we sit down with Commissioner of the Australian NBL, Jeremy Loeliger.

Loeliger has overseen an unprecedented growth period of the NBL across the past 5 years, as the league has gone from on the verge of bankruptcy to one of the most prominent leagues globally with arguably the closest product as a game day experience to the NBA. Click here to enter your details and be notified when we release our in depth case study.

In 2015, multi-millionaire Larry Kestleman took a 51% controlling stake in the league (he now owns 94%) for $7million operating capital, and brought on Loeliger as General Manager to oversee the transition. Those 5 years have seen tens of millions of dollars invested, packed out stadiums, free to air tv deals, rafts of sponsorship agreements, franchise valuations go from tens of thousands to multi millions, and the league having become a breeding ground for NBA prospects who do not want to go to college like LaMelo Ball and RJ Hampton through the Next Stars program.

There are some remarkable similarities to the BBL's history - both had a 'heyday' in the 90s, before experiencing an extreme lull, both countries do not own their own facilities and arenas, both leagues used to have equal ownership between every franchise (the BBL still does), and both have to battle culturally against bigger national sports.

It was hard to get into everything within an hour, but we discussed the progress of the NBL and tried to extract the learnings for the BBL.

Timestamps:

00:00 Intro
04:56  Interview start
05:00 History of the NBL and how Larry Kestleman and Jeremy Loeliger came to be involved
17:39 How much investment it took to turn things around
23:40 The first deals and how much they relied on their relationships
27:07 How important the relationship between the federation and the pro league is
32:34 The underrated role the Australian Basketball Players Association has played in it
37:03 The importance of having home grown talent in the league
41:52 Decision making within the NBL and with the franchises
44:21 Teams buy in when they see the success
46:03 Whether the league currently owns any of the franchises
49:44 The importance of having a centralised marketing plan
52:30 How important digital and social has been to the growth of the league in the last 5 years
55:30 Whether the NBL is now profitable
56:08 How much more room the NBL has for growth
57:01 The importance of having people that know both basketball and business
58:53 Sign off and positive conversations about British basketball

The show has been approved on iTunes – find it here and please subscribe to automatically receive new episodes straight to your phone/computer/tablet – if you could give us a review/rating it would be much appreciated to help the podcast spread far and wide, meanwhile it is also on Spotify here, Overcast, Stitcher, and Google Podcasts.

You can support Hoopsfix’s work in helping to grow British basketball on Patreon.

For Episode 92 we sit down with Chris Mayes, Technical Director of BC Triple Threat in Haarlem in Holland.

Mayes, who grew up on the South East coast near Worthing, started out playing before turning his eye to coaching between Worthing and Solent Kestrels under the tutelage of the legendary Jimmy Guymon

Whilst trying to build his experience at a camp in the US, he was told he would need a degree to be able to permanently relocate across the channel so returned to the UK to take an assistant role with Worthing Thunder, whilst doing an undergraduate degree in Coaching Science at the University of Chichester.

However, in late 2004 he was diagnosed with a brain tumour, having to undergo surgery and requiring a period of recovery but it gave him an opportunity to reflect and decide coaching was the path he wanted to pursue seriously.

After getting his undergrad, he moved to Worcester for an MSc in Coaching Science whilst assisting with the BBL side, before feeling that for him to progress like he wanted, he would need to leave the UK. He dropped out of his masters and in 2010 took an unpaid job (food and board only) at Canarias Basketball Academy in Spain.

After five years at CBA (he did end up taking a salary!) working with some of the top prospects in Europe, he moved on, having now worked in Belgium with Pepinster-Verviers, Liege Basket and Leuven Bears (where he was interim Head Coach for a period), Netherlands (New Heroes Den Bosch), and Spain (CB TerrAlfàs), in roles split between Assistant Coach with the pro side and youth development roles.

Mayes has now spent over a decade on the continent in unstable conditions in pursuit of a career in the sport he loves.

Timestamps:

00:00 Intro
02:32 Interview start
02:40 The situation with COVID-19 in the Netherlands
04:22 Chris' role as Technical Director with BC TTT
06:33 The structure of BC TTT
09:53 Comparing the levels of junior talent in Holland to the UK
12:04 Mayes' first exposure to basketball and why he decided to pursue coaching
18:03 Getting his undergrad in coaching science and whether it has helped with his coaching
20:22 Why chose not to pursue the US route in the end 
23:36 Dropping out of his masters at Worcester
24:27 What he was unable to get in the UK which led him to want to go abroad
26:54 Why he wanted to go overseas
28:56 The process of going abroad and landing a role with CBA
32:30 The early years of Canarias Basketball Academy
34:07 His roles and responsibilities at Canarias Basketball Academy
36:07 How often he was coming back to the UK when at CBA
38:21 The realities of day to day life at CBA
42:23 Some of the most talented players he worked with
45:46 The Sports Illustrated article in 2016 alleging potential underhanded dealings at CBA
48:47 Why he decided to leave CBA
51:05 Moving to Belgium with Pepinster-Verviers
52:43 The differences going from elite youth to elite pros
56:38 Player development becoming team development
58:48 Whether his focus is around youth development or coaching at pro level
1:01:38 Believing development comes from top to bottom
1:08:34 Working with the Armenian national team
1:12:42 Moving to rival Belgium club Liege
1:14:27 His time with Leuven Bears in Belgium, becoming interim Head Coach
1:16:56 The lack of stability in basketball coaching
1:20:41 Whether the instability of coaching is sustainable
1:23:09 If there is frustration with the British game for not allowing him to be able to develop at home
1:28:58 Best British junior player he's ever seen
1:30:27 The best coach he's worked with
1:31:22 His favourite basketball memory
1:32:09 Whether we are going to see a return of Makem Takem podcast
1:32:58 Where Mayes wants to be in 3-5 years       

The show has been approved on iTunes – find it here and please subscribe to automatically receive new episodes straight to your phone/computer/tablet – if you could give us a review/rating it would be much appreciated to help the podcast spread far and wide, meanwhile it is also on Spotify here, Overcast, Stitcher, and Google Podcasts.

You can support Hoopsfix’s work in helping to grow British basketball on Patreon.

For Episode 91 of the Hoopsfix Podcast we sit down with Belfast-based Marc Mulholland, the Executive Director & Creative Producer of the Belfast Basketball Classic with Inspirus Sports.

Mulholland is a former Irish junior international, and plays a huge role in the Basketball Hall of Fame Belfast Classic - the first NCAA tournament to take place in Europe with the Sport Changes Life Foundation and partner NCAA MAAC Conference and Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame.

He has been embedded in the Irish basketball community for years starting in historic St Gall's Basketball Club in West Belfast, a time at Lisburn Scorpions and Andersonstown Tigers. Having done extensive coaching from development to Team NI Academy level, is now a Basketball Northern Ireland & NI Sport Forum Board Member, and is currently on FIBA's Timeout 2.0 programme, which helps players & former players make the transition into the next phase of their career.

With a background in film and media, he released 'House of Hopla', a SCRAM Films documentary about legendary NBA shooting coach Dave Hopla. A story about Belfast , Basketball and Brotherhood, in 2019.

Timestamps:

00:00 Intro
02:41 Interview start
03:02 Impact of COVID on basketball in Northern Ireland
07:43 How Northern Ireland fits into the British basketball governing body structure
11:15 Players in Northern Ireland are able to choose whether to represent Ireland or GB
14:28 Basketball culture in Ireland
22:50 Whether young players in Ireland are looking to England/Scotland/Wales (incorrectly labelled the 'mainland' by me!) or players more local
27:01 The ideation phase of the Belfast Classic and how it came to be
40:57 How to finance an event with a budget in the millions
53:32 Raising sponsorship requires persistence and patience
59:56 British basketball needs to think bigger
1:01:12 What's in the future for the Belfast Classic
1:06:53 House of Hopla - Marc's documentary about Dave Hopla
1:15:52 Distribution options for documentary releases
1:21:13 FIBA Timeout Program
1:30:07 Potential for a BBL franchise in Belfast
1:32:58 Marc's aspirations for the next 3-5 years

The show has been approved on iTunes – find it here and please subscribe to automatically receive new episodes straight to your phone/computer/tablet – if you could give us a review/rating it would be much appreciated to help the podcast spread far and wide, meanwhile it is also on Spotify here, Overcast, Stitcher, and Google Podcasts.

