FadeAway Magazine Issue 02

I N ISSUE 02

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The Original & Only

The UK’s ORIGINAL & ONLY BASKETBALL MAGAZINE

ISSUE#02 Autumn 2009

£2.95 ISSUE 02 Autumn 2009

The Black Mamba

EDITORIAL

Fadeaway Magazine Response Studios 369B High Road Leyton London E10 5NA E: info@fadeawaymag.co.uk W: fadeawaymag.co.uk T: 020 8558 3501 Editor: Greg Tanner greg@fadeawaymag.co.uk Creative Director: Jake Green jake@nothingbutnet.co.uk Design & Art Director: Harry Adams harry@fadeawaymag.co.uk

Commercial Director: mike@nothingbutnet.co.uk Contributing Writers: Danielle Aumord, Matthew Bryan-Amaning, Will Clapton, Mark Woods & Lex Rees

WORDS BY: GREG TANNER Photo By: Ismini KRASSISMENOU

“it’s all good news for the game of basketball.

The fact there was so much going on over here shows that interest in the sport is growing which is what all of us here at FadeAway are about”

W

hat a summer! Seriously, seriously busy.

Midnight Madness, Game On, 5United, LeBron coming over...plus Quai 54, Eurobasket, Euroleague Finals...I need a month off just to get my breath back! But as much hard work as it has been, it’s all good news for the game of basketball.

The fact there was so much going on over here shows that interest in the sport is growing - which is what all of us here at FadeAway are about.

For me, highlights over the last few months have included getting to interview LeBron James, having over 100 teams from all different backgrounds taking part in the adidas NBA 5United event down at the O2, and creating another YouTube phenomenon with my Guy Dupuy dunk clip (see the Team Flight Brothers article later in this mag).

What was disapointing, however, was Team GB. With Luol injured and Ben Gordon busy with his move to Detroit, the team was not at full strength for Eurobasket. As a result, we lost all three games and went home early. That said, we nearly pulled off the biggest upset in FIBA history as we ran Spain extremely close. Watching the game live on the BBC’s red button service (huge praise to the Corporation for the coverage, by the way), I was literally running around my flat screaming as we went up by 4 with just a few minutes left in the game. But Spain showed why they are world champs as they got serious in the final moments to completely shut us down.

On the positive side, I guess it shows how good we can be, even when missing our two best players. NBA-wise, Kobe finally shook that Shaqshaped monkey off his back as he won his fourth ring. I’ve always been a huge admirer of Mamba.

We were both born in the same year, and since I was about 16 I’ve been watching him and thinking “how the hell is this guy the same age as me!?!!” But, as we all know, not everyone is a Kobe fan - in fact, I don’t think anyone in the NBA inspires as much hate as our cover star. I try to work out why later on in the mag.

In addition to stuff I’ve already mentioned, we’ve got plenty more interesting stories in this issue - such as the tale of Jamell Anderson, the kid from Nottingham who literally risked his life for basketball - and Mark Woods has been trying to figure out why Plymouth is so mad for basketball.

I hope you enjoy the mag...and remember to hit us up with any feedback, story ideas, whatever at info@fadeawaymag.co.uk

Keep ballin’ Greg Tanner P.S. I’d like to say a big “thank you” to my girl, Tasleem, who’s had to deal with me going away on basketball trips, being ridiculously busy organising events and spending hours writing articles and editing videos this summer. A real ride-or-die chick, she even turned down advances from several famous names during our travels over the last few months! Thanks baby.

Contributing Photographers/Illustrators: Mansoor Ahmed, Leo Cackett, Kévin Coulia, Dusan Cvetkovic, Jude Edington, Kieran Halil, Kevin Joseph, Haneef Saleem, Ismini Krassismenou, Phil Knott, Michael McKenzie, Fernando Medina, Adrian Nettleship, Si Scott & Tom Roberts.

Printers: Printed by Cambrian using vegetable based inks. www.cambrian-printers.co.uk Published by: Big Smoke Projects Ltd 2009 © Est: 2001.

ISSN: 2041-2134 Printed on Recycled Paper.

Distribution by: W.W.M.D. Stocked in Borders and distributed at all the major basketball events.

This publication may not be reproduced or transmitted in any form, in whole or part, without the express written permission of the publishers.

Disclaimer: No part of Fade Away Magazine may be reproduced without written permission from the publisher.

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CONTENTS

30

REGULARS 08 | OVERTIME

The latest from the world of hoops, including: Why pirates are coming to our top domestic league… and is MJ planning ANOTHER comeback??!

54 | FASHION

We show you some explosive Adidas trainers that will be available this summer to wear everyday or

FEATURES 16 | THE BIG BOSS

BBL chairman Paul Blake talks to us about the challenges the game faces here in the UK, and how he’s trying to meet them.

18 | FUTURE STARS

Find out how Britain’s junior ballers measured up against some of the best national teams in Europe.

20 | BUCKNALL

The first Brit ever to play in the NBA tells FadeAway how he got there.

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22 | ADIDAS NBA 5UNITED

The O2 plays host to the biggest outdoor basketball event to hit London in years.

30 | LEBRON IN LONDON

48 hours of madness as King James touches the capital and speaks to FadeAway’s Greg Tanner.

34 | KOBE BRYANT: HATE ME NOW

22

The greatest player in the game today (yeah, we said it) silenced plenty of haters this summer. But why did he have so many in the first place?

40 | QUAI 54

The Parisian streetball tournament that even New York’s toughest teams can’t hack.

50 | NBA LOOK AHEAD

Can the Lakers repeat? Will Shaq help LeBron over the hump? Will the Celtics ever get healthy? We take a look at the teams and players to keep an eye on in 09-10.

BALLER 10 | MATTHEW BRYAN-AMANING

Photos By: Nike, Adrian Nettleship, Mansoor Ahmed & Tom Roberts

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46 | TEAM FLIGHT BROTHERS

| PLYMOUTH Why is this unassuming corner of Devon so crazy for ball? Mark Woods has been to find out.

Forget Vince Carter, Michael Jordan or Dominique Wilkins.

NOBODY dunks like these guys.

He liked it, and put a PAC-10 championship ring on it. But the pressure will be on for South London’s finest as he returns to Washington this season.

12 | JAY “BOOGIE” BRANTLEY

This summer And1 cancelled their Mixtape Tour.

Former member Jay “Boogie” Brantley tells us where it all went wrong.

14 | JAMELL ANDERSON

How a heart condition led one Nottingham teenager to risk his life for the game.

28 | ALLEN IVERSON

The rise and fall of the player who gave young ballers goose bumps, and the NBA cold sweats.

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OvertimE

NEWS

ANOTHER YOUTUBE HIT z The day after I finished writing the Team Flight Brothers article (see later on in the mag) all hell broke loose. A video clip I’d put online of Guy Dupuy’s first dunk

at the Midnight Madness finals went viral after Yahoo posted it on their homepage. It got two and a half MILLION views in just one day, was featured on ESPN and had the L.A. Times labelling it “the greatest dunk of all time”. Guy, however, didn’t have much opportunity to revel in his 15 minutes of fame, as he was stuck in London due to visa issues. Unable to go back to the States, the last FadeAway heard was that the flying Frenchman had a trial with the Milton Keynes Lions. Check out fadeawaymag.co.uk for any updates as to how he got on.

MJ PLANNING ANOTHER COMEBACK!??! z Michael Jordan – the greatest player of

all time (forget that Wilt Chamberlain nonsense) - has been inducted into the Basketball Hall Of Fame. The Black Cat took a good few minutes to fight back tears and compose himself as he began his acceptance speech. But once he got into it, His Airness hinted at yet another possible comeback: “Although I am recognised with this tremendous honour of being in the Basketball Hall of Fame, I don’t look at this moment as the defining end of my relationship with the game of basketball,” the 46-year-old said. “It is simply a continuation of something I started a long time ago. One day you might look up and see me playing the game at 50. Oh, don’t laugh. Never say never.” As much as we love MJ, we think even he may struggle keeping up on those half-century-old knees.

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TEAM A-HOY! z Britain’s top basketball league, the BBL, has

a new team this season. The Essex Pirates will be based at Southend and coached by GB assistant Tim Lewis. English shooting guard Dean Williams will captain the club – joining after a successful few years with the Guildford Heat. “Dean is a veteran player who has many years of high level competitive experience in the BBL - with the added bonus of him having played against top European opposition,” said Lewis.“Dean is definitely a leader and someone who our young players will learn a lot from.” The Pirates’ treasure hunt begins on October 3rd, as they take on PAWS London Capital.

FADEAWAY

COMP z Our good friends at k1x

THE ultimate sound system z The MIX features a retro audio rack-style

design and a powerful built-in subwoofer to thump big bass from the heart of your scene. Compatible with both iPhone and iPod, the MIX also includes two top-mounted auxiliary inputs plus onboard FM radio and a seven-band graphic equalizer. Its towering volume, perfect clarity and heavyweight bass make the new MIX the ultimate sound system for any party. www.alteclansing.com.

have hooked us up with one of their sick new “Darwin Tees” for us to give away as a competition prize. Taking a leaf out of the great biologist’s book, they’ve charted the evolution of baller. To be in with a chance of rocking this piece of fashionable scientific theory, just answer this simple question: Many say Scottie Pippen revolutionised his position on the basketball court. But what was he officially listed as? a) Centre b) Point guard c) Small forward Email your answer to competition@fadeawaymag.co.uk along with your name and phone number. Winners will be announced November 1st.

