MVP Cast with Mark Woods

The Mike Martin One

Mike Martin joins the MVP Cast to talk about his battle with brain cancer and the effect of the tumour on his life and family, the relief of dunking again and the drive to play basketball once more, the distressing theft of 52 pairs of shoes from his collection and the fundraising campaign that's been set up, and why he believes the sport needs to do much to bring through future generations of talent. More at mvp247.com.
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The Andy Thomson One

Andy Thomson comes on the MVP Cast to reveal why he decided to retire after 20 major trophies and the emotional process that took him there, the learnings he takes away from the sport, his best teams, coaches and team-mates from stops at Leicester Riders, Newcastle Eagles and elsewhere, his new career as a therapist and why he hopes a players union can finally arrive in the BBL. More at mvp247.com.
 
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The Ashley Hamilton One

Great Britain forward Ashley Hamilton joins the MVP Cast to talk about building a basketball brand on social media and the pitfalls for players, his foundation's work in Sierra Leone, the influence of new fatherhood, his choice of a team for next season and the business side of contracts, his view on the demise of the London City Royals. More at mvp247.com
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The Mark Clark One

Former Great Britain women's head coach and British Basketball performance director Mark Clark joins the MVP Cast.
He gives us a state of the nation on how the strategy for its growth has evolved and where its potential remains untapped, his disappointment at not leading GB all the way to the London 2012 Olympics, the secret of the success of the old Crystal Palace programme and polishing the rough diamond that was Andrea Congreaves.
Mark goes on a deep dive into the academy he established at Barking Abbey, how its model might be expanded further towards the BBL and WBBL - and his alternate role as father to Dan and Ella and the role parents can play in advising on basketball decisions. More at MVP247.com
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The Alan Cunningham - Two

In the second part of our extended conversation with British basketball legend Alan Cunningham, he tells the MVP Cast about great nights with Portsmouth FC, London Towers and Worthing Bears, road trips overseas, his early connection to Masai Ujiri, and why he wishes the legends of the domestic game were still connected. More at mvp247.com.
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The Alan Cunningham - One

In the first of a two-part conversation with the MVP Cast, British basketball legend Alan Cunningham takes us through his start with the Harlem Globetrotters, dealing with racism in his youth in California, his arrival in the UK with Doncaster Panthers and his high-flying ambitions from the off. More at mvp247.com.
 
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The Krumesh Patel One

Krumesh Patel joins the MVP Cast to talk about his path through Leicester Riders to his new job as coach of Swedish side Wetterbygden, building a programme that caters to the needs of girls and young women at Charnwood, the dire lack of Asian players and coaches in British basketball and what can be done to access them, and his outreach work in India that opened his eyes. More at mvp247.com.
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The DeAndre Liggins One

New London Lions arrival DeAndre Liggins joins the MVP Cast to talk about his move to the UK and his ambition to put the reigning British Basketball League champions on the map in the Basketball Champions League.
He tells Mark Woods about his journey from the tough environment of the south side of Chicago to the NBA, of playing along side Kevin Durant, Russell Westbrook and James Harden at the Oklahoma City Thunder - to learning from featuring beside LeBron James at the Cleveland Cavaliers and missing out on a trip to the Finals - and the brutality of the hoops business on both sides of the Atlantic. More at mvp247.com.
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The Tim Lewis One

Tim Lewis joins the MVP Cast to talk us through his current role as a scout in the NBA, his journey from teacher to becoming a coach and his rise through the ranks in the UK before expanding his horizons overseas and then, the gain and pain of former BBL club Essex Pirates.
He also tells us about the learnings from being around Chris Finch and Nick Nurse as their assistant for Great Britain, why the former is destined to be a NBA head coach and why the latter is a rock star.
And with overseas coaching stops from Japan to Arizona and parts in between, Lewis outlines why young British coaches need to commit fully to making it in the trade if they want opportunities to advance. More at MVP247.com
 
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The Tim Bontemps One

ESPN's Tim Bontemps joins the MVP Cast to talk about the re-start of the NBA within a tightly controlled bubble in Orlando and the challenges that presents. With the playoffs forthcoming on site, we look at the likely contenders for a championship in isolation and the sub-plots in the mix. More at MVP247.com.
 
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