You can support Hoopsfix’s work in helping to grow British basketball on Patreon.

For Episode 89 of the Hoopsfix Podcast we sit down with Great Britain and San Pablo Burgos guard Kareem Queeley.

The 2001 born prospect, originally out of Leicester, has been regarded as one of the UK's brightest talents since bursting onto the scene as a 13 year old winning the MiniCopa MVP whilst on trial with Real Madrid.

He swiftly signed a multi-year junior contract with Real Madrid, moving to Spain to continue his development - winning a Euroleague ANGT title in the process, whilst representing England and Great Britain at Under-16, Under-18 and Under-20 level. 

He departed Real Madrid ahead of the 2019-20 season to sign with another ACB side, San Pablo Burgos, and most recently in October became one of the few Brits to win a club European title as they secured the Basketball Champions League title.

Timestamps:

00:00 Intro
02:14 Interview start
02:33 How Kareem first started playing basketball
03:28 Living in St Kitts before moving to England
04:40 Getting involved with the Leicester Warriors
05:24 Whether he feels he had a natural ability for it
05:50 How much he could work on his game as a youngster
06:11 The progression from there
06:39 When basketball became a serious pursuit
07:34 Choosing between football and basketball
08:03 What he learnt at Leicester Warriors that set the foundation
08:56 When he realised he was pretty good
09:15 Some of Kareem's bigger scoring games as a junior 
10:02 Weighing up his options as a 13 year old
11:44 Playing in the Junior Final Fours
12:28 Playing with teammates who weren't as talented
13:30 How the trial with Real Madrid came about
15:10 Winning the MVP at the MiniCopa in Spain and the impact mentally
16:22 What made him decide to sign with Real Madrid and move to Spain
16:55 What the pros and cons were that he was weighing up with deciding to sign in Spain
18:06 Signing a 4 year deal (2+2) and making the adjustment to Spain
19:21 The quality of the facilities at Real Madrid
20:16 How it works with his education in Spain and a typical day in the life
21:34 What type of school he attended
21:56 The language spoken on the court
22:12 The comparisons between what he had in England to Spain basketball-wise
23:07 The different competitions he competed in in Spain
23:25 His progression over the 4 years at Real Madrid
24:35 The level of competition Real Madrid faced at Junior level
25:38 Winning the Euroleague ANGT
26:28 Making the decision to not go to college in the US
28:42 The highlights from his 4 years with Real Madrid
29:28 Representing the England/GB junior national teams and whether there was a difference in his level
30:33 Whether coaches in Spain noticed any bad habits
31:26 His contract with Real Madrid coming to an end
32:28 Beginning the process of finding another team
33:19 At what point he became fluent in Spanish
33:39 Signing with San Pablo Burgos
34:29 Playing for Burgos' feeder team and not their ACB side
35:27 Becoming a true 'professional' and getting that first pay cheque
36:03 How he feels about his own development as a player
37:01 Whether the club can hold him more accountable now as a pro
37:27 The instability  of being a professional basketball player
38:16 Dealing with the impact of COVID-19 in 2019-20
39:22 Winning the Basketball Champions League
41:56 Dealing with not playing as many minutes as he might like
42:54 The impact of COVID-19 on the current season
44:29 His day to day at the moment
45:08 The surprises about pro life
46:06 Representing the England/GB junior national teams
48:05 What prevents GB from getting top 8 finishes at every age group at Division A level consistently
49:09 Other players he rates from his generation
50:07 Getting a call up to the GB Seniors
52:17 Best coach he's played for
52:58 Favourite basketball memory
53:37 Favourite teammate
53:55 Hardest player he's ever hard to guard
54:25 Best individual performance he's ever witnessed
54:55 Best British player he's played with or against
55:16 What's in the future for Kareem in the next 3-5 years

The show has been approved on iTunes – find it here and please subscribe to automatically receive new episodes straight to your phone/computer/tablet – if you could give us a review/rating it would be much appreciated to help the podcast spread far and wide, meanwhile it is also on Spotify here, Overcast, Stitcher, and Google Podcasts.

You can support Hoopsfix’s work in helping to grow British basketball on Patreon.

For Episode 89 of the Hoopsfix podcast we sit down with Kent Crusaders Director Jesse Sazant.

Sazant, originally from Canada, built the foundations of his coaching career and philosophy working under the legendary Dave Smart at Carleton University, before moving to the UK in 2000 to pursue his teaching career.

He got involved with Kent Crusaders - then known as East Kent Crusaders - the day he landed in England, before becoming a director 3 years later and taking over the reins of the programme. In the 17 years since, the Crusaders have grown to mini ballers (boys & girls), U12 (boys & girls), U14 (boys & girls), U16 (men), U18 (men) and Senior men's teams, along with two academies.

Alongside the Crusaders, Jesse has served Head Coach of the England Under-15 boys development program for 5 years, assisted the England Under-16 men for 4 years, was Chairman of the EABL for 4 years, has coached various South East Regional teams and was a statistician at the London 2012 Olympics.

Sazant also served in the competitions group for Basketball England's Basketball Development Model in 2016.

In this two hour episode, we discuss the growth of Canadian basketball and the lessons that can be applied to British basketball, along with the birth of the EABL and Basketball England's attempts to change the game through the Basketball Development model and much more.

00:00 Intro
02:32 Interview start
02:58 Jesse's start in basketball in Canada
05:23 Who is Dave Smart and his relevance to basketball in Canada
06:39 What his takeaways and learnings were from working with Dave Smart
11:15 Dave's confrontational demeanour and whether it can be too much
13:38 Smart's role as GB U20 Head Coach and what happened with the programme
16:53 Whether the young British player mentality is not ready for accountability
20:01 Fixing the depth problem within British basketball
24:09 If defining club's levels needs to be federation led
26:26 Whether the BBL could be taking a lead on the pathway
28:38 How Canada develops players and the mixture between clubs and school sides
34:50 Canada's rise to prominence as a basketball nation
39:41 Coach development in the UK
46:43 Why Jesse moved to the UK and his biggest surprises about basketball here
52:06 The progression of basketball since he has been here
53:52 His intentions around coaching when he moved here
56:24 His year with Humph Long at the East London Royals
1:00:44 How much of an advantage London or big city clubs have
1:02:27 How to prevent players from moving clubs
1:05:09 Making the decision to focus on the Crusaders
1:06:45 Becoming a director of Kent Crusaders and taking the reins
1:08:20 Whether there were aspirations to have a BBL franchise
1:09:00 Could Kent support a BBL franchise?
1:10:09 Discovering Ryan Richards
1:16:50 Whether it was obvious Richards was a potential NBA player
1:18:25 If Ryan reached his potential as a player
1:21:35 Academy basketball - why academies are important and what role they have to play
1:25:25 The different competitions academies were competing in originally
1:27:11 The formation of the EABL and where it has come to
1:38:32 The decision by Basketball England to move the academy leagues back in-house
1:42:11 Easy wins for the academy leagues to improve
1:44:43 Basketball England's BDM - Basketball Development Model
1:50:58 The scale of the changes the BDM were initially proposing
1:53:28 The change of direction the Kent Crusaders decided
1:58:36 Favourite coach he's been around
1:59:14 Best British junior player he's seen
2:00:23 Favourite basketball memory
2:01:29 Best individual British basketball performance he's witnessed
2:02:23 What's in the future for Jesse and Kent Crusaders in the next 3-5 years

The show has been approved on iTunes – find it here and please subscribe to automatically receive new episodes straight to your phone/computer/tablet – if you could give us a review/rating it would be much appreciated to help the podcast spread far and wide, meanwhile it is also on Spotify here, Overcast, Stitcher, and Google Podcasts.

You can support Hoopsfix’s work in helping to grow British basketball on Patreon.