POPS SET FOR LIFT OFF z Last issue, we brought you a feature on

north London baller Pops Mensah-Bonsu, following his breakthrough NBA season. Well, this summer he signed a one-year deal with former NBA champions the Houston Rockets. “It feels good to be a Rocket,” said the 6’ 9” forward.

“I feel like it’s the first time I’m going into a season with the opportunity to play. “I spoke to [Rockets head coach] Rick Adelman a bunch of times, and he’s expressed his interest in me and how much he likes my game, how much he feels like I can help the team. If I have the backing of the coaches, the rest is on me.”

Pops believes he can help Houston make an impact, despite the absence of star player Yao Ming, who’s been ruled out of the new campaign with a foot injury. “A lot of people have counted them out,” he said. “I feel like that’s happened to me my whole career. I’m the underdog. They’re a scrappy team but a hard-nosed team. They don’t have a lot of big names, but they’re always there come crunch time.”

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SLEEPLESS IN SEATTLE

M a t t h e w B r y a n - Am a n i n g ’ s WORDS By: Greg Tanner Photo By: Tom Roberts

“I It’s going to be a whole different situation without Jon [Brockman] on the team, but it’ll mean more weight on my shoulders” - Matthew BryanAmaning”

People have been talking about Matthew Bryan-Amaning’s potential and “upside” for years. This season, he needs to make good on everyone’s expectations.

C

heck the picture of Matthew Bryan-Amaning... in particular, his pinkie. That bit of bling is a PAC-10 Championship ring.

For those who don’t know, the PAC-10 is one of the toughest conferences in US college basketball...and this year, London baller Matthew helped the University of Washington to win it. “It was great,” he told FadeAway, “we had a real talented team, all the guys were close and we worked well together.” But it wasn’t all plain sailing for the 21-year-old. He missed the first three games of the season due to injury and, despite some flashes of brilliance (23 points and 12 rebounds against Portland State, 17 and 6 against Stanford), many commentators felt he didn’t live up to (lofty!) expectations.

It didn’t help that MBA was playing in the shadow of star forward Jon Brockman. But with him now in the NBA, 6-foot 9-inch Matthew sees this season coming as his big chance. “It’s going to be a whole different situation without Jon on the team,” he says “but it’ll mean more weight on my shoulders.” More weight, and more pressure. It’d be enough to give most people nightmares - or, at the very least, sleepless nights. Indeed US sports writers are expecting big things for Matthew in his junior year - SportingNews.com has him named as one of eight pivotal players set to blow in 09-10, whilst MyNorthwest.com reckons “Bryan-Amaning will be expected to do a large part of the replacing of Jon

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Brockman. His wingspan and shake-and-bake in the post can make him a formidable scorer.”

Matthew knows it’s going to be hard work. But that’s something he’s already used to at UW. “It’s non-stop. We start at 6 in the morning and do conditioning for an hour and a half. We then have classes from 9am til 1pm. Then it’s practice from 3pm til 6pm, an ice bath, something to eat, and then tutoring until 9 or 10pm. “It’s not as glamorous as it seems. A lot of work goes into it. People only see the games...they don’t see the hours and hours of practice that we put in the rest of the time”. Not that playing for the Huskies isn’t without its perks. With the Sonics no longer in Seattle, the university team is now the big basketball show in town - and its players are local celebrities.

“We get recognised around town all the time,” says Matthew. “We get people coming over asking for autographs, people whistling, it’s crazy.”

This summer, Matthew was invited to work out with the Great Britain team, but he stayed in America at his coach’s request to train with the rest of his UW team. “[GB coach] Chris Finch understood,” he says “but I’d really like to be involved with the national team when I get a chance”.

“Playing at London 2012 would mean a lot. Having Great Britain on your chest is something big... and to play in front of London crowds, with friends and family, is a dream I definitely have”.

BOOGIE DOWN

Jay Brantley

“And1 tried to package a product.

Executives in boardrooms wanted to slap a label on it that said ‘THIS IS STREETBALL”

Words By: Greg Tanner Photo By: Haneef Saleem

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He’s nicknamed the “King of Cali Streetball” - but don’t get it twisted.

Former And1 tour member Jay “Boogie” Brantley balls for real - and says he’s all about winning, not dancing.

O

n Directing Freestyle is bringing back Jay Brantley is a legit baller with a solid basketball CV. After a high school career which saw the L.A. native win All-City and All-American honours, he played college ball at UNLV - where he averaged 10 points, 6 assists and 2.4 steals in his senior year. As a pro, he’s played around the world - including an MVP season in Bolivia, and the odd short term contract in the NBA and the D-League. But it’s as a streetballer that he’s made a name for himself. As a youngster, Jay honed his skills on the world-famous Venice Beach basketball courts, where he got a rep as a speed demon with a mean handle. So he was an obvious choice of baller for And1 when they put on their Mixtape Tour games in Los Angeles. “Those days were crazy,” he told FadeAway.

“There were literally thousands of people there, fighting for space so they could see the games.

And1 were capturing real basketball, but in its most entertaining form.”

But as And1 grew, so they tried to “corporatise” the sport of streetball. That, says Jay, was the beginning of their downfall. “They tried to package a product. Executives in boardrooms wanted to slap a label on it that said ‘THIS IS STREETBALL’.

“You can’t do that. Streetball has been around since before we were even alive...so to try and control it, and run it as if you invented it, was never going to work.

“Streetball is like hip hop - you can’t make it corporate. You can’t take those natural ideas and

try to bottle them up and sell it.”

The writing was really on the wall though, when And1 began faking plays.

“Streetball is un-scripted, but they started trying to script it. That really gave streetball a bad name. Kids started to get misconceptions that streetball was just about doing tricks, dancing and stuff, rather than winning. “Showmanship is part of the game, but winning is everything. I grew up watching Magic Johnson - who was Mr Showtime.

But he was a winner too. We wouldn’t still be talking about him if all he could do was make flashy passes.”

This year, the Mixtape Tour finally ran out of steam as And1 dumped it. “If they had stayed with the original format they had - like the games with Skip in New York which you saw in Volume 1 - it would still be strong. But they stopped listening to the people who made it happen.”

Jay is still a busy, busy man though. With his touring team, “Hooptainers”, he travels the world putting on shows, camps and clinics everywhere from Hawaii to the Ukraine. “It’s great to be able to use basketball to reach kids from so many different backgrounds - and to be a positive role-model or ambassador.”

Jay also co-owns the sports clothing brand “Macleem”.“Being successful in basketball doesn’t mean having to be in the NBA for 10 years.

The sport has taken me to many places and given me many great experiences. It’s been a great adventure.”

HEART AND SOUL

Photo By: Tom Roberts Words By: Greg Tanner

How one Nottingham teenager literally put his life on the line for the sport he loves.

H

aving trekked to south London “It’s all about sacrifice,” Jamell Anderson’s junior team coach used to tell him.

“To succeed in basketball, you have to sacrifice your friends, sacrifice going out, sacrifice playing on your PS3 when you should be going to bed”. When push came to shove, Jamell was willing to potentially sacrifice his life. The drama started half-way through his first season with the City of Nottingham Tribe.“Everything was going great,” the 18-year-old told FadeAway. “I was playing really well, I’d just got my first dunk in a game. There was a big crowd, my parents were there. But then, all of a sudden, my heart started palpitating - beating really fast.”

“I subbed out and told my coach ‘there’s something wrong with my heart’. He told me ‘you’re not playing until you’ve gone to see the doctor’.” After several months of tests, experts diagnosed Wolff Parkinson-White syndrome - a potentially fatal heart condition which affects around 0.5% of the population.

When medication failed to solve the problem, Jamell was offered two choices - give up basketball, or undergo an operation which might actually kill him.

“When the doctor told me, I looked straight at my mum - she looked like she was going to cry. But she told me ‘you do what’s best for you’. It was an easy decision, and I said ‘let’s get it done’.”

Jamell underwent surgery in April 2007. But three months later he took a shot in the back during a training session and suffered the palpitations again. “They said that because I’d already had an operation, doing another one was more risky. There was a chance I’d have to be fitted with a pacemaker.” But so strong was Jamell’s desire to play the game, he couldn’t face the prospect of life without it - and once again when under the knife. Since the second surgery, Jamell has been healthy and his game has gone from strength to strength - with him making the GB squad this summer and taking part in the European Under-20 Championships in Macedonia.

At 6’ 7” and with long limbs, Jamell has the potential to go far. And, ironically for a guy with a heart problem, he prides himself on his physical condition.

“I’m a runner - I like to be fitter than anyone else on the court. I believe that if you’re fitter than everyone, and you’ve got the basic fundamentals, nothing can stop you”.

So what does the future hold? “I’ve got some big decisions to make,” he says. “I’ve got offers from a BBL team, the Canarias Basketball Academy, Leeds University and Middlesbrough. I don’t know where basketball is going to take me, but I’m going to try to push it as far as I can.”

“My mum looked like she was going to cry. But she told me ‘you do what’s best for you’.

It was an easy decision” 14

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ONE-ON-ONE

BBL

BBL BOSS

WORDS By: Mark Woods PhotoS By: Press

Paul Blake is the chairman of the British Basketball League as well as being the man behind Newcastle Eagles.

