Author: Joe Whitehead
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Harder to Ignore
The SLB started the season unrecognised, in dispute with its governing body, missing the referees from the previous season, and with a FIBA taskforce hanging over the sport. However fragile it all felt, the ball still went up in the air. Room for Ambition The SLB Operating Rules were published at the start of the…
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How a Dynasty Starts
In the second season of Tesonet’s ownership, London Lions completed the first quadruple in franchise history. Two years after the club needed rescuing, they won everything. The league, the Trophy, the Cup, and the Play-offs. Under a first-year head coach, with a defensive identity no one else in the league could match, London returned to…
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Leaning All the Way In
Pat Robinson dribbled towards the paint before kicking the ball out to Skyler White at the top of the arc. Owen McCormack saw the danger and closed out hard to stop the three. White took one dribble to his left as McCormack flew past him, then shot. The ball dropped, as it had 258 times…
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Close Enough to Hurt
A year ago, Manchester looked like a good team in search of a club. This season, the investment, the European push and Kaiyem Cleary’s return made it easier to see what Manchester were trying to be. Manchester reached the SLB Cup Final and the ENBL final in the same season. The team was good enough…
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How Many Rabbits Can Be Pulled Out of a Hat?
Last season, Leicester looked settled, with a clear core and defined roles. This season, Leicester kept having to become something else, until the question became how many times a team can be pulled apart and still find a way to compete. Before It Started In The SLB Show’s Leicester season preview, Johnny O’Neil already sounded…
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Together, Sometimes
One Tuesday in March, the Newcastle Eagles invited season ticket holders to the Vertu Motors Arena to discuss the club’s future. Owner Paul Blake, men’s head coach Marc Steutel, women’s player-coach Chloe Gaynor and men’s player Mitch Clarke made up a panel, giving supporters direct access to the people leading the club. Eagles All In…