For Episode 88 of the Hoopsfix Podcast, we sit down with Head of Basketball Operations for Luol Deng, founder of recruitment and scouting service She's Got Next, and assistant coach at Sierra Canyon High School, Steve Vear.

Vear, a former England junior international, played the majority of his career in NBL Division 1 with a season in the BBL with Leicester Riders, before making the move into to his own coaching business and working with Deng, heading up the UK arm of the Luol Deng Foundation.

As part of that role he oversaw Deng Camp, and the transition into the Deng Camp Top 50 format with rankings in 2014, alongside coaching - he headed up Brixton Topcats' WBBL side, coached London Southbank University, was an assistant with the U16 England Women national team and assisted with City of London Academy's Under-19 women's squad that dominated in 2016-17.

Midway through that season, Vear moved to LA to be with his wife, where he currently resides, continues to be the Director of Deng Camp - overseeing their UK, USA and Australia camps, launched She's Got Next, a recruiting and scouting service to help place British females in the US college system, and is an assistant coach with the powerhouse Sierra Canyon High School girls' team.

In this bumper three hour episode, we discuss Steve's story and the learnings that can be applied to British basketball.

Timestamps:

00:00 Intro
02:37 Interview start
03:19 How Steve first started playing
04:29 Whether playing with his brothers developed his competitiveness
05:24 Starting playing at 6 years old and how much of an advantage it is
07:59 The level of provision he had as a six year old to play
09:45 When it became a serious pursuit
13:57 When he thought he could have a professional career
16:20 The dominant Ealing Tornadoes junior team led by Steve and Walid Mumuni
20:02 The landscape of junior basketball when he was coming up
22:39 How good Richard Midgley was
26:24 Luol Deng as a junior
30:48 Rough & Ready and Steve's experiences and memories of it
35:59 Rough & Ready being ahead of its time in putting players on a pedestal
37:49 Steve's short stint at High School in the US
47:11 Whether he gave up the idea of returning to the US 
48:47 Whether he wanted to stay in the UK or planned to play abroad
52:24 Whether Steve feels like he reached his potential as a player
54:01 What he was able to earn in NBL Division 1 as a player
56:40 Playing for Kingston University
59:38 Playing in an inter-county tournament for Sussex with Steve Gayle
1:01:19 Beginning the process away from playing after Leicester Riders
1:07:38 His first involvement with Deng Camp via Andrea Norton
1:13:35 His role as CEO of the Luol Deng Foundation in the UK
1:15:59 The progression of Deng Camp to Deng Top 50 Camp
1:25:02 The depth of talent in the UK 
1:30:46 Advice he would give to a young player not selected for Deng Camp
1:37:26  Difference in the mentality between British players and overseas players
1:42:50 What would happen if you put Sierra Canyon's teams in the EABL & WEABL
1:45:17 Working with the 2016-17 CoLA girls squad and the program Jackson Gibbons is building
1:52:29 Steve's decision to move to LA and leaving British basketball behind
1:58:23 She's Got Next - Steve's recruiting service and the comparisons between the US and the UK talent
2:05:01 The US pathway as a progression route for young British players
2:13:39 Eligibility for British players in the US college system and where players are getting it wrong
2:20:56 Whether players needing to go to High School & Prep School is on the decline
2:25:55 The biggest surprises about basketball from when he moved to the US
2:34:20 What the UK could learn from the US without needing a massive cash infusion
2:46:56 Best British junior player he's seen
2:47:15 Best coach he's played for
2:49:04 No. 1 draft pick from all the of the Deng Camps
2:49:44 Favourite basketball memory
2:50:28 Best individual performance he has witnessed in British basketball
2:51:35 What's in store over the next 3-5 years - South Sudan Basketball Federation

The show has been approved on iTunes – find it here and please subscribe to automatically receive new episodes straight to your phone/computer/tablet – if you could give us a review/rating it would be much appreciated to help the podcast spread far and wide, meanwhile it is also on Spotify here, Overcast, Stitcher, and Google Podcasts.

You can support Hoopsfix’s work in helping to grow British basketball on Patreon.
 

In Episode 87 of the Hoopsfix podcast we sit down with former GB international and 12 year pro Dzaflo Larkai.

Larkai retired from playing ahead of the 2019-20 season and made a smooth transition into life after playing as an international NBA scout with the Milwaukee Bucks.

'Flo' played professionally for 12 years, spending most of his time in Japan where he won 7 titles, including doing the regular season and playoff double three times consecutively. He also played in Spain and in the UK - suiting up for Mersey Tigers, Leicester Riders, Manchester Giants and London Lions where he won a Cup and League title.

More recently, he has joined Luol Deng's coaching staff for the South Sudan national team as an assistant in their continental qualifiers.

Since COVID-19 hit, Larkai's contract with the Bucks has been paused and he is currently waiting to see how it plays out but remains hopeful he will be brought back on board.

Timestamps:

00:00 Intro
02:26 Interview start
03:03 Making the transitioning from playing into his next career
11:27 How a role with an NBA team as a scout comes to fruition
17:18 What scouts are looking for and the red flags
22:55 The level of talent in Africa and how far we are from African ball becoming a powerhouse
27:58 The difference in young players from Africa compared to young British players
30:30 What made Flo first start playing the game
34:32 The three versions of Flo that exist that help him make decisions
41:13 Forgetting basketball players are humans
43:37 Becoming self aware
45:54 Starting out at Chessington Wildcats
52:57 How Brixton Topcats cultivated that family feel and loyalty within the club
55:24 The landscape of junior basketbal and who the talents were of his generation
58:43 How the move to the US for prep school came about
1:03:22 Turning down D1 offers to go to Prep School
1:06:27 Playing with Rasheed Quadri at La Salle
1:07:49 Redshirting his first year at La Salle due to injury
1:10:45 Playing in his Redshirt Freshman year
1:14:39 Whether the transition to college basketball was easier than he expected
1:17:55 His memories of Rough & Ready
1:20:47 His sexual assault case at college that led to his departure from La Salle
1:32:03 Transferring to Bellarmine and how the case changed him
1:37:33 Turning pro and signing in Spain
1:43:25 Ending up playing in Japan
1:48:52 Whether he knew he was going to end up longer term in Japan
1:50:57 What sort of money you could earn in Japan
1:52:01 Managing your finances whilst being a pro basketball player
1:57:15 What his younger and older self would say to him now

The show has been approved on iTunes – find it here and please subscribe to automatically receive new episodes straight to your phone/computer/tablet – if you could give us a review/rating it would be much appreciated to help the podcast spread far and wide, meanwhile it is also on Spotify here, Overcast, Stitcher, and Google Podcasts.

You can support Hoopsfix’s work in helping to grow British basketball on Patreon.

For Episode 86 of the Hoopsfix Podcast, we sit down with Jamie Edwards, former England international and now heading up the new Manchester Giants project.

After almost a decade of dwelling near or at the bottom of the league table, in February of 2020, Manchester Giants saw new ownership led by Edwards, and have started this season as a new-look outfit, with a competitive roster, new home venue and re-brand.

Edwards grew up playing for Oldham Celtics before making the move to Manchester United and was taken under his wing by the legendary Alton Byrd, who remains a mentor to this day.

After going to the US for High School (at Byrd's former school), he returned to the UK where he had a 5 year career in the BBL before getting into running basketball camps and clinics, ultimately leading to the creation of NBA Mad Skills, a nationwide tour of 16 cities and towns which saw him featured on Channel 4 with Scoop Jackson.

Edwards was involved in two unsuccessful attempts at buying the Giants franchise in the late 90s, before setting up Trained Brain in 2000, where he does peak performance coaching with elite athletes and people.