But what does he do and where does he see hoops going? Fadeaway caught up with him to get the lowdown.

What does the BBL chairman do?

The chairman’s role has become much more pro-active, like having an extra member of staff in the head office. You spend time trying to move things in the right direction. It is a volunteer role but it’s fair to say it takes a lot of time, maybe 2-3 days a week, in addition to running Newcastle. But I see that if I put that investment into taking the same direction with the league as the Eagles, then both will be better off as a result.

What¹s the best part of the role?

It’s work that needs to be done. There is a core of directors who give up time to change the way we do things.

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And it’s been a monumental change in our philosophy to make sure we have a sustainable future.

The biggest challenge ahead is??

The whole proposition of trying to develop a sport that isn’t hugely recognised in this country into one that has the interest of the mass market.

It shouldn’t be unrecognised. But with limited resources, it’s difficult to change that. It’s easier on a local level, which is why clubs have tackled development and media issues. And we’re trying to break those doors down on a national level as well, slowly but surely.

How important are community programmes?

The core reason for taking an involvement in grassroots development is because every sport draws its core audience from people who play the sport, who are actively engaged in it, and who want it in their lives. It’s like the seven-year-old kid who supports Newcastle United, whose parents have supported them for years and years, who now plays for the school team, and then wants to play for United when he grows up. He may or may not achieve that. But the natural progression is for him to become a season ticker holder and stay a fan for the rest of his life. So, we need to grow at a grassroots level and give kids the chance to stick in the sport and hopefully, want to progress to play for their local BBL club, or EBL or Scottish League team. If we don’t do that, then we can’t grow the market for basketball.

Will the BBL be on TV this year?

It’s the $64,000 question. I would hope so but it’s a tough market as we, the NBA and British Basketball have found. We saw Setanta collapse this summer. We have a relationship with Sky Sports but we have to find a way to cover production fees. And we’re trying to find a way to make that happen this season, along with appointing a new commercial director to push sponsorship forward.

Essex is coming into the BBL this year. London survived after promising to improve. Is the capital going to see a better standard of pro hoops?

There are a lot of positive things going on in London and that’s something we’re discussing on a regular basis with the other bodies involved. We want to continue to expand as a league and that means our priority sites are London, Manchester and Birmingham. We are talking about strategic development in London, linked to the Olympics. But it won’t happen overnight, as with in other cities.

You are still, of course, the Newcastle chairman. Will you repeat as champs?

I think we’ll have a tough time. The Rocks look stronger. Everton have a good line-up. We won’t have as deep a team as last year because of the economic climate. We’re choosing to invest around 60% of our turnover into development because it’s good for us as a community-orientated club. But I’d be silly not to say Newcastle will win the title because I hate to lose.

“[We are] trying to develop a sport that isn’t hugely recognised in this country into one that has the interest of the mass market. It shouldn’t be unrecognised. But with limited resources, it’s difficult to change that” - Paul Blake” 17

FUTURE STARS

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FUTURE

STARS

How did young British ballers measure up against their European counterparts?

T

he highest-calibre international junior basketball tournament Britain has seen in years went down in London this summer, at the Future Stars event in Kingston-Upon-Thames. Organised by Jack Majewski and Richmond College, the under 18 competition featured Israel, Italy, Spain, Poland, England and a “select” Richmond College team. Having been involved in junior basketball since coming to England in the 90s, Majewski told FadeAway that he wants to up the level of the game here.

“The only way to improve English basketball on a permanent basis is to have on-going contact with European basketball,” he said. England U18 coach, Andre Alleyne, was also enthusiastic. “It’s great for us to be playing against A-League teams on our own doorstep - and to see that this [level] is where you need to be at,” he told FadeAway.

Unfortunately, England lost both their games on day one - going down by 7 to Poland and 28 to Spain.

There was one positive, however - Ryan Richards. The 6’ 10” forward from Kent put 15 on Poland and 20 on Spain, along with countless rebounds.

“He’s the most dominant natural talent in this tournament,” Majewski said of Richards, who spent this season playing for Team GB coach Chris Finch in Mons. “Let’s face it,” said Alleyne “the guy is nearly seven foot, plays like he’s 6’ 6”, does everything...and is a lefty to boot! He’s got the whole package.” “He is the most gifted player that I’ve ever coached in my years...and I’m talking about when I was professionally coaching in the BBL.” The other British team, Richmond College, also lost both their first day games - taking a 17 point beating from Israel and coming off on the wrong end of an 89-71 result against Italy. Diminutive point guard Caylin Ratopoulos had some hot shooting streaks though, scoring 16 and 12 respectively.

But Spain showed right from the outset that they were the team to beat, as they came out flaming against Poland in their first game. Before you had time to blink, they were up 10 - and ended the first quarter leading 32 - 12.

Their team play was crazy. They moved the ball so well - and every score seemed almost effortless. After winning that game by 35 they faced England, and most thought it would be a whitewash. So, many were pleasantly surprised at the gap being just 11 points at the half. However, after the break the Spanish realised that our point guards were the weak link and put them under pressure. 5’ 11” Nacho Guigou shut our guys down and was great on offense too as was 6’ 6” combo-guard Miki Servera - as Spain took the game 99-71. In the day’s other contest, Italy beat Israel 83 - 78. The semi-finals saw Poland grind out a 70 - 68 victory over Italy, whilst Spain continued their dominance with a 78 - 69 win over Israel.

After being my MVP over the first two days, Spain’s Nacho Guigou didn’t suit up for the final - he told FadeAway he was sick (poorly, that is...we already knew by then that he was sick!!!). However, their back-up point guard did a great job, and once again Spain raced out to an early lead against the Poles.

But the game belonged to Servera. The ‘92 born baller from Unicaja Malaga did everything - scoring, rebounding, running the point, playing perimeter defence...all with a certain Spanish swagger that suggested it was nothing to him. He was named MVP as Spain won the tournament.

It was a fantastic weekend of basketball - but a frustrating one for British fans. It was clear for all to see that, athletically at least, our two teams were the strongest. So how come we failed so miserably against the European competition? “It’s the quality of coaching that they’re getting,” Alleyne told FadeAway.

“They [the Europeans] all go to after-school clubs where they get good coaching. When you go to Spain, Italy or Greece, every kid is fundamentally taught. We’re as athletically gifted as anyone in the world - but when it comes to skill and execution, that’s where we lack...and it comes down to the bare fundamentals of how the game is actually taught.” Let’s hope we learnt a thing or two over the weekend.

“‘The only way to improve English basketball on a permanent basis is to have on-going contact with European basketball’ - Jack Majewski” Photo By: Mansoor Ahmed Words By: Greg Tanner

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LEGENDS

Trail blazer

Steve Bucknall was the first Brit to reach the lofty heights of the NBA. He tells us about how it feels to have a place in the history books, and speaks out on the topics “no-one wants to talk about”…

B

efore basketball, I played cricket, rugby, tennis...I was good at all sports, and no one of my age could really challenge me at anything. So my P.E. teacher set me up with a guy who recruited me for the Crystal Palace Falcons.

‘I was only 15, but learned a lot in a small space of time. And I learned I had talent. It was suggested to me that I go to a summer basketball camp in the US, to see if I could get noticed. So I went to the Holy Cross High School camp in New York state - and won the MVP. ‘After Holy Cross, I went on to another camp, Eastern International, and got MVP there as well. Soon I was offered a place at a prep school (what the British call a ‘private school’), the Governor Dummer Academy, in Massachusetts, the oldest boarding school in the USA. ‘There were no black people, and I was surrounded by second and third generation Italian and Irish immigrants. People talk about racism, but if you’re good at sport, racism ceases to exist. If you’re scoring points for their team, people love you.

‘By the time it came to choosing a college, I was rated one of the top 25 players in the country in my age group and had a lot of options. I chose the University of North Carolina (UNC), as they were my favourite team. Michael Jordan went there, and it had a good reputation for sending players to the NBA. ‘The coach, Dean Smith (the Basketball Hall of Fame branded Smith a “coaching legend” and he was named Sports Illustrated’s “Sportsman of the Year” back in ‘97) was impressed, and all of a sudden, I was a superstar in the area. On match days, 30,000 people would all be cheering for me when I played. Needless to say, that was a good feeling.

‘After I finished at UNC, the Orlando Magic were interested in me and invited me down for a trial. It was whilst I was training with them that Dean called me and dropped a bombshell - he’d been talking to Jerry West (then General Manager of the Los Angeles Lakers) about me, and they were interested in giving me a try out.

Although I had a guaranteed place with Orlando, I HAD to try out for the Lakers! I told the coach at Orlando what was happening, and got on a plane heading west.

‘After reaching LA I flew onto Hawaii for the training camp.

I couldn’t believe that I was trying out for the Lakers. Since I’d started playing basketball seriously, all I’d dreamt about was playing for them. With all the ‘Showtime’ players, honestly, I didn’t think I was good enough, but as I grew up a lot, so did my game. After my time at the Lakers, I decided to go back to the UK, to play for Sunderland. To say it was ‘different’ is a huge understatement. It’s like comparing night with day; total opposites.

