For Episode 121 of the Hoopsfix podcast we got sit down with San Antonio Spurs' Jeremy Sochan while he was back in London for a week. Having just completed his third year in the NBA, and fresh off a trip to the Philippines, Jeremy shares his experiences and reflections on his journey from being drafted three years ago to becoming a certified NBA professional. He discusses the challenges of adapting to various roles in the team, the mental health struggles that come with the NBA lifestyle, and th...
May 30, 2025•1 hr 1 min•Ep. 121
For episode 120 of the Hoopsfix Podcast we sit down with legends of the game David Last and Terry Doherty, the masterminds behind Crystal Palace basketball club. Crystal Palace, one of the most successful clubs in the UK through the 1970's and 80's, were known for being one of the first programs to have a fully integrated pathway from juniors through to seniors, being responsible for a number of top English talents. In this long-form conversation we go into the history of the club, and also the ...
Apr 27, 2025•1 hr 49 min•Ep. 120
For episode 119 of the Hoopsfix Podcast we sit down with Reading Rockets CEO Matt Johnson. Johnson shares the journey of the Reading Rockets, a basketball club founded in 1997, emphasising the importance of youth engagement and community impact. He discusses the current scope of the club, its legal structures, and the challenges faced in the British basketball landscape, while highlighting the need for more participation in basketball, the significance of youth development, and the philosophy be...
Mar 11, 2025•1 hr 4 min•Ep. 119
Emergency pod! With the shock news that the British Basketball Federation (BBF) has granted preferred bidder status to an investment group led by Marshall Glickman , going into an exclusive negotiating period for the professional league operating license, we got BBF Chair Chris Grant on the pod to discuss his and the BBF’s position. It was widely expected that Super League Basketball (SLB) would be the ones to get the preferred bidder status but they did not submit a tender, citing unreasonable ...
Jan 30, 2025•41 min•Ep. 118
For episode 117 of the Hoopsfix Podcast, we sit down with Super League Basketball (SLB) interim Chair and Sheffield Sharks and Hatters new owner Vaughn Millette. Vaughn discussed his journey into British basketball, his role as interim chair of the league, and the challenges faced in revitalising the sport after a tumultuous summer. He shared insights on the business dynamics of the league, the importance of community engagement, and the need for financial stability. Vaughn emphasised the signif...
Sep 25, 2024•48 min•Ep. 117
In episode 115 of the Hoopsfix Podcast, we sit down with Pete Taylor (Chair) and Josh Merrington (GM) of the Milton Keynes Breakers basketball club. Over the past seven years, Breakers have gone from 40 kids to over a 1000, while adding a Senior National League side that has got promoted every year and will be in Division 1 next season. Not only that, but they've built a large fan base - with over 400 travelling to the National Cup Finals in January - and a thriving business, set to turnover mor...
Apr 07, 2024•1 hr 4 min•Ep. 116
For episode 115 of the Hoopsfix Podcast, we sit down with Sevenoaks Suns coach and owner Len Busch. The Suns, one of the most successful WBBL franchises and at the forefront of youth female basketball development pulled out of the top-flight this off-season due to ‘untenable’ costs. In this hour long episode we go in depth with Len on the behind the scenes running of the club, and why financially it did not make sense for the Suns to continue....
Nov 17, 2023•1 hr 4 min•Ep. 115
For episode 114 of the Hoopsfix Podcast, we sit down with Caledonia Gladiators owner Steve Timoney. Timoney and his wife Alison – who also own the Gladiators’ WBBL franchise – took over the BBL club just before the start of this season and are self financing the project they consider to be part of their legacy. With a net worth estimated at anywhere between £60 million and £100 million they have lofty ambitions for the club which include a £20million facility project, announced last month . In t...
Apr 03, 2023•1 hr 6 min•Ep. 114
For episode 113 of the Hoopsfix Podcast we sit down with new Chair of the British Basketball Federation (BBF), Chris Grant. Having been announced in September and officially starting the role in November, Grant joined the organisation following a tumultuous summer for the Great Britain national team programmes, underscored by the men’s disastrous showing at EuroBasket . In this little over an hour podcast, we discuss why he took on the role, what the challenges are, and what he is trying to do t...
Mar 18, 2023•1 hr 19 min•Ep. 113
For episode 112 of the Hoopsfix Podcast, we sit down with recently named CEO of the BBL, Aaron Radin . Announced last week as the new face and boss of the league, the American joins the league after a 30-year professional career where he has held senior level positions at a multitude of sports, media and tech organisations such as the NBA, The Walt Disney Company, NBCUniversal and most recently, Meta. He joins the league almost exactly a year since 777 Partners announced a £7million investment i...
