The basketballscotland staff team are all deeply saddened by the sudden and tragic loss of our good friend and colleague, Stevie Duff, 44, who passed away on Tuesday 29th May 2012. Stevie has made an overwhelming contribution to the Scottish basketball community for many years, with many notable achievements, just some of which are listed in the brief synopsis below.

In the wheelchair basketball, Simon Munn top-scored with 16 for Great Britain in a game that could have gone either way. The joint-team leader, who will this summer compete in his sixth Paralympic Games, led ably from the front, but ultimately USA, inspired by top-scorer Jason Nelms with 17 points, were simply too good.

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Tickets for the BT Paralympic World Cup in Manchester, 22-26 May, today went on general sale. This year’s event will fire the starting gun for a fantastic summer of Paralympic sport and provide an opportunity for people to see the world’s best international athletes in action.

I can’t honestly say when it was that I first heard of Luther VANDROSS, but I do know that I loved his voice as soon as I heard it.

Well after a few weekends of a huge numbers of games, this weekend was going to be a quiet basketball one for me, just 2 games. Game 1 would see the BBL Cup winning Sheffield Sharks entertaining the Essex Pirates in their first game since their exploits at the NIA Birmingham. A full house was at hand at the EISS Sheffield to welcome the team and the Cup.

Pete Jacques is a legend of the British game who was renound for his love of basketball. He wrote a fanzine called Pawprint and that was followed by the Pawprint website which covered the British game at all levels. After his death in 2010 a memorial game was arranged in his honour. The number of BBL & EB stars who turned out was testament to the popularity of Pete Jacques.

2010 saw the first Rafters Revival taking place at the fabulously refurbished Band on the Wall in Manchester. Rafters was one of Manchester's most influential venues which stopped playing black music a number of years ago. For this event promoter Iamgeorgepowell had bought together three of the original Rafters DJ's...Colin Curtis, Hewan Clarke and me Mike Shaft. Luckily I took my camera with me.

This week Head Coach Chris FINCH will lead his Great Britain team in two of their biggest games EVER. They are both against Switzerland. I wanted to write an article about Chris whom I have known for years. In fact I can remember him in his playing days.

I have to tell you that when I heard the news that Pete was seriously ill I was absolutely devastated. Pete is someone who you thought would always be there. This was my presentation at the funeral of my friend Pete Jacques on the 28 April 2010.