Here comes summer, time for GB to ball again

GBs Nate Reinking tries to defend Kobe Bryant. Photo by Mansoor Ahmed Photography.

Both Standard Life GB teams have already qualified for their respective European Basketball Championship finals this summer, and will be preparing with a number of home Test matches, which will now be staged with the support of the BBL.

This decision follows the stunning success of the BBL Cup Final, recently played at the National Indoor Arena in Birmingham, with over 7,500 fans, and before a live TV audience.

GB star Luol Deng.

Both BB and BBL are members of the British Basketball Union (BBU), a commercial partnership of all the basketball sporting organizations in Great Britain, and this announcement is the natural evolution of that development.

BB’s Commercial Director Simon Tuckey said, “We are delighted to be working with the BBL, and believe strongly that we must get on now with the planning for a huge summer for British basketball. We have seen the great progress the BBL has made in recent years in staging high quality events, and it is only right that our sport, under our “Closer to the Action” brand, should work closely together to ensure we give the basketball consumer the best possible experience, while strengthening the commercial position of BB.”

Andy Webb, BBL’s Chief Operating Officer, will be responsible for organizing the home Tests, and said, “The BBL is extremely excited to take on this role in partnership with BB, and we have already started the initial planning for the summer home games for the Standard Life GB men and women. We strongly believe that by planning now we can ensure the events are a commercial success, and that also helps in turn to ensure the teams are as well prepared as possible.”

BB and BBL expect to announce details of the pre-European Championship Test games in Great Britain in the next few weeks.

For more info contact:
Andy Webb
BBL – Chief Operating Officer
Email – andy.webb@bbl.org.uk
Tel – 0116 2681341 x 112

Sarah Jenkins
British Basketball – Communications
Email – sarah.jenkins@fasttrackagency.com
Tel – 07766 366351