The British side aim to reach giddy heights on the court and to promote basketball in the United Kingdom, says the club’s GM Brett Burman
London Lions are on a mission to build a lasting legacy
Article
6 Mins read
Great Britain is seldom associated with basketball, as more traditional sports in that part of the world such as soccer, rugby and cricket have the undivided attention of the vast majority of fans. The London Lions, a franchise which was founded under a different guise in 1977 and moved between Hemel Hempstead, Watford and Milton Keynes before returning to England's capital and becoming the 'London Lions' in 2012, is fast becoming a top-level basketball trailblazer in the United Kingdom thanks to rapid success in the BKT EuroCup over the past two years.
The Lions reached the eighthfinals in their first season in the competition last year and have become this term’s surprise package as they romped into the EuroCup’s last four. Brett Burman, the club’s general manager, takes pride in the fact that the team’s roster is packed with British talent, emphasizing the importance of the club’s effort to help expand the local basketball picture.
“One of the cores when we were putting the team together was to captivate a London basketball community and at the same time craft together a team that can be competitive,” Burman, a native of Miami, Florida, and a former basketball coach, tells euroleague.net in an exclusive interview.
The big stage has brought out London's best
Speaking ahead of Game 1 of London's EuroCup best-of-three semifinal series against Paris Basketball, Burman emphasized that a number of tried-and-tested British players plying their trade across Europe were drawn to the club’s program by an exciting and challenging first year on the big stage.
“Starting from last year, we’ve had guys like Tarik Phillip, Josh Sharma, Luke Nelson, Mo Soluade, Kareem Queeley, with the emphasis being to build a pillar that will represent the team not just on the European stage but also on the domestic stage as well,” Burman says. “This year we added Gabe Olaseni and Conor Morgan, who both saw what was happening last year and wanted to be a part of it. Last year was the infancy stage with a lot of people asking questions, like what the team was going to be about and how competitive it was going to be.
“It all steamrolled into this season, with British players who showcased their potential across Europe realizing that this is the place to be. Their arrival has given us huge momentum in building this organization on and off the court.”
With some quality American performers helping carry the team, namely Sam Dekker, David Nwaba, Matt Morgan, Donte Grantham and Jordan Taylor, the current season saw the Lions raise the bar after the arrival of Serbian head coach Petar Bozic, who has set new standards and guided the team to an unprecedented level in European competition.
The Lions became the first British club to reach the semifinals in European competition and Burman stressed how vital Bozic’s role has been in that impressive run.
Bozic has molded an unselfish squad
“Coach Bozic has been huge for us,” Burman states. “We’ve had tons of changes this season in terms of starting lineups as well as players in and out of the roster due to injuries. He’s made the players realize that their roles are going to evolve over the course of the season because of the situational needs and everyone has embraced that.
“We’ve now got a lot of versatility and adjustment, which is where the coach has been phenomenal. The guys are playing for each other because they care about each other. He’s all in and the players can see that – it’s a huge credit to him and his staff.”
Olaseni, a versatile center who is a handful for the opposition at both ends of the court, has been particularly impressive by averaging 15.8 points and 7.6 rebounds per game with an index rating of 20.8, prompting Burman to predict that the 32-year-old should be ranked among the EuroCup’s top performers come the end of the season.
“Gabe has had a huge impact and his numbers tell a story,” Burman highlights. “Gabe is productive and he’s established himself as a guy who makes winning plays. He brings a silent form of leadership every single day and I am sure he will be named in the All-EuroCup First or Second Team this season.”
Lions and the Copper Box are a perfect match
The Lions have benefited from a fabulous atmosphere in their Copper Box Arena, where capacity crowds have turned up regularly to support the team in the EuroCup. A growing contingent of local fans have continuously mingled happily with rival supporters, and Burman is confident another sellout crowd will turn up for Friday’s Game 2 against Paris. The French team, which finished head and shoulders above its rivals in the regular season with a 17-1 record, prevailed 99-86 on its home court in Game 1 after the Lions had made the brighter start.
“The fans have done a great job this year,” Burman says. “We are an environment based on an entertainment model, with people coming to our games knowing that they are going to have a good time. Good music, good vibes and they see what we are doing on the court, too.
“It’s almost assured we’re going to have a sellout crowd on Friday and the atmosphere is going to be electrifying. It’s not just traditional basketball fans we are trying to entice, but the entire sports community, too, as there are people coming to a game for the first time. That’s the objective – to bring new fans every single time, people who have never been to a basketball game before.”
Grassroots mindset is the key
Burman acknowledged a consistent run of success in European competition as well as on the domestic stage, with reigning champion London atop the British Basketball League standings on a 29-3 record, was instrumental in the club’s effort to achieve the primary objective of putting basketball firmly on the map of valued sports in the United Kingdom.
“Our priority is to grow the game here in London and the United Kingdom,” Burman explains. “The number one goal is to entice kids who will want to become the next Luke Nelson or Gabe Olaseni when they turn on the television to watch a Lions game.
“We want to make basketball accessible in the UK and from a basketball standpoint, it is also critical to have a successful club because we’re in the infancy stage of what we are trying to achieve. We’re in our second year in the EuroCup and we want to build a program which guys will want to play for. It’s huge for us to show that there is a path.”