Timestamps:

00:00 Intro
02:49 Interview start
03:51 How Jamie started playing basketball
06:28 The Manchester United basketball programme
10:12 How juniors used to all play before the seniors to encourage the club links
13:31 Playing at Royal Albert Hall
17:30 Being mentored by Alton Byrd
19:32 The similarities in their position and height meaning Byrd took a liking to him
22:39 Jamie went to the same High School Alton did
25:51 Choosing not to play college ball
27:16 Returning to the UK to play at Chester
30:30 The length of Jamie's pro career
31:56 Why he chose to retire from playing
35:11 Working camps and setting up the NBA Mad Skills nationwide tour
37:24 The first attempts at buying the Manchester Giants in the late 90s
41:09 What was it that motivated him to want to own a BBL franchise
44:03 The years he attempted to buy the franchise
44:29 What stopped it from happening
44:43 The franchise being valued higher in those times
45:15 Whether he has been biding his time over the last 20 years to get the franchise
47:38 How transferring ownership of a franchise works
49:31 How many other people are involved with the ownership of the club
50:31 Where the funding for the club is coming from
51:05 How the reality of running a BBL club compares to his expectations
52:53 Assessing the state of Manchester basketball
59:28 Moving into the National Basketball Performance Centre
1:02:41 The importance of knowing the history to be able to build for the future
1:05:32 The release of Callum Jones from the club
1:08:06 The balance of home grown development with winning at the BBL level
1:10:53 Getting tangible minutes for young British players and whether the focus is on players from the North West
1:14:40 What Jamie's day to day looks like
1:16:57 Looking to the future of the Giants
1:22:34 Whether it's a good look for players to have to have another job whilst in the BBL

The show has been approved on iTunes – find it here and please subscribe to automatically receive new episodes straight to your phone/computer/tablet – if you could give us a review/rating it would be much appreciated to help the podcast spread far and wide, meanwhile it is also on Spotify here, Overcast, Stitcher, and Google Podcasts.

You can support Hoopsfix’s work in helping to grow British basketball on Patreon.

For Episode 85 of the Hoopsfix podcast, we sit down with first year pro and GB Senior international Akwasi Yeboah.

Currently plying his trade with Saint Quentin in France's Pro B for his rookie year, Yeboah is coming off a hugely successful college career, where he played at Stony Brook before becoming a grad-transfer to Rutgers.

He is one of the few Brits to score over 1600 points during his college career, made multiple-all conference teams, and also led the 2017 GB Under-20 side to Division A promotion whilst earning All-Star five honours.

Yeboah was part of the 'comeback kids' Barking Abbey side that won the 2015 NBL Division 1 Men's title with a squad that consisted of just one player over 19.

Due to COVID-19, Yeboah missed out on his opportunity to play in the 2020 NCAA Tournament (which was cancelled) and subsequently increase his 'stock' for the pros, and has navigated turning pro during a challenging time for basketball globally.

In this 1 hour and 20 minute pod we discuss Akwasi's journey so far and how he is finding pro life.

Time stamps:
00:00 Intro
02:37 Interview start
03:01 Transitioning to pro life
04:03 Whether there is more pressure now he's a pro
04:40 How COVID-19 has affected the basketball in France
07:24 The lockdown in France and how it's impacting the league
08:46 Whether COVID-19 impacted the decision on where he signed
10:43 How COVID-19 has impacted Akwasi's opportunities
12:05 What it felt like to sign his rookie contract
13:21 Whether there are any surprises about being a pro basketball player
14:52 What Akwasi does with his down time
15:26 What a day in the life looks like
16:58 How his French is coming on
17:33 Akwasi's early years in Ghana and why he moved to the UK aged 9
19:18 Getting punished with a cain in Ghana
21:20 How much his brother Kwame influenced his playing
23:16 Playing for London Spartans, Brentwood Fire and NASSA
24:04 The stacked NASSA junior side that were a year up from Akwasi
26:06 Now playing on the GB Senior squad with guys he looked up
26:39 His first junior national team experience
27:17 Not getting selected for the England Under-18s
28:15 The point he realised he could be a professional player
29:38 His first year at Barking Abbey and transitioning to an academy
30:56 The jump in his development from his first year to second year at BA
32:32 The group he was with at BA and how much that pushed him
34:02 The NBL Division 1 run with BA and getting his only D1 scholarship offer at the back of it
37:22 Whether he always maintained the faith he could play at NCAA Division 1 level
38:20 If there was any hesitation to sign with Stony Brook immediately
38:48 The herd mentality when it comes to recruiting
39:25 The transition to the US
40:06 Putting on weight in his Freshman year
40:43 The decision to redshirt his first year at Stony Brook
42:19 The team making the NCAA tournament in his redshirt year
43:57 Whether the level of provision and facilities at D1 schools become normalised after a period of time
45:31 Whether college sports in the states has a higher level of provision than the pros
46:19 If redshirting made it hard to know whether his skills would transfer to games
48:04 The coach that recruited him leaving after his redshirt year
50:13 Hitting the rookie wall in his Freshman year
51:06 Not having the option to transfer even if he wanted to
51:48  Being named All-Rookie conference team in his Freshman year
52:37 His year by year progress in his college career
53:42 Looking back on his 3 years at Stony Brook and the standout memories
55:42 When he started thinking about the pros
56:26 Whether being a grad-transfer and getting his masters was in his head when he initially redshirted
57:20 When he knew he was going to transfer
58:04 The recruiting process from schools to be a grad-transfer
59:29 Whether he always knew Rutgers were going to be the likely choice
1:00:30 The differences between mid-major and high-major level at college
1:01:40 Whether anyone ever torched him in the Big 10
1:02:16 The best player he personally guarded
1:02:59 Playing against NBA talent and seeing it up close
1:03:54 His season at Rutgers
1:05:58 The difference between Rutgers and Stony Brook off court
1:07:03 Missing out on the NCAA tournament and being nationally ranked
1:08:15 Playing for Junior national team and whether it helps with his development
1:09:15 Whether having knowledge of the international game gives him an edge in college
1:10:06 Deciding which agent to sign for when it came to turning pro
1:12:06 How he is approaching his rookie year
1:13:11 Whether playing in the BBL is on his radar at all
1:15:05 Best British junior player he's seen
1:16:29 Best coach he's played for
1:17:18 His favourite basketball memory
1:17:42 Where he wants to be in the next 3-5 years

The show has been approved on iTunes – find it here and please subscribe to automatically receive new episodes straight to your phone/computer/tablet – if you could give us a review/rating it would be much appreciated to help the podcast spread far and wide, meanwhile it is also on Spotify here, Overcast, Stitcher, and Google Podcasts.

You can support Hoopsfix’s work in helping to grow British basketball on Patreon.

For Episode 84 of the Hoopsfix Podcast we sit down with Worcester Wolves Head Coach Matt Newby.

Having been coaching for over 21 years, Newby, is one of the few coaches to have won titles at NBL Division 4, Division 3, Division 2, Division 1 and BBL levels following his BBL Cup title in January with Worcester. He has won no less than 14 national titles across Senior competitions, from National League, to BUCS and the BBL.

He built a programme from the bottom up, taking the Leeds Carnegie programme from the lower rungs of the national leagues through to a BBL franchise, the Leeds Force, which was in the top flight from 2014-2018.

Coach Newby had a difficult departure from the Force, and after two years out from the pros returned last season at the helm of the Worcester Wolves.

In this 1 hour and 40 minute podcast, we go into his new life at Worcester, dissect the journey of Leeds Carnegie through the national leagues to the BBL and look at the role of educational institutions like universities and their role within British basketball.