The facilities, the money, the crowds at games, the TV airtime, the coaching, and the standard of play - everything was a world away from what I’d become used to in the US. ‘This is what disappoints me about basketball in the UK. Put simply, it is bullshit. Every aspect of the sport is mismanaged, and those involved are governed by greed. We also have to compete with football, which is impossible. ‘The people who are in charge of the sport are simply not good enough to take it where it should be in terms of quality of play, financial sponsorship and recognition as a sport. After they made their money, they disappeared out of the sport, taking with them money that should’ve been used to better the sport. ‘Basketball is still considered a “minority sport”, and whilst people don’t want to hear it, there is racism involved. Representation has been lost. We’re so behind the USA in this area. In the States, equal opportunities are balanced. ‘We’ve recruited outside of the UK for people to run our sport. I understand that you need the best person for the job, and that person could be male, female, British, American or Australian, but the best person for the job is never black. I just can’t accept that there’s not one black person in this country who is good enough to work at the top level. For more info on Buck, check out www.bucknallessentialskills.com.

“People talk about racism, but if you’re good at sport, racism ceases to exist. If you’re scoring points for their team, people love you”

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Words By: Alexandra Rees PHOTO By: Steve Bucknall Archive

21

ADiDAS NBA 5UNITED

Photo By: Tom Roberts Words By: Greg Tanner

UNITED WE STAND The NBA and adidas team up to give London its biggest outdoor basketball tournament in years.

B

ack in the nineties, the NBA and numerous sneaker companies used to hold huge outdoor basketball tournaments in London each summer. They were great – but, for one reason or another, stopped happening about a decade ago. For years, old school ballers have been reminiscing about them and hoping something similar would return. This summer, their wishes were granted as the adidas NBA 5United tour hit London. Over 100 teams entered – with a huge mix of age ranges and abilities. At one end of the scale were mixed boy/girl teams who’d clearly entered for a bit of a laugh. At the other end were crews like Street2Elite – made up of some of the UK’s best young ballers.

Helped by some fantastic weather, the event saw thousands of players and spectators turn up to the O2. In addition to the actual tournament, there were shooting and slam dunk contests, appearances by NBA ballers Brook Lopez and Jerryd Bayless, plus shows by the Oklahoma City Thunder cheerleaders.

“This tournament is exactly what we need more of,” Gareth Laws of All-Star Division winners Streetball Legends told FadeAway.

“There are not enough basketball tournaments in the UK that cater to all participants. This was definitely a step in the right direction - with the right venue and hundreds of players competing for the top prize. The more competitions like this the better.”

Meanwhile, Arnold Tek-Kwo – whose team won the junior category – said: “The Oklahoma Thunder girls were distracting a lot of ballers, but I was focused on getting the win for my team! “Every game I played in was tense as they all went to overtime...but I had had to send a message by scoring the game winner during OT in the finals!” The event management team behind 5United took the tour to Athens, Madrid, Istanbul and Rome over the course of the summer – all cities in basketball-mad nations. Yet they told FadeAway that the ballers in London were the highest standard they’d seen. If we get more events like this coming to town, perhaps we could widen that gap even further.

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“There are not enough basketball tournaments in the UK that cater to all participants.

This was definitely a step in the right direction” Gareth Laws”

23

OPEN COURT

P ly m o u t h Passion Why is Plymouth, of all places, such a hot spot for hoops?

G

ary Stronach came to Plymouth in search of playing time. “I expected I’d be there a year, maybe, and then move on,” he admits.

He never did. 24 seasons after his move to Devon from his native Sunderland, Stronach remains in the employ of the Raiders, beginning an incredible 15th campaign as the coach of the BBL outfit.

Surviving the firing squad is one achievement. So is taking a club from the fringes of the British basketball map to centre stage. With Argyle down the road and a passionate rugby following, Plymouth is an unlikely hot spot for hoops. But ever since the team was formed, 26 years ago, when deadly local rivals - the Canaries and Plympton - joined forces to launch a National League team in the city, they’ve done nothing but think big.

“We wanted to put on a NBA-style show,” remembers Keith Mollard, who has been involved since day one behind the scenes. “We did the best we could.

We started out at the Mayflower Centre but when we moved to the Pavilions, we stepped it up a notch. They had comfortable seating, technical equipment and proper lights. And that’s one of the things we’ve always tried to do: put on a good show.” Stronach needed some convincing when he pitched up. It was a weekend’s trial, for him and the club. Pre-season. A friendly against a side from Saudi Arabia.

“I did well so they offered me a deal. But I knew nothing about the place. I’d been here once with my parents when we came to the Westcountry for a holiday but I had no recollection of it.” What he quickly spotted was a thriving local junior scene and local leagues - allied to the lure of perennial university powerhouse Marjons. “It was just a good set-up. And it keeps getting better and better.”

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The Raiders are not just about Plymouth.

There’s a school outreach programme that stretches along the coast to Cornwall - giving coaching to 5000 kids every year.

While on game nights, the buses arrive from as far afield as Bristol and Somerset.

“We only stop at Land’s End,” Stronach jokes. Has anyone, you wonder, checked the boats coming in from the Scilly Isles?

Maybe that’s part of the charm. The Pavilions is a rabid, tight arena that - on a good night - packs in 1500 noisy fans. There’s a sense that everyone knows everyone. And in Plymouth, unlike in other major cities, the Raiders seem to matter to all concerned. “I think it’s succeeded because the people behind it have always done the right things,” says Mollard. “We’ve had great publicity locally through the local media.

We have a good relationship with players because they’ve always been well-looked after here. It’s like a big family.”

On Sunday afternoons, they all gather together for the show. However this year, a few familiar members of the Raiders family will be absent, fixtures like DeAntoine Beasley and Gaylon Moore finally breaking their ties. Instead, new arrivals like Eric Flato, Terry Horton and Matt Hilleary will be welcomed into the fold. “I think we’ll have a competitive team this season,” Stronach confidently states. “We started preseason on September 1 and they guys I’ve brought in look really good so far - along with the guys who we’ve retained from last year. People may thing we’re not as strong.

But we need to have a competitive edge.

We know every game is a challenge because we’re not as deep. It’s a bit like our first two seasons in the league when we found it hard. But then we stepped up and we’re going to try to maintain that.” Why change a winning formula?

“There’s a sense that everyone knows everyone.

And in Plymouth, unlike in other major cities, the Raiders seem to matter to all concerned”

Words By: Mark Woods

25

Phillips Idowu

“Everyone wanted to be like Mike, and I was no exception. Because I have different hair colours and studs people compare me to Dennis Rodman, but I am nothing like him.�

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ISSUE#02

Words By: Will Clapton PHOTO By: Adidas

Hop SKIP JUMP In sport – athletics in particular – we Brits don’t like a showman (or woman, to be fair).

We like our athletes quiet, humble even. We love the ‘amateur done good’ story of someone just like you or I (just a lot fitter and more talented at sport).

A

nd what doesn’t fit this mould? ‘Creative’ hair. Piercings.

Confidence. Basketball socks worn when competing in the triple jump. Namely, 30-year old British-born Nigerian Phillips Idowu.

But yet we love him. His Cheshire Cat grin, his kaleidoscope hair colours (he dyed it red for Beijing 2008 because red is a lucky colour in China), long knee-high socks and unwavering commitment and passion for his sport melts the hearts of even the hard-to-please armchair enthusiasts which make up the British public. His relentless self-confidence could be misconstrued as arrogance (he admitted being “disappointed” winning the silver medal in Beijing, and despite missing out on the gold, the previously undefeated Idowu stated, “there ain’t no better athlete than me”), but something about his cheeky demeanour, infectious laugh and Hackney-boy swagger means it’s almost impossible not to like him. So back to the socks. Now, like most jumpers, Idowu wears compression socks; for those unfamiliar with compression clothing, it’s tight Lycra stuff which claims to help reduce muscle soreness and help make athletes’ muscles more efficient. But it wasn’t always that way with Idowu. He took those socks from basketball to athletics when he crossed over as a teenager. Yes, Idowu was a promising basketball player before he fine-tuned that explosive power to jump into sand pits, not a hoop.

Fadeaway caught up with Hackney’s finest jumper to talk basketball, explosive power and why Phillips could still make it to the NBA...

So we hear you were very talented at basketball at school...

Yes, I was! I first got involved in basketball at the age of 11, because the school that I went to had a very good reputation for basketball.

I went to Raynes Foundation School in Bethnal Green, and being good at sport was a big deal there. During the holidays, I would leave home in Dalston and walk to Hackney Downs where I’d play basketball until it got dark. Then I’d walk all the way home again.

How good did you get?

I was good enough to be in the team which got to the National (School) Championships and also played for a local club, East London Royals & Raines Foundation.

I remember playing against Homerton School, where Joe White was the coach. Let’s just say we won our fair share of matches.

So what made you quit the court and swap it for sand?

I had two fantastic PE teachers who could see I was a naturally talented athlete. Up to the age of 14 or 15, I was still playing basketball and doing athletics, but after making the finals of the English Schools competition (in 1997), my teachers stopped selecting me for basketball and steered me in the direction of athletics. After winning the English Schools, I quickly became known as the best triple jumper in London, then Britain, then Europe. And since then I’ve secured gold in the Commonwealth Games (2006) European Indoor Championships (2007), World Indoor Championships (2008), silver in the Olympics (2008) and gold again in the World Championships this year.

Was your explosive power evident from such a young age?