Dec 12, 2022•1 hr 9 min•Ep. 112
For Episode 111 of the Hoopsfix Podcast, we sit down with Princeton Tiger and unanimous Ivy League Player of the Year , Tosan Evbuomwan. The 21 year old out of Newcastle is fresh off a breakout season with Princeton, and is coming to London next week for the London Basketball Classic to play in front of a home crowd with his college team. The former GB U18 and Hoopsfix All-Star Classic alumnus ended regular season play last season as the Ivy League leader in assists per game (5.0), and assist/tu...
Nov 17, 2022•50 min•Ep. 111
For Episode 110 of the Hoopsfix Podcast, we sit down with GB all-time great Dan Clark, who announces his retirement from playing professional basketball. The London 2012 Olympian, whose final season has ended up being his only one playing domestically - with the Manchester Giants in the BBL - is fresh off becoming GB men’s all-time caps leader during their recent EuroBasket campaign last month, adding to his all-time points, rebounding and blocked shots leader titles. The first British player to...
Oct 03, 2022•1 hr 17 min•Ep. 110
For episode 109 of the Hoopsfix Podcast, we do a special with British basketball legend Jo Leedham-Warner, who has announced her retirement from playing professional basketball. An 11-year career that reads like a fairytale, Leedham-Warner is coming off an undefeated season in the WBBL where she was named MVP after returning to play following giving birth. A London 2012 Olympian, EuroCup champion, WNBA draft pick and the NCAA Division 2 all-time leading scorer to name a few, Jo will go down as o...
Jun 22, 2022•58 min•Ep. 109
With less than 2 weeks until the NBA draft, we sit down with projected lottery pick Jeremy Sochan to discuss how his preparation is going and ask him questions submitted from the fans via our Instagram page. Sochan is set to become the first Brit drafted since Ryan Richards in 2010, and only the second to go in the lottery, following on from Luol Deng. The former MK Trojan and Solent Kestrel left the UK at 16 to attend La Lumiere High School before returning to Europe to play in Germany at Orang...
Jun 09, 2022•19 min•Ep. 108
For episode 107 of the Hoopsfix Podcast, we sit down with Lenz Balan, Vice President of 777 Partners and new owners of the BBL and London Lions. Following on from the announcement that 777 have invested £7million into the BBL for a 45% stake (though their ownership of the Lions takes it to 50%), we thought it was necessary to get a look into who is behind the scenes at 777, find out their reasons for investing into British basketball and what their plans are for the league. In this hour and a ha...
Feb 13, 2022•1 hr 28 min•Ep. 107
For Episode 106 of the Hoopsfix Podcast we sit down with Jon May and Tom Bennett from the Malvern Hoops campaign, who have recently transformed their local basketball courts. The five year campaign came to an end in August, after the brand new courts at Victoria Park, in Malvern, Worcestershire, were officially opened. Not purely aesthetic, the courts have been resurfaced with new hoops installed, completed with spring loaded rims and fibreglass backboards. In this hour long podcast, we go into ...
Sep 30, 2021•1 hr 7 min•Ep. 106
For episode 105 of the Hoopsfix podcast, we sit down with England international and nine year pro, Joe Ikhinmwin. In this two hour bumper episode, the former London Lions captain exclusively reveals he is retiring from basketball, with a smooth transition to The Cyber Nerds, the business he set up with three friends to review movies, comics and games which has become a huge success. Starting his basketball career as a 14 year old at East London Royals, he moved on to Barking Abbey basketball aca...
Aug 19, 2021•2 hr 9 min•Ep. 105
For episode 104 of the Hoopsfix Podcast we sit down with Jay Marriott, CEO of Gloucester Sport, responsible for new WBBL franchise Gloucester Queens and potential BBL franchise Gloucester Kings. A former pro player and Head Coach of the Plymouth Raiders, Marriott was brought in by long-term friend Alex Petheram - 100% owner of the new Gloucester operation - to oversee and manage the basketball side of things, including the WBBL franchise that was recently accepted for this coming season, and a p...
Aug 12, 2021•1 hr 13 min•Ep. 104
For episode 103 of the Hoopsfix Podcast, we sit down with former England senior international and BBL pro, Jason Swaine. Swaine, known to be one of the great all-time shooters, picked up 24 caps for England, is a three-time BBL title winner and 12-time National League Division 1 title champion. Starting his professional career with the Sheffield Sharks, he led the BBL in 3-point percentage in his second year, and also played for Chester Jets and Manchester Giants. Eventually signing with Teeside...
May 20, 2021•1 hr 21 min•Ep. 103
For episode 102 of the Hoopsfix Podcast, we sit down with Warwick Cann, the former Performance Pathways Co-ordinator and National Teams Director for GB and Basketball England. Warwick, an Australian, was hired in 2009, and had a number of different roles through to 2016 focused around performance pathways and the national teams, as he sat between both the BBF and BE. In this little over an hour conversation, we look back on his time in the UK with basketball, what the issues were, and what we ca...