Time stamps:

00:00 Intro
3:03 Interview start
3:07 How he sees this season going with COVID
4:01 Whether Worcester are in a better situation than some clubs because of the university partnership
5:12 Worcester’s roster this season and where the imports are
6:12 Whether he’s surprised with how well Worcester have been competing without their imports
7:14 Transitioning from Leeds to Worcester
9:01 The differences between his role in Leeds and Worcester
11:46 Reflecting on his cup title with Worcester
13:21 How high he would put the Cup title on his resumé
15:07 Matching up with Andreas in the Cup Final, his old NBL rival
16:51 How much of a blow it was for Worcester that the season was cut short due to COVID
18:26 His start in basketball and made him first get involved
26:35 Going to the US for 8-10 years every Summer
28:15 Covering his costs to go to the US
29:10 What the US was doing for his coaching development that he wasn’t getting in the UK
31:40 Whether young coaches now have more resource to improve their coaching
33:53 You’ve got to pay your dues to get a head coaching role
36:17 The importance of man-management and not just XS and Os
38:34 When recruiting a player how important is the connection the coach has with them
41:00 His involvement with York Vikings
41:44 Whether he was full time coaching from the moment he left uni
42:41 Implementing a scaled out schools coaching program
44:34 His coaching role with the council
45:43 How he first got involved with Leeds Met university
48:29 Why a university looks at sport and wants to focus on it
50:22 The timelines and aspirations of the plan for the university programme
52:18 The success of the programme through the national league and why it worked
56:11 The double-edged sword of being backed by a university
58:42 How BUCS and university basketball has changed over the last decade or so
1:02:53 How much of an opportunity BUCS basketball has to be a bigger part of the British basketball ecosystem
1:06:12 How the BBL opportunity in Leeds first arose
1:08:01 Losing the university backing of the BBL franchise shortly before the entry into the league
1:09:40 Why the decided to push forward with the franchise despite losing the full backing of the university
1:11:00 Whether he would advise himself back then not to enter the BBL
1:12:22 Picking up 9 wins in his first BBL season and whether that exceeded expectations
1:14:14 The differences between running an NBL Division 1 program and a BBL franchise
1:15:48 Whether he thinks the BBL franchise committee should have not let Leeds enter
1:16:27 Making the playoffs in Leeds’ second BBL season 1:18:42 The resources Leeds had in comparison to other BBL franchises
1:19:41 His final year with the club before departing
1:20:51 What ultimately led to the breakdown of the club
1:22:33 How hard it was having to leave the club he helped build up from the bottom
1:24:53 Whether he wanted to have another crack at a BBL franchise in Leeds after they withdrew from the league
1:26:18 What he was doing during his two years out from the pros
1:27:06 His thoughts when he was saw the Worcester position advertised
1:28:16 The lack of stability around coaching roles
1:29:22 best British junior player he’s ever seen
1:31:07 Favourite player he’s coached
1:32:21 His coaching role models and inspirations
1:34:47 Favourite basketball memory
1:34:24 Where he wants to be in 3-5 years

The show has been approved on iTunes – find it here and please subscribe to automatically receive new episodes straight to your phone/computer/tablet – if you could give us a review/rating it would be much appreciated to help the podcast spread far and wide, meanwhile it is also on Spotify here, Overcast, Stitcher, and Google Podcasts.

You can support Hoopsfix’s work in helping to grow British basketball on Patreon.

In episode 83 of the Hoopsfix podcast we sit down with founder and Director of City of Birmingham Rockets, Rob Palmer.

Having originally founded a local league club in the West Midlands in 1988, Palmer also headed up the Birmingham Bullets’ junior development programme from 1993-2000, before leaving his job in banking to pursue his basketball interests, initially working with Birmingham City Council as their Active Sports Basketball Co-ordinator.

He founded the City of Birmingham Rockets in 2003 whilst in his basketball development role, and has grown the club to 13 teams from under-9 through to Seniors. In 2015, Palmer recruited NBA Hall of Famer Hakeem Olajuwon as an ambassador of the club, after he relocated to Birmingham for his daughter’s university education.

It was revealed last month that City of Birmingham Rockets have secured in excess of six figures of funding from 2K Foundations for the refurb of their venue at Nechells Wellbeing Centre.

In this episode hear from Rob on his background, building the club, the funding they have secured from 2K Foundations and the involvement of Hakeem Olajuwon in their programme.

Timestamps:

00:00 Intro
2:30 Interview start
2:36 What the 2K investment means for the club and what the outcomes will be
6:13 How long these projects take and when the Nechells refurb will be finished
8:12 Where the money is being invested into
10:11 The seating capacity for the refurb
10:58 Whether City of Birmingham could fill a 500 seat venue
11:50 Do the City of Birmingham Rockets have BBL aspirations?
13:16 How far conversations have gone with the league around a BBL franchise
14:05 2k funding for stuff external to the venue
15:58 Whether the funding is based over long term or not
16:40 How big the investment is from 2K
17:41 Commercial sponsors being interested in london and why 2K are interested in Birmingham
19:16 How Hakeem Olajuwon came to be involved with the club in 2015
24:03 Hakeem Olajuwon has actually moved to the UK
25:15 What difference it makes to the club having Olajuwon associated with it
27:40 Rebranding to the Rockets due to Hakeem’s involvement
28:50 Rob’s background prior to founding City of Birmingham basketball club
44:55 Recruiting players and raising awareness of the initial CVL
48:42 How the club was able to grow so quickly in the first two seasons and whether it was too quick
49:45 Growing pains going from 1 teams to multiple within 2 seasons
54:36 Being able to double up on the club through his basketball development role with the council
57:01 When Rob was able to go full time on the club
1:00:52 Going full time and what difference it had on the club’s growth
1:05:39 What the club’s revenue streams are
1:09:27 Breaking down the percentages of club revenue
1:11:11 How many full time employees the club has
1:12:47 How much scope there is for the club to grow in Birmingham
1:15:29 What impact the Commonwealth Games could have in Birmingham

The show has been approved on iTunes – find it here and please subscribe to automatically receive new episodes straight to your phone/computer/tablet – if you could give us a review/rating it would be much appreciated to help the podcast spread far and wide, meanwhile it is also on Spotify here, Overcast, Stitcher, and Google Podcasts.

You can support Hoopsfix’s work in helping to grow British basketball on Patreon.

For Episode 82 of the Hoopsfix Podcast we sit down with former GB Senior international and more than decade-long pro Olu Babalola.

Olu, who retired in 2016, is one of the most physically dominant and talented junior players to come out of the UK, coming through the great late Joe White's programme before having an esteemed high school career at St Augustine's Prep where he made multiple All-State teams whilst winning State titles, and scoring more than 1000 points.

The 6'6" 260lbs (!) wing was recruited heavily, ultimately choosing to go to Clemson where he was a three year starter and one of the best defenders in the ACC. 

Turning pro in 2005, he started his career in Italy and Sweden before returning to the UK where he spent the majority of his career in the BBL, winning 9 titles whilst also receiving a couple of call up to the GB Senior Men's squad in the run up to 2012.

A passionate chef, he is now based in Sheffield, and runs The Wing Kings, a chicken wing company serving Yorkshire.

Timestamps:

00:00 Intro
02:12 Interview start
02:32 Starting Wing Kings, his catering company he transitioning into after basketball
06:03 How he first got into basketball
14:48 Whether he had natural raw talent or it was something he had to work at
16:22 Where his size comes from, being 6'6" 296 at 17 years old
18:02 If he lifted weights
18:48 Being the strongest despite not lifting
19:38 The impact Joe White had on his life
22:33 Why players sought Joe White's approval
25:34 Top players of his generation he played with and against
28:28 How his move to the States happened and how good Dajuan Wagner was
31:18 The transition to the US
31:58 How good Drew Sullivan was in High School
33:59 How college turned Drew and Olu into defenders potentially taking away from their offensive game
37:00 Some of the future NBA players Olu was guarding at college
38:36 Going to high school with both Andrew Sullivan and Pops Mensah-Bonsu
42:03 A crazy story from Pops at a 7/11 in Jersey
43:51 The recruitment process and being chased by almost every program in the US
46:00 False rumours that he had committed to Villanova
48:36 His tough freshman year at Clemson and wanting to leave
52:30 The two players who left Clemson that opened up minutes for him
54:49 How confidence he was he could make the NBA
56:10 His standout memories from Clemson
1:00:44 His 22, 7 and 5 game vs Virginia
1:01:13 Whether there is footage floating around of his college career
1:01:53 Playing for the American football team at Clemson after his Senior year
1:07:11 The transition to being a pro and his rookie year
1:14:01 Leaving Italy for Sweden
1:16:55 Why he played in the BBL for the majority of his career
1:18:48 Basketball players being humans and having to take other factors into account in their decisions
1:26:38 Whether he feels the BBL has progressed and the need for a player's union
1:29:02 Players still playing in the BBL and barely getting paid
1:30:34 National team and why he didn't feature more heavily for GB
1:33:42 His favourite basketball teammate
1:34:05 Best coach he has ever played for
1:34:59 Best British junior player he's ever seen
1:35:17 Best player he's played against
1:35:48 Standout basketball memory from his career
1:36:42 What he wants his legacy to be

The show has been approved on iTunes – find it here and please subscribe to automatically receive new episodes straight to your phone/computer/tablet – if you could give us a review/rating it would be much appreciated to help the podcast spread far and wide, meanwhile it is also on Spotify here, Overcast, Stitcher, and Google Podcasts.

