Hoopsfix Podcast - British Basketball with Sam Neter Sam Neter: British Basketball Advocate, Blogger & Thinker

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 more than £500,000 this year.
Timestamps:
Timestamps:00:00 Intro02:06 Introduction and Background02:42 History of the Club06:34 Impact of COVID-1908:50 Expanding the Club and Community Support11:15 Promoting the Club and Building Relationships14:51 Developing Talent and Player Pathway25:30 Retaining Players and Life After Basketball32:43 Payment Structure and Off-Court Development33:00 Club Budget and Financial Prudence36:44 Generating Revenue and Managing Costs41:30 Grant Funding and Sponsorship46:30 Importance of Digital Presence52:07 Future Growth and Expansion57:05 Facility Development and Expansion59:56 Potential for BBL and WBBL Franchise

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.

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 this hour long episode we speak to Steve about his business background, how he got involved with basketball, and his plans for the franchise which they are aiming to be a powerhouse in British basketball for years to come.
Timestamps:
00:00 Intro02:42 Interview start03:03 How he first got involved with basketball09:06 Steve’s business background12:41 If you want to turn a large fortune into a small fortune buy a sports team16:41 The low hanging fruit to make the business work when Steve took over24:26 Spending £20million on a 6000 seat arena and 5 court training facility31:26 How the £20million is being financed for the facility33:31 How to get a return on the £20million investment36:47 Interactions with 777 and other franchises44:11 We want to be the second biggest league in the world outside of the NBA48:00 The challenges with getting the mainstream media to cover basketball52:53 Building out the front office of the Caledonia Gladiators and the necessary head count56:16 How much Steve is involved operationally at the moment57:46 Can Scotland support another professional basketball franchise?

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 to change the future of the BBF.
Timestamps:
00:00 Intro02:45 Interview start03:05 How Chris came across the role and what made him want to take it on03:56 His previous experience and knowledge of basketball06:36 What his perception was of British basketball before getting involved11:12 What are the specific issues that have held the BBF back over the years16:53 The medals debate with regards to individual vs team sports21:18 What Chris is going to do differently to try to unify the sport, and whether or not we should give up on the idea of a BBF with the Home Country Associations29:58 Whether the option for the BBF to disband is completely off the table32:33 Why he hasn’t done any interviews since taking the role42:46 What commitment UK Sport has made to the programme moving forward47:20 The terms of the UK Sport funding50:41 The disastrous men’s EuroBasket campaign last summer57:05 What the ideal process would be for accountability of the board1:05:33 777’s interest in the national teams1:08:04 Whether he could see 777 investing in the national team programme1:09:23 Wether the increased investment in the league will mean the licence fee paid to the BBF will increase1:11:29 How much it costs to run the BBF every year1:14:46 Whether the men will be entered into the FIBA Pre-Olympic Qualifying Tournaments this year

For episode 112 of the Hoopsfix Podcast, we sit down with recently named CEO of the BBL, Aaron Radin.

For Episode 111 of the Hoopsfix Podcast, we sit down with Princeton Tiger and unanimous Ivy League Player of the Year, Tosan Evbuomwan.