
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.

The opening night of the second season of the SLB was meant to be about the basketball. Six teams took the floor with refreshed rosters and a summer of preparation, eager to prove the league was more than an improvised debut. Instead, it arrived in the shadow of refereeing uncertainty and FIBA intervention. When the