May 13, 2021•1 hr 10 min•Ep. 102
For episode 101 of the Hoopsfix Podcast we sit down with British coaching trailblazer Tim Lewis. Lewis, who most recently was an advanced scout for the Toronto Raptors, left the UK in 2006 to pursue his coaching dream, starting at CBA in Spain, before returning to set up Essex Pirates in the BBL as a pathway for young British talent. A former junior and senior national team player who went on D1 scholarship to the University of New Hampshire, Lewis has coached at European Championships, Commonwe...
May 06, 2021•1 hr 29 min•Ep. 101
For Episode 100 of the Hoopsfix podcast, we do a deep dive into the London 2012 Olympic legacy, interviewing 8 different people who were in and around the British basketball programme. We wanted to do something a little bit different for hitting the century mark and after a suggestion on Twitter from @auld_jethart to look at the Olympic legacy, we jumped on it. There were plans to interview a lot more people - but already reaching just short of 3 hours, we figured release this is as a part one w...
Apr 29, 2021•2 hr 45 min•Ep. 100
For Episode 99 of the Hoopsfix Podcast, we sit down with British coaching legend John Collins. Collins, awarded an MBE in 2009 for his services to basketball, has been coaching for over six decades and done it at every level. He was at the helm of Sutton for the first ever National League game, and again when they became the first ever English team to win a game in Europe, coached both the England and Great Britain Senior Women, where he qualified England for the European Championships, was at t...
Apr 11, 2021•1 hr 23 min•Ep. 99
For Episode 98 of the Hoopsfix Podcast we sit down with Solent Kestrels forward and England and GB Senior international Orlan Jackman. Originally out of Hackney, Jackman started out with the Hackney White Heat before heading to the US to prep school in California. Unable to get the NCAA Division 1 offer he was looking for, he returned to the UK for a season playing for Manchester Magic under Jeff Jones in NBL D1, before heading back to the US to JUCO. He attended Seminole State College - with cu...
Apr 01, 2021•1 hr 36 min•Ep. 98
For Episode 97 of the Hoopsfix Podcast we sit down with 3-year pro and Ireland Senior international Taiwo Badmus. Badmus did not start playing until he was 16 years old, under the legendary Mike Cartey in South London, before attending Hackney Community College. After struggling to get to the US, and enrolling at the University of West London, Badmus exploded onto the scene in the summer of 2014 with a strong showing at Midnight Madness, eventually leading to a scholarship to Fairmont State, one...
Mar 26, 2021•1 hr 16 min•Ep. 97
For Episode 96 of the Hoopsfix Podcast, we sit down with Toyotsu Fighting Eagles Nagoya big man, Ben Lawson. The 7’1″ centre originally out of Oaklands College, turned pro in 2017-18 after a four year career at NCAA Division 1 school Western Kentucky University where he finished up as their fourth all-time blocked shots leader, starting his career in Cyprus before making the switch to Japan in 2018-19 where he has remained since. A former England Under-18 and GB Under-20, Lawson played for the M...
Mar 04, 2021•1 hr 24 min•Ep. 96
For Episode 95 of the Hoopsfix Podcast we sit down with GB Senior Men's Acting Head Coach Marc Steutel, who has just led the team to EuroBasket 2022 qualification . An assistant with the squad since 2018, Steutel was given the reins of the team for the February 2020 window when the British Basketball Federation became aware Nate Reinking would be unavailable due to his commitments with the Canton Charge. Since then, he has taken the helm through all three windows across the past 12 months, going...
Feb 25, 2021•1 hr 18 min•Ep. 95
For Episode 94 of the Hoopsfix podcast, we sit down with St Benedicts prep wing and Cal commit, Sam Alajiki. Alajiki left the UK in January of 2020, where he had started the season with Barking Abbey having initially been developed by Kent Crusaders, to attend Beckley Prep in Virginia. After a half season there – which was cancelled due to COVID – he made the switch to St Benedicts in New Jersey, but not before committing to PAC-12 side Cal , becoming the third British-developed player in the Cl...
Feb 18, 2021•1 hr 11 min•Ep. 94
For Episode 93 of the Hoopsfix Podcast, we sit down with Commissioner of the Australian NBL, Jeremy Loeliger. Loeliger has overseen an unprecedented growth period of the NBL across the past 5 years, as the league has gone from on the verge of bankruptcy to one of the most prominent leagues globally with arguably the closest product as a game day experience to the NBA. Click here to enter your details and be notified when we release our in depth case study. In 2015, multi-millionaire Larry Kestle...
Feb 11, 2021•1 hr 1 min•Ep. 93
For Episode 92 we sit down with Chris Mayes, Technical Director of BC Triple Threat in Haarlem in Holland. Mayes, who grew up on the South East coast near Worthing, started out playing before turning his eye to coaching between Worthing and Solent Kestrels under the tutelage of the legendary Jimmy Guymon Whilst trying to build his experience at a camp in the US, he was told he would need a degree to be able to permanently relocate across the channel so returned to the UK to take an assistant rol...
Feb 04, 2021•1 hr 37 min•Ep. 92