Yeah, I could jump! I played power forward but there were a lot of tall guys at my school who were also on the basketball team, and I didn’t grow much until I was about 16 or 17; before I grew, I was well under 6ft. Even when I did reach 6ft, there were a lot of people playing ball who were taller than me.

Who did you look up to when you were still playing basketball?

At that age, everyone loved Michael Jordan. Everyone wanted to be like Mike, and I was no exception. Because I have different hair colours and studs (his facial piercings), people compare me to Dennis Rodman, but I am nothing like him. My favourite team when I was younger was the Chicago Bulls, and whilst I still like to keep an eye on the game, I am so busy working I rarely, if ever, get a chance to watch a basketball game. I follow players more than teams- I’ve kept my eye on the two Brits in the NBA, Luol Deng and Ben Gordon.

How far do you think you could’ve gone in basketball? Is the NBA missing out on your jumping skills?

I think I could have been an NBA star! No, seriously, I got as far as I could have with basketball. But at 1.97m (about 6ft 6in), I’m just not tall enough to play basketball to the level of success I’ve met in athletics. But saying that, I’m 30 and I’m still improving at triple jump, so who knows...

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LEGEND

A F O FALL

L E B E R For 10 years, Allen Iverson was every kid’s hero...and the NBA’s anti-hero. But with the braids gone and the game struggling, is he no longer relevant?

IT

’s 1995, and me and my boys are watching VHS

tapes (remember them?) of this guy at Georgetown University called Allen Iverson. He is taking the piss. He is so fast...and has handles and moves we’ve never even thought of before, let alone seen. He is scoring at will - even dunking on dudes - yet stands no taller than most of us in the room. Little do we know that Iverson will go on to become the player who singularly defines our basketball generation. I have to admit, I felt a genuine twinge of sadness during All-Star weekend this year. No, not because I wasn’t in Phoenix when I could have been! It was seeing A.I. having his braids cut off. The same braids which had caused so much controversy. The same braids which had inspired literally millions of others to rock corn-rows too. The same braids which signalled to the world that the hip-hop generation was now in charge. All of a sudden, The Answer seemed just like any other NBA dude. He wasn’t “that guy” anymore. He was like Superman without his cape. And, in a way, coupled with his rapid decline as a basketball player, it marked the end of his relevance.

Let’s put aside Iverson’s on-court achievements - his MVP winning season, his taking a weak 76ers team to the NBA finals, his Rookie Of The Year award, his 4 scoring championships and 10 All-star appearances. Iverson’s skill, tenacity and heart can never be questioned. Let’s instead recognise that Allen Iverson’s impact on the game of basketball went way, way beyond what he did on the floor. The previous generation of basketball superstars were guys like Michael Jordan and Magic Johnson. Their basketball abilities were also unquestionable. But whilst these guys smiled for the camera, said all the right things and embodied the NBA’s family-friendly image, Iverson played by his own rules.

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Photo By: Michael McKensie Words By: Greg Tanner

“Without the braids, The Answer seemed just like any other NBA dude.

He wasn’t “that guy” anymore.

He was like Superman without his cape”

There were the tattoos. There was the swagger (before the word “swagger” became fashionable). There was the fact he had the audacity to cross MJ not once but TWICE! There was the “practise” press conference.

There was the fact he refused to comply with the NBA’s dress code - “my heroes don’t wear suits” he said. He drove the League nuts - remember when they airbrushed off his tatts when they put him on the front cover of Hoop magazine? But Allen Iverson really did “keep it real” (a phrase I hate, but one which so perfectly describes his attitude)...meaning a whole generation of people out there could look at him and think “he’s one of us”.All the time he was killing it on the floor, Iverson’s misdemeanours could be forgiven, if not forgotten. But over the last few postPhilly years, his form has nose-dived...and the guy who once averaged 43 minutes and 33 points per game one season found himself coming off the bench in Detroit last year, and scoring just 17ppg. Labelled a “chemistry killer”, Iverson is - at time of writing - still looking for a team to play for. Clubs are not falling over themselves to sign him - something quite extraordinary for a career 27-point scorer. One NBA general manager was recently quoted as saying: “He doesn’t guard, he’s late to practice and then you have the media hanging on his every word. I can guarantee 100 percent that you’re not going to change him. And if he wants to play for a championship-level team, he has to change his game to be a support guy. I don’t see that happening.”

And no longer is Allen the guy all the kids want to copy on the court...now the League belongs to LeBron James. Indeed, a new generation of fans are coming through now who never witnessed the way in which A.I. changed the game.

But the 34-year-old still thinks he has plenty left in the tank, if this recent Tweet of his is anything to go by.

“If you think that I am just going away - think again! I am getting ready for the NBA season...When you see me again you will think that I am fresh out of Georgetown!” Wouldn’t it be great it he makes good on that promise.

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LEBRON DOES LONDON

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FEATURE

LEBRON DOES LONDON The most famous basketball star on earth hit the capital this summer. FadeAway’s Greg Tanner followed his every move.

Words By: Greg Tanner PHOTOS By: Leo Cackett/ Nike

“

’Received. Confirm your name

and location..over,” came the reply from a very serious looking man with an earpiece, sat just next to me. It felt like we were awaiting the arrival of Barack Obama at Crystal Palace National Sports Centre. But we weren’t. This guy was bigger. At least, he was for most of the 80 young ballers eagerly anticipating his presence at Midnight Madness boot camp.

LeBron James, the reigning NBA MVP, was in town as part of his world tour to promote his new shoe - the Nike Air Max LeBron VII - and the documentary about his high school years, More Than A Game. =I, meanwhile, held two microphones - one for myself, the other for LeBron - as I had the fortunate (though ever so slightly nerve-racking) task of interviewing LBJ and Dru in front of the 300-odd people in the gym.

Whilst no earth-shattering revelations emerged from our chat, there were a few interesting nuggets. When we discussed London 2012, I asked LeBron how confident he was of Team USA retaining their Olympic gold medal. “Very,” he said with a deliberately smug look, drawing laughs.

“I love you guys, but you guys aren’t going to get the gold medal from us! It’s going to stay in the States, I’m sorry.”

And regarding NBA stars getting beaten by “regular people” (the tapeconfiscation fiasco and my brother

schooling Devin Harris) he had these words: “It may happen. BUT...I’m gonna let you guys know something there will be more guys getting dunked on than dunking on LeBron, and there will be more guys losing to Devin Harris in a one-on-one than him losing to somebody else.”

So, would he like to prove that by taking on Stuart when he’s over for the Olympics in three years time? “The 11 guys I bring over with me - let him get 11 guys and we’ll prove to him what real game is.”

Deal!

Stu can guard LeBron, I’ll get Kobe, my mate Anthony can get Chris Paul... and Michael is like 6’ 5” so he can mark Dwight Howard. Let’s get it on! Back to reality, and as the LeBron circus left Palace to head back to town for another store appearance, the gym was still buzzing following its brush with basketball greatness.

“That was surreal right there,” Midnight Madness finalist Amir Boucenna told FadeAway. “Seeing him in the flesh - he’s a big man!”

Meanwhile, 19-year-old Jordan Parrish admitted: “I was a little star struck!” And Courtney Van-Beest told us: “It really put things into perspective for me, just to see LeBron in action, to speak to him and hear from him. I’m definitely gonna go a bit harder [at the Midnight Madness final] for LeBron.”

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LEBRON DOES LONDON

FEATURE

“There will be more guys getting dunked on than dunking on LeBron,” King James”

After a crazy night of Midnight Madness action (and not getting home until 3am), it was up bright and early the following day for more LeBron activity.

This time he was at Lilian Baylis school in Lambeth...a grim, postapocalyptic-looking site in the middle of a huge housing estate which is currently undergoing a massive regeneration programme. It was here that a certain other number 23 unveiled a Jordan-branded basketball court in 2006..and where it was announced this time around that a new bball facility is to be constructed, with financial help from Nike and the NBA. It was funny watching LeBron interact with the children down there.

He is literally like the Pied Piper... with kids following his every move, staring up at him in awe. In fact, it wasn’t just kids - plenty of adults were getting in on the act as well!

The LBJ weekend culminated in the screening of More Than A Game at the May Fair hotel.

As someone who’s watched pretty much every basketball documentary ever made – from Hoops Dreams to Through The Fire – I can tell you that this was the most emotional one I’ve ever seen. Instead of focusing purely on LeBron, the film follows him and 32

ISSUE#02

his young team mates from humble beginnings to national stardom.

Maybe it was the free drink at the prescreening, but it honestly had me on the verge of tears a few times.

As the end credits rolled, LeBron, Dru and director Kristopher Belman came out for a Q & A session with Vis (of Ace and Invisible fame), whose “is dunking better than sex?” question LeBron deftly managed to sidestep!

From there it was onto the club, where LeBron and his crew posted up in one corner...his security brushing aside all photo requests except for Matthew Bryan-Amaning’s – which he brought me in on too!

Way, way more detail about LeBron’s trip can be found on Basketball247.co.uk – including video – so make sure you hit that up, as there’s only so much room here in FadeAway.

I would like to say a big thank you to Nike for all the access they gave us – in particular Simon Wainwright, who I already owed big-time following a fear-of-flying-related incident!

I better go hit the gym now...I have a game in three years I need to prepare for!!.