You can support Hoopsfix’s work in helping to grow British basketball on Patreon.

In Episode 81 of the Hoopsfix Podcast, we sit down with James Merchant, founder and director of the Richmond Knights.

Founded in 2009, the Knights have taken a steady, sustainable approach to growth, starting with taster sessions in schools, working their way up from friendly games to central venue league (CVL) competitions, and not entering their first team into national league until four years later.

Now, 11 years later, the programme boasts over 1000 participants across 32 different primary schools, 9secondary schools, with 21 teams across the club from Under-10s to Senior, including 9 competing in the NBL, and have had 9 players selected to national team programmes.

Perhaps more impressively, there are 9 core coaches that are able to earn the majority of their living from the programme.

In this 1 hour, 10 minute episode we go into the founding of the club, the process of scaling it and the aspirations for the future.

Time stamps:

00:00 Intro
03:18 Interview start
04:35 James playing background
15:55 Knowing you could make being a full time club coach work
20:20 Focusing on getting players playing younger
26:17 How to get the first ever session for your club and scaling it from there
33:06 The incentive from the school's perspective to provide basketball
35:13 The compounding effect of having a track record
36:48 How much room for growth there is in Richmond for the Knights
39:03 What would happen if he hit 100% saturation of every school in the borough
41:28 Where he sends his players on from Richmond Knights
43:20 Whether he has long term aspirations for an EABL academy and owning the entire pathway
46:41 If he has aspirations for a BBL franchise
47:55 The senior side of the programme being more of a drain than the juniors
48:59 The juniors playing up in the senior team
50:57 Whether the BBL would become more attractive if he had investors and the right operators
54:05 If the success of Richmond Knights can be partly attributed to the affluence of the area
58:27 The different revenue streams of the club
1:01:57 Whether he's had conversations with potential commercial partners
1:03:28 The scale of how big the Richmond Knights are financially
1:07:24 What he envisions for the future of the Richmond Knights over the next 3-5 years

The show has been approved on iTunes – find it here and please subscribe to automatically receive new episodes straight to your phone/computer/tablet – if you could give us a review/rating it would be much appreciated to help the podcast spread far and wide, meanwhile it is also on Spotify here, Overcast, Stitcher, and Google Podcasts.

You can support Hoopsfix’s work in helping to grow British basketball on Patreon.

For Episode 80 of the Hoopsfix Podcast we sit down with Caroline Charles, founder and owner of the Newham Youngbloods basketball club.

Charles founded the Youngbloods in 1992 and for almost three decades has provided an outlet for young basketball players in one of the most deprived boroughs in the country.

Caroline has been responsible for thousands of players getting their start in basketball, having fielded Youngbloods teams for both boys and girls through u14s to u18s, as well as coaching the Newham London Youth Games squad for 25 years.

Having been mentored by the likes of legendary grassroots coaches Humph Long, Jimmy Rogers, and Joe White, she has received an award from the Mayor of London for services to youth basketball, and led Youngbloods teams to multiple Final Fours appearances, as well as winning the U16 Girls National Cup this past season.

Time stamps:

00:00 Intro
02:15 Interview start
02:33 What made Caroline first get into basketball
05:55 Her progression as a player and transitioning into coaching
10:17 Where the name Newham Youngbloods came from
13:31 What was the motivation to start her own club
20:03 The influence of Jimmy Rogers, Joe White and Humphrey Long on her journey
24:26 How she approaches working with a new young player who comes to the club
29:07 The current Newham Youngbloods structure in terms of teams
30:34 Whether she's considered setting up an academy
33:02 Basketball as a tool for a social impact
38:32 the London 2012 Olympic legacy
45:47 Being involved with the London 2012 Olympic bid
50:01 If she was given a blank cheque for the club what she would do with it
54:00 The Youngbloods partnership with the London Lions
57:28 If the Lions new ownership changed anything with the partnership
59:20 The state of female basketball in England
01:03:12 Why less females are into basketball than males
01:06:48 If she was in charge of increasing female participation what she would do
01:10:18 Whether Newham could support more clubs
01:13:21 Favourite basketball memory from playing and coaching
01:14:52 The best player Newham Youngbloods has produced
01:17:40 The best coach she's played or worked with
01:19:04 Advice for someone who wanted to set up a community club
01:21:03 The future of the Newham Youngbloods
01:24:05 What she wants her personal legacy to be

The show has been approved on iTunes – find it here and please subscribe to automatically receive new episodes straight to your phone/computer/tablet – if you could give us a review/rating it would be much appreciated to help the podcast spread far and wide, meanwhile it is also on Spotify here, Overcast, Stitcher, and Google Podcasts.

You can support Hoopsfix’s work in helping to grow British basketball on Patreon.

In Episode 79 of the Hoopsfix Podcast, we sit down with one of the most highly regarded UK prospects, 2003 born and Class of 2021's Jeremy Sochan.

The former Solent Kestrel departed the UK ahead of the 2019-20 season to head to powerhouse high school La Lumiere in Indiana, drawing attention and being ranked as high as in the forties by national ranking outlets, before returning to Europe this year and signing with OrangeAcademy - the feeder team of ratiopharm Ulm in Germany.

Sochan - who has both Polish and American passports but was raised in the UK - ultimately ended up representing Poland in international competition, having suited up for the Under-16s in 2018 and 2019, leading them to Division A promotion last year whilst picking up the Division B European Championship MVP.

The 6'8" wing committed to NCAA Division 1 powerhouse Baylor this off-season, having just impressed in his German Pro-B debut this past weekend.

Time stamps:

00:00 Intro
02:29 Beginning of interview
03:02 How he first picked up a ball
05:10 His parents basketball background
06:01 Memories of watching his dad play for Bristol Flyers
06:40 Whether his parents - both former players - encouraged him to play
07:14 The point he realised he was pretty decent as a player
07:40 His first appearance on Hoopsfix
08:28 When his growth spurt happened
08:50 Playing in conference national league in Milton Keynes
09:19 Being coached by his mum
10:00 Making the decision to leave Milton Keynes to go to Southampton in Year 11 and play for Solent
11:38 The European clubs that came recruiting him from a young age in the UK
12:17 Why he chose Solent instead of another program
13:14 What the initial plan was when he went back to Southampton
13:15 Whether his eyes were always on going overseas
14:16 Going from playing in conference competitions to NBL D1 Men's and EABL
15:11 Why he wanted to overseas and leave the UK
15:47 Why he ended up representing Poland and not Great Britain at the European Championships
18:05 The conversations with GB about choosing Poland
19:03 GB will regret not sorting Sochan's passport
19:14 Playing against GB in the Europeans
19:50 Not playing with his friends for Poland in the same way as it would have been for GB
20:20 His first summer at the Europeans in 2018 with Poland
21:16 Learning his role with Poland and getting used to fluctuating minutes
22:26 What the year in Southampton did with Solent did for his development
23:38 Single biggest thing he took from his time with Solent
24:26 Whether he's a player who rises to the occasion
24:52 His 31 point, 15 rebound performance in the EABL as a 15 year old vs Barking Abbey
26:44 His dunk and trash talking
27:53 Whether he felt other teams were zoning in on him
28:25 Whether British basketball has a lot of haters
29:35 Whether a lot of younger players message him
30:11 The decision to go to La Lumiere High School
31:48 Whether he made the decision before the Europeans
32:17 Winning the MVP and leading Poland to Division A promotion at the 2019 Europeans
33:17 Whether he can speak Polish
33:45 The point at which colleges started recruiting him
34:53 Was it a big deal to start getting college offers
35:56 What has kept him grounded
37:02 Being well travelled
37:40 Why he wanted to go to La Lumiere
38:21 How the American High School system works
40:16 Players that he played against
41:04 The transition from the UK to the US
42:19 The level of athleticism in the US
43:27 The level of high school basketball in the US
44:01 Whether La Lumiere lived up to his expectations
45:00 Whether High School basketball increased his confidence
45:55 How he felt about the level of attention he started getting
46:53 Whether colleges recruiting him became overwhelming
48:02 How he feels about individual player rankings in the US
50:39 Whether he used rankings as a motivating factor
51:40 How high his ceiling is and how good he thinks he could be
52:26 Never getting to compete in the Geico Nationals due to COVID-19
53:08 COVID-19 taking away a bunch of opportunities in the summer for his exposure
54:50 Why he committed to Baylor so early
55:53 Having to play out of position at La Lumiere
58:29 Whether he's been on any physical visits to schools because of COVID-19
59:31 Zoom tours and COVID-19 proof recruitment techniques
1:00:10 The best thing that happened whilst being recruited
1:01:31 What it was about Baylor that made him want to go there
1:03:04 What he is most looking forward to about going to Baylor
1:03:53 How much he is contact with Baylor now
1:04:34 COVID-19 hitting and when he got back to the UK
1:06:06 How he decided to sign in Europe this season and return from the US
1:08:55 What ratiopharm ulm said to make him sign with them
1:11:03 His typical daily schedule in Germany
1:11:57 What he's doing for education
1:13:07 How far into the season he is so far
1:14:09 His living arrangements in Germany
1:14:22 His schedule for season
1:15:21 His plans for next summer
1:17:22 Other top players of his generation
1:18:31 Whether he follows British basketball when he is overseas
1:19:06 Whether he thinks it could be an option to leave college early and declare for the NBA

