'Next Lebron James could be an equestrian' - CEO on British Basketball challenges following All-Stars triumph

“You guys could have the next Lebron James in this country right now,” states the British Basketball League CEO Aaron Radin. “But based on the way (the UK) funds sports, he’s going to be riding a horse. That sucks for Basketball and sucks for the horse!”

Thus was Radin's closing words to the media before an action-packed day kicked off with the first ever Women’s All-Stars match taking place in the BBL as well as the return of the men’s clash following a decade-long hiatus - a slamming indictment on how the Government has chosen to splash it’s cash with the new CEO also noting that Equestrian receives five times the amount of funding than Basketball does in this country. 

However, this day was not to be centred on purely the challenges facing the rise of British Basketball and the ‘wildly under-monetised aspects of European basketball, but celebrating its achievements and highlighting the stark increase in interest in the BBL from, not just the UK, but across the world. 

The day was set to include not just the two exhibition fixtures, including superstars of the British game such as Georgia Anderson and Shanice Beckford-Norton, but a three-point competition, a slam-dunk battle and a half-time performance by Amaria BB. 

In the spirit of full disclosure, this was to be my first foray into the world of British Basketball and it certainly did not disappoint. Not only was I able to witness "HERstory" with the twenty female stars participating in the league’s first-ever women’s All-Star game, but the day provided a window into the growing interest of the sport this side of the pond. 

The Women’s game, a well-fought battle, ended 99-81 in favour of the South Roster with Temi Fagbenle captaining her side to the win; ending the day as top points-scorer and taking home the MVP trophy. 

As for the men’s, it certainly emulated the NBA All-Star’s game more with Padiet Wang scoring from the halfway line thus starting a full minute of halfway line attempts from both team’s with the game offering little in the way of defensive efforts. 

The match would end 149-116 to the South All-Stars with captain Teddy Allen scoring 31 points and winning the MVP award. 

The sport’s cultural differences, however, were not to be ignored with an All-Star dance crew leading the teams out and providing regular entertainment offerings throughout the day as well as time-out breaks being filled with kiss-cams and dance-cams. 

It must be said that the above was all met with somewhat muted enthusiasm by the British crowd with the East end of London feeling worlds away from what would be a far more receptive crowd at New York’s Madison Gardens. Contrary to what one might expect at Anfield, Emirates of Twickenham for example, the on-court action felt somewhat secondary to the arguably American-ised gimmicks of the day. 

According to the CEO, “if you’re going to a football match there really is no entertainment that occurs.The most iconic stadium in the country (Old Trafford) doesn’t even have a video board.” 

Clearly Radin is yet to meet the mighty Gunnersaurus; Pete the Eagle from Crystal Palace or Manchester United's Fred the Red, but one might have thought the 90 minutes of sport should be enough to keep one’s mind occupied. Clearly not the case when it comes to Basketball. 

Basketball is an “entertainment business and product,” according to Radin who wishes to showcase the storylines behind the fixtures as well as any on-court action. 

The BBL is in a period of extensive growth and Radin spoke of this year as the time for “trying to get a foundation (in terms of) a) going to expand our fanbase and b) in order that we can have a sustainable growing business. 

“When I say foundation, product is everything. We are an entertainment business. The manner in which our product is delivered to consumers, whether that’s in the stadium or through social media, those are all critical aspects. So we’ve put an enormous focus on content. We are a content business.”

The All-Stars game was just one area of how the league can exhibit this growth but with the NBA recording a 2023 revenue of $10 billion and the BBL reportedly seeing a revenue of $6.9 million, it’s evident there is still a way to go - a sentiment not lost on Radin who admits that the “economic structure is challenging. Basketball in Europe is wildly under-monetised relative to its fandom and relative to any other sport. The fandom in Europe is insane but it’s not really conveyed in the coverage.”

However, thanks to the  ‘foundations’ Radin put in place, the CEO believes it may not be long before we can consider teams, such as the London Lions, whose women’s team is now the first British basketball team, men or women’s, to compete in a EuroCup finals, as one of the preeminent teams of half-preeminent teams across Europe on a regular basis. 

“The level required to get there”, Radin noted “and the fact that we got there that quickly is impressive and encouraging.”

So while it may be sometime before the audiences of the British Basketball League fully embrace responding to the potential embarrassments of a dance-cam or kiss-cam, the continued evolution of the sport in this country is an unavoidable and unmissable phenomenon. 

Let’s not forget - we could well be the compatriots of the next Lebron James.