Kobe Bryant

H mAe T E NOW Kobe Bryant shook the “Shaq question” off his back this year by winning his fourth ring. It silenced a lot of haters...but why did he have so many in the first place?

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Words By: Greg Tanner Illustrations: Si Scott

35

Photos By: Courtesy of Nike

Kobe Bryant

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“As much as Kobe loyalists argued, the fact was that every ring the Black Mamba had won had a little ‘with Shaq’ asterisk next to it.

This summer, Kobe changed all that”

37

NO

current NBA player divides opinion like Kobe Bryant. You’re either a fan or a hater. There is no middle ground. It’s binary. 0s and 1s. Black and white. Day and night. If you are the former, then Kobe Bryant is an unparalleled scorer with a killer instinct and great defence. If you’re the latter, he’s an arrogant, selfish ball-hog who alienates team mates. For years the battle has raged... and for years haters have had a lethal weapon in their armoury - “Kobe cannot win a championship without Shaq”. As much as the Kobe loyalists argued, the fact was that every ring the Black Mamba had won had a little “with Shaq” asterisk next to it. This summer, Kobe changed all that.

“It was annoying. It was like Chinese water torture, just keep dropping a drop of water on your temple,” he said of the claims that he couldn’t win without Diesel. “It was a challenge I was going to have to accept. I responded to the challenge. And I proved people wrong. It felt like I got a big old monkey off my back!” Word. Even Shaq couldn’t hate.

“Congratulations kobe, u deserve it,” said his Twitter status the night the Lakers defeated the Magic, and Kobe was named Finals MVP. “You played great. Enjoy it my man enjoy it.

And I know what yur sayin rt now ‘Shaq how my ass taste’.” The question is though, how did it ever come to pass that such a talented player - one who’s averaged 25 points across his 13 year career, been an All-Star 11 times, scoring champ twice and regular season MVP - should be so hated?

“He just has never fit in so he fakes it,” says Ian Rider of The Boston Globe.

“He was a rich boy who grew up in Europe and went to the best high schools and came back for the States for his senior year. He used to say he was “from Philly”, back before they booed him at the All-Star game. Bottom line, he has never fit in anywhere.”

Rider is right. Kobe’s pre-NBA life experience was far-removed from that of most of his colleagues.

Rather than growing up in the projects of inner city America, he spent most of his formative years in Italy...where his father made nice bank as a pro-baller and where Kobe became fluent in Italian and rather handy on the soccer pitch.

On his return to the States, Kobe’s basketball skills were obvious. But socially he was an outsider.

“It was kind of strange because, being away, I didn’t know a lot of the slang that kids used,” he once said. “Kids would come up to me and say whatever, and I’d just nod.” He literally didn’t speak the same language as his peers.

But far from trying to fit in, Kobe almost revelled in the role of outsider. Instead of trying to make friends, he isolated himself and focused on nothing but his game. It paid off. Kobe was taken with the 13th pick of the 1996 NBA draft, and on January 28th 1997 became the youngest person ever to start an NBA game...for the storied Los Angeles Lakers, no less. Instantly, the pressure was on him. Comparisons with Michael Jordan started straight away - getting many people’s backs up right from the get-go.

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Indeed Kobe didn’t help his cause by apparently trying to mimic many of MJ’s mannerisms (such as the tongue). The fact that he refused to socialise with his team mates - preferring to sit at the back of the bus with his headphones on - only added fuel to the haters’ fire. So when he airballed the Lakers out of the play-offs that first year, many rubbed their hands with glee - enjoying the fact that this arrogant youngster, who thought he was a cut above everyone else, was finding out what it felt like to lose for the first time in his short life. Of course, we all know what went on to happen - Kobe and Shaq three-peated whilst despising each other, before the greatest big man of his generation was shipped to Miami where he got another ring.

Meanwhile, back in La-La-Land, Kobe continued to put up great numbers but, without the Diesel, failed to win. In fact, in the first post-Shaq season, the Lakers didn’t even make the play-offs - the first time that had happened in over a decade.

It seemed to prove everything the Kobe haters had been saying all along. He was only concerned with his personal stats. He killed team chemistry and, with it, the Lakers’ chances of winning again. Kobe’s 62-point and 81-point games were a joy to behold for his fans...but to his critics, they were indicative of everything that was wrong with him. The bottom line was this - Kobe needed to switch up his game if he wanted to take his team back to the top. And to his credit, that’s exactly what he did. Having averaged 35.4ppg in 05-06 and 31.6ppg in 06-07, Kobe dropped his scoring down to 28.3 for the 07-08 campaign. Involving his team mates more than ever, Kobe led the Lakers’ to a West best 57-25 record. He was named the regular season MVP and was the only unanimous selection to the All-NBA team.

However, Bryant’s dream season was ruined by the Celtics - who brushed L.A. aside in six games in the NBA finals. Having come so close to glory - only to fall at the last hurdle - Kobe started last season as a man on a mission. But rather than going into scoring overdrive, he once again sacrificed his stats for the good of the team - putting up just 26.8ppg, his lowest since the 03-04 campaign.

The results were instant - the Lakers tied the franchise record for most wins to start a season, going 17-2, and were 21-3 by the middle of December.

Once again the Lake Show reached the finals.

But this time, Kobe would not be denied. Knowing that his place in history was waiting, Kobe upped his game - becoming the first player since Michael Jordan (fitting, eh?) to average 30 points, 5 rebounds and 5 assists during the finals, en route to the title.

In winning this latest championship, Kobe secured his legacy as one of the greatest of all-time... and removed Shaq from the conversation. But only briefly - for just two weeks later, O’Neal signed with Cleveland. Now, paired with the pretender to Kobe’s throne, LeBron James, the Cavs arguably pose the greatest threat to Kobe’s dream of back-to-back titles.

It seems Mr Bryant has not yet heard that last of that Shaq guy.

Photo By: Mansoor Ahmed

Kobe Bryant

LA STORY...

O

nly decided to go to the finals after Orlando won Game 3. I have an understanding boss and even more understanding wife. I must be mad but what’s the point in dreams being just that? I’m lucky enough to have seen Kobe Bryant play before against the Magic in 2004. Kobe put on a hell of a show that night scoring 42. The Lakers lost. His team mates simply were not good enough then.

Orlando’s gone Magic crazy. Massive posters with Magic players on them are hanging over downtown buildings. No-one thinks the series is over despite the Magic being down 3-1. The place is buzzing as gametime approaches. To get to my seat I have to go past the ESPN studio. In front of me is none other than MAGIC JOHNSON!!!! You can’t get near him though and even getting a picture is difficult. I’m in the 5th row behind the basket! My seat is surrounded by Laker fans. Maybe I shouldn’t have rocked the Dwight Howard jersey out of respect for my hosts! When you’re in America that you get an idea of how big a deal the Lakers are. Having watched Kobe since he was drafted I explain to them how much I’d love to see him win another title tonight.

The Lakers are shooting towards me in the first half. You pick up things in the arena that you don’t get from TV. Pau Gasol is more intense and his game is more physical than I thought. He talks to the officials all game. Luke Walton laughs and jokes with everyone throughout the game. Coach Jackson hardly speaks to the team in time outs and Kobe is just plain focused. Orlando gets out to a fast start but LA come back at them in the 2nd quarter. One play that sticks out in my mind is when Kobe drives baseline past what seems like the entire Magic team right in front of me and stuffs it one handed. In your face! He makes some other amazing jumpers that take your breath away such is the degree of difficulty. By the end of the 3rd it’s clear that it’s going to be the Lakers night. They don’t disappoint. Seeing the team get presented with the trophy is the icing on the cake to a great trip. Kobe gets the finals MVP (presented by Bill Russell – I bet he loved presenting it to a Laker!). Kareem Abdul-Jabaar is out there with the team, Magic is standing up in the TV booth. They still bleed purple and gold. I feel very honoured to be witnessing a bit of Kobe history, his first championship without Shaq. Who’d bet against a repeat next year? I’ll start saving now.

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QUAI 54

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FEATURE

FR ERV OEL NU T CI OHN Thought proper streetball tournaments only happened in the US? Think again. Paris’ Quai 54 international championship has Europe beating the Americans at their own game.

Words By: Greg Tanner PHOTOs By: Kévin Couliau

N

ew York...Los Angeles...

Chicago. Cities rich in basketball history and steeped in streetball legend.

Add Paris to that list. Seriously. Since 2003, the city of love has hosted one of the roughest, toughest, most physical streetball tournaments on earth. It’s called “Quai 54”.

The event was founded by Hammadoun Sidibe, who’d been immersed in French street basketball culture for years. According to him, following the (second) retirement of Michael Jordan from the NBA, basketball’s popularity started to wane in France...and he wanted to do something to reverse the trend. “When Jordan stopped playing, it seemed like the hype around basketball died,” he says. “I wanted to show the French league how to promote basketball. I don’t think they do a good job. If you go to see a Pro-A game [France’s top league], you don’t

enjoy it. “I told them they have to mix basketball with the whole hip-hop lifestyle and culture. Afterall, France is the second most ‘hip-hop’ country in the world - you’re supposed to represent that too. But they didn’t, so I said ‘OK, I’m going to do my own thing’”.So he put on an event - promoted only by word of mouth - at 54 Quai Michelet de Levallois in the suburbs of Paris. It was only meant to be small tournament - but over 1000 people turned out to watch some now legendary games. As a result, hype around the event the following summer was crazy - and Hammadoun had to take it to a bigger venue. But he kept the “Quai 54” name, in memory of where it all began. But whilst the tournament was huge amongst France’s basketball community for the first couple ofyears, it wasn’t until 2005 that it really hit the big time internationally.f

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QUAI 54

FEATURE

““If you ain’t used to that street mentality of ‘call your own fouls’, and you’re used to having referees blow the whistle for you, you’re going to come here and struggle” – Germayne Forbes

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FEATURE

That summer, the winners of the legendary Entertainer’s Basketball Classic at New York’s Rucker Park were invited. That team was rapper Fat Joe’s “Terror Squad”.