The show has been approved on iTunes – find it here and please subscribe to automatically receive new episodes straight to your phone/computer/tablet – if you could give us a review/rating it would be much appreciated to help the podcast spread far and wide, meanwhile it is also on Spotify here, Overcast, Stitcher, and Google Podcasts.

You can support Hoopsfix’s work in helping to grow British basketball on Patreon.

For Episode 78 of the Hoopsfix Podcast we sit down with four year pro and GB Senior international Josh Steel.

Steel - currently playing in Spain's LEB Silver - was a much heralded junior in the UK, starting on BA London Leopards title winning squad as a 14 year old, being selected as a starter in the Jordan Brand Classic international game, and being a part of the Barking Abbey Kent Crusaders squad that won NBL Division 1 men with a roster of all under-19s bar one.

Having represented the junior national team at U16, U18 and U20 level, he went to NCAA Division 1 school Duquesne but ended up leaving midway through his Sophomore year and ultimately deciding to turn pro the following season, signing his rookie deal with the Surrey Scorchers.

In this 1 hour and 20 minute episode, Steel goes into his journey so far and what he has learned.

Time stamps:

00:00 Introduction
2:37 Beginning of interview
2:42 Impact of COVID-19 on the end of his 2019-20 season in Spain
4:23 His thought process on leaving Spain and returning to the UK
5:33 Chasing unpaid wages and the process for getting missed pay cheques
6:49 How the lockdown has been for him and staying in shape
8:23 Whether his game has taken a step back due to the lockdown
9:53 How to prioritise what to work on during lockdown
11:45 How he approached this season and deciding where to play
13:39 The environment he needs to be in to excel
15:03 Making the transition to being a pro after leaving college early and if it has gone as he envisioned
18:32 Whether he ever thought about quitting basketball
19:28 How he compares the levels between Spain and the BBL
21:22 How a top BBL club would do in LEB Gold
22:03 Organisationally, off the court, how the leagues compare
23:02 How pre-season went for him this year
25:25 How LEB Silver is handling COVID-19 and whether there are a lot of cancellations
27:32 What made him first start playing basketball
29:01 The decision to go to Barking Abbey so young
30:34 The point he realised he was better than other players his age
31:27 Playing with a Division 1 Men's side at 14 years old and its impact on his development
33:56 Whether he felt his was basketball IQ was higher than his peers from playing with men
34:55 Being a system player and why he needs to focus on his 1 on 1 game
36:09 Advice for his younger self in terms of his development
37:40 Winning the 2015 NBL Division 1 Men's playoff title with only one player over 19
42:04 Standout memories from his time at Barking Abbey
42:50 The 2014 EABL title
43:57 The City of Palms Classic
44:36 Making the decision to go to the US and the recruitment process
48:47 Whether the recruiting process was a bit intense
49:53 Does the recruiting process feel fake?
50:20 What Duquesne had said to him during recruiting and the reality
52:40 Tough conversations with the coaching staff at college
54:16 How not playing affected him mentally
55:20 Why he decided to return after a tough freshman year
56:38 The circumstances around him leaving college and why
58:58 Deciding to come home instead of transferring to another college
1:01:30 Being a 'freelance practice player' on his return to the UK
1:02:23 His first pro contract with Surrey
1:04:12 Creon Raftopoulos giving genuine opportunities to young British players
1:05:08 How he found the BBL compared to his previous perception
1:06:31 Whether he felt he belonged in the BBL and was of the level
1:07:24 The biggest adjustments to pro life
1:08:37 Whether he was looking at the BBL as a stepping stone
1:10:00 Whether he thinks the BBL is changing
1:10:39 Giving young British kids a genuine opportunity in the BBL
1:12:34 What advice he would give to an 18 year old who was considering their options for college
1:13:54 How you know whether or not you will be given a big role in college
1:15:52 The best British junior player he's played with or played against
1:16:34 Best coach he's ever played for
1:16:45 What separate Lloyd Gardner as a coach
1:17:32 Single favourite basketball memory
1:17:46 Playing in the Jordan Brand Classic as a youngster
1:19:35 The future; what he wants to achieve in the next five years

The show has been approved on iTunes – find it here and please subscribe to automatically receive new episodes straight to your phone/computer/tablet – if you could give us a review/rating it would be much appreciated to help the podcast spread far and wide, meanwhile it is also on Spotify here, Overcast, Stitcher, and Google Podcasts.

You can support Hoopsfix’s work in helping to grow British basketball on Patreon.

For Episode 77 of the Hoopsfix podcast, we sit down with Director of Myerscough College basketball academy, Neal Hopkins.

In just eight years, Neal has built Myerscough to one of the most successful elite academies in the UK, having won two EABL titles (the most recent being a co-championship), 4 X AOC Elite National Cup titles, plus two Division 3 titles whilst gaining promotion to Division 2,  along with a European Youth Basketball League regular season title last year, all whilst sending numerous players to the US on scholarship. 

Also a GB U20 assistant last summer with the team in Division A, and an assistant with the Mersey Tigers in the BBL during their most successful period winning three titles, Hopkins has a wealth of experience with elite basketball, and has won seven Coach of the Year awards across various competitions.

In this 1 hour and 20 minute conversation, we cover a range of topics including his background, building an academy, the state of the academy basketball leagues in general, the impact of COVID-19 on the coming season and much more!

Time stamps:

00:00 Intro
03:11 How Sam first came across Neal in 2010
04:30 Neal's focus on coaching in terms of qualifications & ensuring his financials were taken care of to be able to coach
09:30 Freebie culture in British basketball and building a basketball economy
13:20 Neal's background in basketball growing up
17:32 The forgotten 'recreational' basketball crowd
19:00 Why both Runshaw and Myerscough have been in less populated rural areas
23:12 Ensuring games were filmed from early and doing highlight tapes
27:01 The importance of digital/social media presence and online brand for basketball programmes
34:24 The lack of awareness in the UK of the different levels
39:35 Having difficult conversations with players who aren't so good but want to pursue a career
42:58 Dealing with blowback on Hoopsfix All-Star Classic selection
44:01 The European experience; competing in the EYBL, how it first came about and the journey
50:55 The format of the EYBL and how the competition works
55:51 Dealing with loading of the extra games and managing the domestic season too
58:56 The feeling of winning the EYBL regular season title and what it meant for Neal personally
1:02:55 The state of the academy leagues, talk of 'super academies' and the direction they are heading
1:08:45 What Neal would do if he was Head of Performance for the federation to grow elite talent
1:13:22 The dilution of the EABL and the ABL
1:14:57 The impact of COVID-19 on the coming season

The show has been approved on iTunes – find it here and please subscribe to automatically receive new episodes straight to your phone/computer/tablet – if you could give us a review/rating it would be much appreciated to help the podcast spread far and wide, meanwhile it is also on Spotify here, Overcast, Stitcher, and Google Podcasts.

