Steve Bucknall joins Basketball England’s Board

Basketball England has appointed three elected Board Member’s to further strengthen the Board and guide the National Governing Body to the next stage of its evolution to further build and profile the game with the basketball community.

Former NBA player and most successful England Youth Coach Steve Bucknall and referee John Wells were appointed as new Directors of the Board along with Nicky Shaw who was reappointed for a three-year term.

Steve was the first Englishman to play in the NBA and has a wealth of knowledge and experience as a player, coach and administrator in basketball that can only be matched by a few others in this country.

Having started playing as a Junior at Crystal Palace Basketball Club, he moved to Governor Dummer High School in the USA, followed by achieving a degree while playing at University of North Carolina. He was drafted by LA Lakers which saw him become the first Englishman to play in the NBA. His professional playing career continued in Europe and England.

He was England School Boys Captain, GB Men’s Captain, England Captain and 2006 Commonwealth Bronze medallist. As a coach he has been able to impart this experience when coaching England U18 men, taking them to Division A in 2012 and earning 9th place in 2013.

In his role as Basketball Development Officer for Lewisham, he coached in schools, developing a coordinated vision for basketball. He has also developed and leads a team of people who run London Thunder Basketball Club, which has grown from 6 junior players in a sports hall, to a club that has created its own venue (which it has to manage) while running 8 teams from U12’s to Division 1 wheelchair.

Steve Bucknall commented “I’ve administrated a club, coached national teams, I’ve always tried to serve the sport and the next step for me is to be in a place where I can have some influence. I want to make the difference and push the sport forward and reach its potential. I’ve been at the coalface of the game at every level and I know how it works from every level, club through to the NBA and I am now hoping to put my time back into our sport.”

Steve has a passion for basketball and a clear vision as to how to make things happen to improve and grow the sport he has dedicated his life to. Development (in all areas) is the most important factor for him. He is able to bring current knowledge of both grass roots and elite basketball to developing policy, strategy and procedures. Monitoring and evaluating events and achievements, from a range of perspectives, enables him to make decisions for the long term picture with basketball as part of the wider society.

John Wells, a highly experienced National League referee, referee mentor and trainer was also appointed to the board of directors.
John Wells commented “I have the time, knowledge and drive to help move our sport forward. I truly believe there is a place for everyone in the sport of Basketball and will champion this inclusiveness in the sport whenever possible. I believe I have much to offer the sport of Basketball moving forward and I possess the drive and interest to be an effective Director.

Chair of the South East Region Basketball Association and Chair of Basketball-Sussex Nicky Shaw was also re-elected to the Board of Directors.
Nicky added “I have enjoyed my term of office and am excited continue to help the Board build a better basketball community. I feel I still have a lot to offer especially promoting and supporting grass roots basketball and recognising all the volunteers in our sport. My passion, drive and commitment are seeing this develop further and grow from strength to strength.”

“We had five great candidates nominated for the Board election this year. We are really excited that Steve, John and Nicky were elected to join the Basketball England team as members of the Basketball England Board,” said Chief Executive Officer Stewart Kellett. “Basketball England holds a prominent place in serving our members and in influencing the game. The new directors are joining us at a time where we are currently engaging with our members and stakeholders much more and responding with new and improved services to create lasting growth and success in the game. A crucial part of this transformation is to listen more, interpret the needs of everyone in the game, and deliver a change for the better. Our new Board members will add to the skills and experience of the Board. This will enable us to make the best decisions for the sport, attract new people to the game and support current players, members and key partners to get the most from the game.”