As the kings of NY streetball, they came in thinking they were going to sweep the whole thing. They got a rude awakening. Clearly unprepared for the physical nature of the French players, Terror Squad ended up walking out of the tournament.

It caused shockwaves throughout the global streetball scene. The best team in New York - the very home of gritty, balls-out streetball - couldn’t hack it in Paris.

Quai 54 had arrived. Since then, the best teams from New York, London, Germany and beyond have joined France’s finest every summer... bringing streetball legends, Pro-A stars and NBA players together for some incredible weekends of basketball. But physical play is still the name of the game.

“If you ain’t used to that street mentality of ‘call your own fouls’, and you’re used to having referees blow the whistle for you, you’re going to come here and struggle,” says Team GB point guard Germayne Forbes, who’s played in the last four Quai 54 tournaments.

Meanwhile, Rah Wiggins, the coach of threetime EBC winners Sean Bell All-Stars, reckons “Quai 54 is the most physical tournament I’ve ever seen in my life.”

He should know - he pulled his team off the court at the 2008 Quai 54, complaining that it was too rough and that the refs were being biased against them!

This year, the vibe at Quai 54 was crazy. The tournament started less than 48 hours after the news of Michael Jackson’s death broke - and his greatest hits proved to be the soundtrack to the weekend. Indeed one of the highlights was an impromptu performance by an MJ impersonator which brought the house down. But the real stars of Quai 54 2009 were Ludacris and Usher. Yes...

Ludacris and Usher! Luda did a 15 minute set by himself, before the RnB superstar joined him on the court. It was pandemonium.

Back on court, and after two days of action in the blazing Parisian sun, French team “La Fusion” met Sean Bell All-Stars in the final.

This year, the Americans were without their hot-tempered coach, Wiggins, but most of the players were familiar faces. And whilst they didn’t walk off the court in a huff this time, they were promptly despatched by La Fusion - led by former Nike Battlegrounds winner Amare Sy - who retained their Quai 54 crown.

As someone who has been to countless streetball and basketball events over the years, I can honestly say that nothing compares to Quai 54. To see the players run out onto a floodlit court, silhouetted against the orange sky at sunset, in front of four thousand roaring fans, is a magical experience. Forget baguettes, Citroens or Briget Bardot...Quai 54 is the greatest thing France has even given us!

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FLIGHT BROTHERS

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FEATURE

PhotoS By: Dusan Cvetkovic Words By: Greg Tanner

WE FLY HIGH

Team Flight Brothers have taken the art of dunking to new heights.

T

eam Flight Brothers have ruined the dunk contest. Why? Because once you’ve seen them – either on the internet or live in the flesh – any competition which doesn’t feature them seems terrible. For those who don’t know, please...put the magazine down now, hit up YouTube and search for them. Now you’re familiar, you understand – TFB do things that should simply not be physically possible. 5’ 9” guys hitting their head on the ring? Through-the-legs over 6 people? They’re on some Matrix shit, honestly.

The Team Flight Brothers story begins with Charles Millan. A dunking fanatic since way back, this white guy entered several competitions around the States back in the early 2000s. He’s the first to admit his hops were never out-of-this-world, yet somehow he became the subject of numerous internet rumours and myths.

“I read this one article about me beating [dunk legend and current Houston Rocket] James White,” he told FadeAway. “I don’t know where that came from! I was at a competition where James White was a judge, but never even dunked against him.” How the stories started, we’ll never know. What they did though was propel Charles to internet dunking fame.Then, in one high school game, Charles and his team mate Micah Rucker (who now plays for the New York Giants in the NFL) had 11 dunks between them. “The next day the paper had the story with the headline ‘Team Flight Brothers’,” says Charles.

From there, Chuck got serious about the whole dunking thing. He realised he was never going to be the star of the show himself, but having established links throughout the dunking world, he began bringing together the most incredible skywalkers he could find, filming them and putting them on YouTube. But all hell broke loose when he put up a clip of 5’ 9” Terry Coumoyea, aka T-Dub. The video notched up nearly 3 million views and was nominated for YouTube’s Best Sports Video 2007.

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“I’m sure you’ve heard rumours and stories about a million-dollar dunk contest?

Well, right now we’re heavily involved in trying to make that happen in 2010” - Charles Millan”

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FEATURE

“When we put that clip up – with T-Dub doing the 540 – we got a lot of reactions,” says Charles.

“That’s when people started trying to get hold of me, rather than the other way around.”

Now, the art of dunking is Charles’ full-time job.

In additon to having cheques come in from YouTube every month, he’s now the head scout for the televised “Slam City” dunk contests in America as well as the NBA’s nationwide dunk competition. And his Team Flight Brothers crew put on shows around the world.

Most recently, the guys were in London for the Midnight Madness final. We hooked up with them, and asked T-Dub just how he can jump so high.

“I can’t even call it,” he said, with a look on his face like he was seriously trying to work out just how he defies gravity. “I work hard...and have confidence”.

His “word hard” comment was a refreshing change for me. Having interviewed countless dunkers who’ve claimed it’s all natural and that they’d never lifted a weight or jumped a rope in their life, it made a change for someone to admit that it does take effort.

On the subject of working out to improve your leap, Charles has the following advice: “Weights will help, obviously – but the best way to improve your jump is to jump. The more you jump, the better you get at it.

It builds the right muscles, improves your technique... it’s the best way to work on your vertical.”

After a few minutes of sharing their dunking experiences with me, I asked the guys whether they are full-time dunkers. The reaction I got shocked me.

“Hell nah,” protested T-Dub, “first and foremost, I’m a ball player.” “For real, I’d rather shoot than dunk,” insisted 6’ 1” Kevin Kemp, aka Golden Child.

“Dunking is a hobby,” said Guy Dupuy – a French high-flyer who’s relocated to Florida to basically live with the TFB guys. One thing’s for certain though, it was their dunking skills rather than their jump shots which had European basketball brand k1x come knocking recently, offering TFB a sponsorship deal.

“Hooking up with k1x was cool,” Charles told us.

“They slapped T-Dub on their ads and got us into big time magazines like Slam.” Now though, Charles has some projects in the pipeline that could take TFB to a whole new level. “I’m sure you’ve heard rumours and stories about a million-dollar dunk contest? Well, right now we’re heavily involved in trying to make that happen in 2010.”

They’re also campaigning for TFB members to be allowed to enter the NBA dunk contest and show the pros how it’s done. “We’ve been trying to do this for a while now. Every now and then it’ll look like we’ve made some progress but then the NBA get scared and say ‘no way’. “They’ve got too much to lose - imagine LeBron or one of those guys losing to us!” As much as the TFB guys claim to be ball players, they ain’t in the NBA. However, if they get up in that dunk contest, I have no doubt they will show the guys in the L just who owns the skies.”

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NBA 2009/10

Season Preview

Photo By: Fernando Medina/NBAE via Getty Images WORDS By: Will Clapton

NBA Season Preview Which teams and players should we look out for in the 09-10 campaign?

Two

years ago, I wisely placed a bet that the Celtics would win the NBA championship after they traded for Kevin Garnett.

Nine months later, I smugly collected my winnings from the bookmakers who had been slow to recognise the prowess of the revamped Celtics.

Last year, most people correctly predicted that the Lakers – with Kobe Bryant licking his wounds – would win it all. Ahead of the 2009/10 season, such confidence in predicting an NBA champion would be foolish: it has never been so difficult to choose a frontrunner. However, we shouldn’t let that stop us.

Ask yourself this: who wants to win the NBA championship the most? The answer is of course immeasurable. However, you could argue that recent winners have succeeded partly due to the fact they wanted it more than anyone else. The Lakers’ success last year was partly due to Kobe Bryant’s determination to prove he could win a ring without Shaq by his side. The year before, the Celtics’ trio of Garnett, Paul Pierce and Ray Allen were all desperate to win after years of trying to no avail.

And this season? A case could be made that the Cleveland Cavaliers’ two superstars – LeBron James and his new teammate, Shaquille O’Neal – want it the most. The former is on a mission to prove he is the best player in the NBA; the latter is motivated by, amongst other things, a goal to reclaim his Superman nickname from Dwight Howard.

Of course, Howard is the very reason why the Cavs traded for Shaq in the first place. The Magic big man dominated the paint during Orlando’s 4-2 Eastern Conference Finals victory over the Cavs. Meanwhile, the Cavs were desperate to surround LeBron with as much talent as possible to keep him happy and, they hope, in Cleveland.

