
Every team has a fifth option. The player defences are happy to leave alone, the one who is not meant to swing games. For Manchester, that role belonged to Zak Irvin — measured, selective and quietly essential. Before his injury at the start of November, Manchester asked a lot of him. Only Max Jones had

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.

A new team, an old city, and a crowd that hasn’t quite arrived yet. That’s Manchester Basketball’s debut SLB season. After the Giants disappeared, a new club was rushed into being—launched just in time for the season, with a roster built on potential rather than fit, and a name that felt more like a placeholder

When Manchester Basketball appointed Herman Mandole at the end of February, they weren’t just changing coaches—they were searching for clarity. Up to that point, they’d been a team of interesting parts without a clear idea of how to fit them together. Now, two months later, they’ve found something they lacked all season—an identity. This isn’t