You can support Hoopsfix’s work in helping to grow British basketball on Patreon.

For episode 76 of the Hoopsfix Podcast we sit down with 13 year pro and 20-year coach Paul Douglas, aka Dougie.

Dougie, originally a Birmingham Bullet, played all his years in the UK, predominantly in the North East, across Gateshead, Vikings, Sunderland Saints, Sunderland Scorpions, Newcastle Comets and Newcastle Eagles.

Having represented England at U15, U17 and U18 levels, he received his first call up to the Senior team in 1993, and when he retired from playing in 1997 was 7th all-time in BBL 3-point shooting. 

As a coach, he has won 13 national championships, assisted England U16s between 2000-2003, and was involved with two attempts to revitalise pro basketball in Birmingham - as an assistant with the Panthers in 2006-07, and at the helm of the Birmingham Knights in 2013-14.

In this 1 hour 50 minute episode, hear from Dougie on:

• Why he decided to leave Aston Manor Academy to focus on his own projects
• What his plans are for his own projects
• The state of Birmingham basketball
• How not having a pro club in Birmingham hurts the rest of the game
• Whether he knows of any talks around bringing a BBL franchise to Birmingham
• Where the Birmingham Knights went wrong and the biggest learnings
• The Commonwealth Games in Birmingham in 2022 and whether he believes it will have an impact
• How he first started playing
• Getting cut from Birmingham Bullets and it being the driver to pursue basketball as a career
• How good Steve Bucknall was 
• His standout years as a pro
• His favourite memories from his playing days
• Being one of the early coaches at basketball academies in the UK at both Newcastle and Middlesborough
• The success his Middlesborough academy side had, being one of the early junior sides to play in senior competition
• The Nike Milfield Camps and adidas ABC camps that used to take place in the UK
• Being a co-founder of UK Elite and what they were trying to do with it from 2009-11
• Best player he has coached
• The top British player he has played with or against
• And much, much more!

The show has been approved on iTunes – find it here and please subscribe to automatically receive new episodes straight to your phone/computer/tablet – if you could give us a review/rating it would be much appreciated to help the podcast spread far and wide, meanwhile it is also on Spotify here, Overcast, Stitcher, and Google Podcasts.

You can support Hoopsfix’s work in helping to grow British basketball on Patreon.

In episode 75 of the Hoopsfix podcast we sit down with GB starting guard and four year pro Teddy Okereafor.

Currently a free agent, Okereafor is mulling over his opens and seems to be open to a return to the UK to play in the BBL, as we discussed the state of the domestic league along with his career and journey to date.

Having had a successful junior career in England which culminated in an U18 national championship with the Westminster Warriors, Teddy went to the US to Christchurch High School where he won Virginia Prep League Player of the Year and signed with VCU the year after their Final Four run.

Having completed his sophomore year and with minutes still hard to come by, Okereafor made the decision to transfer to Rider – and with it had a fundamental shift in his work ethic, realising if he wanted to play something needed to change.

He went on to have two successful years on the court at Rider (and another one he had to sit out due to NCAA transfer rules), before turning pro in 2016, where he has played in Estonia, Italy and Greece, whilst becoming a core part of the GB senior men’s squad.

In this 1 hour and 20 minute ish episode, hear from Teddy on:

• What he’s been up to during lockdown and how things are looking for him this season
• Whether he had any conversations with London lions ahead of this year
• The prospect of playing in the BBL this season
• Whether he feels British basketball has pushed forward over recent years
• How hard it is finding somewhere to work out and play in London
• How he first picked up a ball through his step father and brother
• Getting cut from the England Under-16s
• Playing for Hackney White Heat but not getting off the bench, and NASSA in a local league
• The forming of the stacked Westminster Warriors team that won the 2010 U18 National Championship
• How the move to the US came about
• The transition on and off the court from the UK to the US
• The recruitment process and choosing VCU
• Why he decided to transfer away from VCU
• The wake up call that got him to change his work ethic for the better
• Having to sit a year out after transferring and then getting back on court with Rider in a much bigger role
• His first call up to the GB Senior Men’s team
• The process of turning pro
• His workout with the Washington Wizards
• Signing with agents over Facebook
• Finding a scenario in Greece that has seen him play 3 seasons there
• The Greek fans
• Standout memories from national team duty
• The current GB Group
• Thoughts around qualifying for EuroBasket
• His favourite GB teammates
• And much, much more!

The show has been approved on iTunes – find it here and please subscribe to automatically receive new episodes straight to your phone/computer/tablet – if you could give us a review/rating it would be much appreciated to help the podcast spread far and wide, meanwhile it is also on Spotify here, Overcast, Stitcher, and Google Podcasts.

You can support Hoopsfix’s work in helping to grow British basketball on Patreon.

For Episode 74 of the Hoopsfix Podcast, we sit down with Great Britain big man, Gabe Olaseni, currently plying his trade in Turkey with Buyukcekmece.

The 6'11" centre is in his sixth year as a pro after a successful college career at Iowa, and has played at the highest levels in Europe, having signed what was reported as one of the biggest rookie contracts in Europe with Euroleague side Bamberg straight out of college, and along with Germany has played in France, Italy, Spain and now Turkey.

Olaseni had a rough start to his pro career; he likes to joke he was fired from his first two pro jobs, but has used the lessons to bounce back and carve himself out a role at the highest tiers of European competition.

In this 90 minutes episode hear from Gabe on:

• When he first realised COVID-19 was going to be a serious thing
• Staying in Turkey for two months believing the postponed season would get started again
• Coming back to London for the summer and working out outside
• How COVID-19 has affected the European basketball market
• Making the decision to sign back in Turkey for a second year
• How COVID-19 has impacted Turkish basketball this season
• His first exposure to basketball and why he started playing
• First playing club basketball with the Eastside Eagles
• Making the decision to not joined a stacked Westminster Warriors U18 squad who would go on to win the title
• Travelling from East to West London to play for Uxbridge Emperors
• The top players of his generation that he was keeping an eye on
• Getting turned down by Barking Abbey
• How the move to the US to Sunrise Christian Academy first came about
• The transition to the US both on and off the court
• How Iowa came across him by accident whilst recruiting his teammate
• His work ethic and the time he was putting in whilst at college
• The standout memories from his time at college
• Dealing with doubts after not playing a lot in his first two years at Iowa
• Learning to embrace a role on a team
• His mentality on turning professional
• NBA draft workouts and NBA summer league
• Why he chose to sign in Europe instead of play in the G-League and pursue the NBA
• His rookie contract and the rumours of him being one of the highest paid rookies in Europe
• Financial management
• His rookie season with Bamberg in the Euroleague and the difficulties
• Playing for Great Britain Senior Men and receiving his first call up
• His breakout tournament at EuroBasket 2017
• How he feels about the current GB group and their chances of qualifying for EuroBasket 2021
• Whether he stays in touch with other GB guys through the season
• Balancing personal production and team performance
• Playing in Germany, Italy, France, Spain, and Turkey and comparing the leagues
• His thoughts on the levels of the BBL
• What the London Lions are doing this season
• Highlights of his career so far
• Toughest moment of his career so far
• Best coach he's played for
• Toughest player he's had to play against
• Best British player he's played against
• Favourite British teammate
• Goals for the next 5 years of his career
• And much, much more!

The show has been approved on iTunes – find it here and please subscribe to automatically receive new episodes straight to your phone/computer/tablet – if you could give us a review/rating it would be much appreciated to help the podcast spread far and wide, meanwhile it is also on Spotify here, Overcast, Stitcher, and Google Podcasts.