Author: Joe Whitehead
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Becoming the Manchester They Want to Be
Manchester Basketball began this summer with a plan that reached beyond domestic competition. Their intended entry into the Basketball Champions League was blocked when the British Basketball Federation refused to issue the required International Letter of Clearance — seemingly ending the chance to test themselves in Europe before it began. But they didn’t change course.…
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Pat Robinson’s One Thing
Before the season, Cheshire’s guard hierarchy looked set. LaQuincy Rideau was back — returning after a season away, a homecoming for the leader of the Cheshire team that had pushed the 777-era Lions two years earlier. Pat Robinson was meant to play off him. But within weeks, that balance has shifted. Rideau’s minutes have dipped,…
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Nedas Cholevinskas Chose to Stay
At 19, Nedas Cholevinskas logged 633 minutes in Super League Basketball last season. No other under-21 came close. Only one other player even broke 300 minutes, and most barely cracked double digits. Three of the league’s top five under-21s for playing time were 89ers — Cholevinskas, Di-Jani Parkinson, and Timothy Nwanko. Player Team Minutes Played…
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Kevin Allen Is the Structure
Some players give you structure. Kevin Allen is the structure. Four games into the season, Caledonia are learning how to make that work. Allen’s arrival has defined their offence — first as a seductive answer to their scoring needs, then as a challenge to fit him in, and now as something they might be able…
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What To Do With the London Lions?
Note: This article has been updated to clarify that the spending thresholds refer to net player pay, and to include the approximate gross pay figures given in the SLB operating rules. The London Lions have built a team that fits neither competition. In the SLB they’re steady; in EuroCup they’re struggling to stay afloat. The…
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Talent Is Everywhere, Opportunity Isn’t
British basketball has no problem getting kids onto the court. Sport England’s Active Lives Children and Young People survey shows basketball is the second most-played team sport among children, helped by outdoor courts — varied in quality but found nationwide — that make it easy to pick up a ball and play. The challenge comes…
