Hoopsfix Podcast - British Basketball with Sam Neter

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