Mark Woods presents your regular British basketball podcast, covering the game in the UK and elsewhere, brought to you by the folks at MVP247.com.
In the latest edition of the MVP Cast, we talk to Chris Harris about his place in history as the first Brit to ever play in the NBA, life in the league as it was in the 1950s, his friendship with Chuck Cooper and living through racial segregation in America, and why he gave it all up for the love of a good woman. More info at MVP247.com - Sponsored by Total Environmental Compliance @ tecompliance.co.uk
In this edition of the MVP Cast, we talk to Pat Burke about the significance of being the first and only Irishman to make the NBA, the difference with even the biggest clubs in European basketball and his journey between the two sides of the Atlantic, the power dynamic between stars like Michael Jordan and the role players on their teams, the curious disappointment of being part of the Phoenix Suns' Seven Seconds or Less squad and the mentality of NBAers as the league plots an abnormal return to action.
Sponsored by Total Environmental Compliance – check them out at tecompliance.co.uk.
In the latest edition of the MVP Cast, we talk to legendary Scotland and Great Britain international Bobby Archibald about his storied playing career, the Auld Enemy hoops rivalry, his pride in the amazing rise of his son Robert to the NBA and the tragedy of his death, aged just 39, and why he and his wife Heather have launched a foundation to address the mental health issues incurred by athletes. Sponsored by Total Environmental Compliance @ tecompliance.co.uk
In the latest edition of the MVP Cast, we're joined by former Glasgow Rocks and British Basketball League director David Low who talks us through the troubled financial waters for sport caused by coronavirus, the BBL's investment potential, opportunities and threats, venue construction plans and why the Scots should be crowned as champions. Sponsored by Total Environmental Compliance – check them out at tecompliance.co.uk.
In the latest edition of the MVP Cast, we're joined by former England international Paul Stimpson who recounts his fast track to success at Crystal Palace and the pyramid pathways that allowed him to become a homegrown success in British basketball, his spell as head of media at FIBA and how you sell hoops as a television product internationally - and in the UK - and where streaming services might offer new opportunities in the future.
In the latest edition of the MVP Cast, more on the takeover of London Lions by an American investment firm with outgoing owner Vince Macaulay explaining how and why it happened, what the plans for the reigning British Basketball League champions are going forward - including a European campaign - and how the BBL might look coming out of lockdown.
In the latest edition of the MVP Cast, we talk to British basketball legend Alton Byrd about his storied playing career, his arrival at Crystal Palace, his breakthrough GM opportunity with Murray International, the chances missed with aborted hoops projects at Manchester United and Glasgow Rangers, the learning points from his NFL Europe stint and what his insights his roles in the WNBA, and now NBA - as vice-president of the Brooklyn Nets' G-League offshoot in Long Island - might offer for the sport back in the UK. More info at MVP247.com
In the latest edition of the MVP Cast, Jamelle Davis is our guest.
He tells us about his extraordinary journey through playing basketball in six countries, staying focused on his dreams even when he was twice left homeless in his youth in London and the mentors who helped keep him afloat, what it was like to try out in the G-League for the Raptors 905 and retaining a dream to make it all the way to the NBA, his work with at-risk youths and his burgeoning sideline as a talented artist. More info at mvp247.com.
In the latest edition of the MVP Cast, we chat to former Leicester Riders and London Leopards head coach Billy Mims about the BBL's Showtime Era and the rivalries and friendships he shared with the likes of Nick Nurse and Kevin Cadle, the reasons why the British basketball boom turned to bust at the turn of the century, and achieving enduring college success at Florida Tech. More info at mvp247.com
In the 50th episode of the MVP Cast, we're joined by British basketball legend Andy Betts who tells us why he didn't make the NBA despite being drafted by the Charlotte Hornets, the highs and lows of his trip around Europe's super-clubs, his international career, his sense of regret about the death of long-time team-mate Robert Archibald and the emergence of his daughter as a potential star of the future. More info at mvp247.com