The Magic themselves were outclassed 4-1 in the Finals by the Lakers. As a result, they adjusted their roster, trading one of last season’s surprise packages, Courtney Lee, and other pieces to the Nets for Vince Carter. That trade looks nice on paper, but Carter has never proven himself as a winner. Now is his chance. The loss of Hedo Turkoglu to the Raptors could hurt the Magic but, ultimately, their championship chances will always rest on the wide shoulders of Dwight Howard.

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Understandably, the reigning champion Lakers are still many

pick for the championship. It’d be foolish to discount the “The Boston experts’ champs. Kobe will now be motivated by his quest to win a couple Celtics more rings so that the Kobe versus Jordan debate can really begin. his back will be new addition Ron Artest. His defensive struggled with Watching expertise will be useful against the likes of LeBron James but will keep his cool under the Hollywood spotlight? Phil Jackson injuries last hetamed Dennis Rodman so don’t bet against it.

Talking of former champions, the Boston Celtics struggled season, but injuries last season, but the addition of Garnett’s good friend, the addition of with Rasheed Wallace, was arguably the most important free agency of this summer. Already one of the NBA’s most formidaGarnett’s good signing ble defensive teams, the Celtics should be even stronger in that with the addition of Wallace – not to mention more friend, Rasheed department unpredictable. Two perennial contenders in the West both got this summer. The San Antonio Spurs appeared to be on Wallace, was stronger the decline but recent additions Richard Jefferson and Antonio arguably the McDyess should put a stop to that. The two newcomers will fit the Spurs’ already imposing starting five giving Tim Duncan most important into a chance to contend for his fifth ring. Fellow Texans, the Dallas Mavericks, brought in Shawn Marion in the hope that the Matrix free agency will improve their shaky defense. The Spurs and Mavs should give signing of this the Lakers their toughest test out West, but don’t discount the Blazers or Nuggets either. summer” Elsewhere in the NBA, a number of young players are poised

to breakout. Anthony Randolph tore up the summer league and should get plenty more opportunities to impress for the Warriors.

In New York, Wilson Chandler appears ready to become the face of the Knicks. There are high expectations on former number one draft picks Andrea Bargnani of the Raptors and Greg Oden of the Blazers. Bargnani’s progress has been slow but steady – this is his chance to really step it up a gear. If Oden can avoid foul trouble, he could give the Blazers some much needed help on the defensive end. Amongst this year’s many rookies to watch out for, the Clippers’ Blake Griffin should prove an immediate handful for his opponents, while the Wolves’ Johnny Flynn and James Harden of the Thunder should see big minutes from the season’s tip off.

Most eyes, however, will be glued to the elite teams of the NBA this season. The rich teams got richer during the summer. It just remains to be seen who really wants the championship the most.

Dwight Howard

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FASHION

The Lace UP

Get your sneaker freak on with these all action kicks.

PhotoS By: Kevin Joseph /RESPONSE

Nike Airmax Lebron VII - Nike.com Illustration: Monique Anderson Retouching: Kieran Halil Assistants: Natasha Brown, Sara Nouman

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Adidas Mad Ups - Adidas.com

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FASHION The K1X H1TOP - K1X.com

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Adidas Pro Team - Adidas.com 58

PLAY SMART

“I woke up one morning and there was something wrong with my left eye.

I couldn’t see properly” Photo By: FaceHoop Words By: Ozeg Polanski

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Facehoop Academy

The idea of Facehoop Academy was conceived a year ago in Chicago, two friends that are coming from the same town, with the same passion and love for the game of basketball.

M

arin Sedlacek, Academy Director, and Filip Bajovic, CEO/Project Manager, after many hours spent on the phone, numerous e-mails and meetings, managed to put all pieces together. On June 17, 2009, in New York City, Facehoop Academy was ready for the first class.

The main idea of the Academy is to bring back the old school way of teaching basketball. They wanted a change from the current scout-agent recruiting environment. The academy would be based on fundamentals, while delivering a more educational-oriented message, stressing the importance and value of education and academic achievement. In the last decade, basketball has changed and gone in the opposite direction from the old school, which believed in fundamentals and hard work. The old school was focused on basic elements: footwork, positioning, one on one, pick up jumper, pivot game and shooting from no man’s land. One famous coach said: “Give me a team full of guys that know how to execute those skills, and I will win a lot of games!” This old school taught a lot of players, not only how to play the game, but how to respect the history and tradition of the basketball game, and to understand their roll and position in the process of building the future of this sport.

They were creating the educational and life skills environment, where young players were equipped with the tools they needed to experience a more meaningful life. “ After 30 years of being involved in basketball, as a coach, and numerous positions that I held (Director of Basketball Without Borders, Director of Michael Jordan Euro Camps, Director of Nike Euro Camps and etc.), it was a time to start a new venture.

With this new program, an International Academy, we will be able to teach the young players the fundamentals of basketball and the values of education. We will form the team of young coaches, to whom I will pass my knowledge and experience”, said Marin Sedlacek. In the same breath, he continues: “One day, I hope, these young coaches, will be able to spread this knowledge to younger generations and teach them the tradition and history of this magical game. I managed to surround myself with a group of friends and colleagues, which share the same values in life and the same passion for basketball. Marko Radovanovic, Academy Head Coach and Coordinator, a long time assistant, colleague and friend, helped me to put this pro-

gram together. His personal relationship with the young players helps them to go through the program and hard drills with a smile on their faces. My dear friend and colleague, Momir Gajic, Assistant Coach of the University of Rhode Island, was e-mailing his advice, based on his experience with young players in the US. All of this advice was crucial to understanding youth basketball programs. Filip Bajovic, CEO, a friend that I share the same love for the game, and the partner in this project, helped with the financial side. His business knowledge and organizational skills helped us to finish smoothly a five day event. The first Facehoop Academy class was a great success. We had 26 players, from 6 countries, USA, Serbia, Croatia, Greece, Slovenia and Montenegro. Four of our players received scholarships from schools in the United States and one signed a contract with a First Division team, from Greece. We are very excited with the outcome and we are getting ready for the next class of Facehoop Academy, which will take place in New York City, December 26th-30th.”

Marko Radovanovic added:”I was thrilled with the progress of all players, particularly with the progess of the youngest. I have been around the world in many camps, but I have to admit, I have never had such an experience as I had with Facehoop Academy. It was a great pleasure to watch the players and how they were bonding together. There is a wonderful story about two young players, one from Greece and the other from Staten Island. They formed a special friendship, and they became inseparable during the Academy. There is another inspiring story about a young man from Slovenia, who was informed by coach Sedlacek, that he is not a right handed shooter and that his shot with his left hand is more correct and better. He was shooting to the end of the Academy with his left hand. His story became the story of the first Facehoop Alumni.

One thing I will never forget was the smiling face of a boy, who was yelling, while he was approaching me: “Coach it works, I scored 14 points!” The young player from Brooklyn was so happy and proud, that finally he was capable to score, in the same fashion as the big guys do!” “It was a love, it was a dream, it was an idea, and now it is a reality. PLAY SMART!” These are the last words by Filip Bajovic. The first chapter about Facehoop Academy is closed, but we hope this Academy will stay around the basketball world for a long time!

MUSIC

LIL WAYNE

After years of panning post the ‘Tha Block is Hot’ (1999), Weezy gets his groove back both in the studio and on the basketball court. Fade Away caught the lowdown.

WORDS By: Danielle AumorD Photo By: PHIL KNOTT

“Kobe’s a real deep dude. He’s serious about what he do. I love him”

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even taken to critiquing the game’s coaches. “Michael Jordan’s friend Isaiah Thomas is gonna go coach at Florida International. What the hell is he doing going to Florida International, and what the hell are they doing hiring him? He’s a terrible coach. The school isn’t too far from where I live, so I may have to go down there and report back on what I see, because you know every game is going to be a circus. He’s mentally crazy.” But unfortunately for ESPN, Carter doesn’t always get all the facts right all the time. In October last year, he posted this particular blog: ‘My heart goes out to Jason Collier on the Jaguars and the kicker from Tampa Bay, Matt Bryant, who lost his baby. He went out and played, too, on Sunday. That, to me, is the definition of amazing,’ when in actual fact Jason Collier died 3-years previously, and probably Lil’ Wayne was referring to Richard Collier, an offensive lineman for the Jacksonville Jaguars. Never mind, we can’t all get it right every time and there’s enough passion brewing away on the inside of him, you’d almost forgive him for making an odd hip-cup. Now back to the music.

Carter has a few projects forthcoming: Firstly his new album ‘Tha Carter IV’ which he’s in the process of recording with release dates due to be set. “I’ve been busy in the studio.

Right now I’m working on a mix-tape, along with ‘Tha Carter IV’. It’s called Dedication 3. Then there’s going to be another one called ‘Gangsta Grillz’ by DJ Drama. And then right after that, I’m putting that same mixtape out with 20 extra songs for free on my website”. He’s also dropping two collaboration albums, one with Juelz Santana entitled ‘I can’t feel my face’ and another called ‘Blood Brothers’ with The Game, and with last year’s breakthrough success from the album ‘The Carter III’, many will be rubbing their hands in anticipation. So even if the career as a sports commentator doesn’t really work out, his crown in the musical arena appears steadfast.

PAGE Sponsored by: BIG SMOKE MAGAZINE

L

il’ Wayne born Dwayne Michael Carter, Jr. on September 27th, 1982 in New Orleans, Louisiana is well known for brushes with the law and versatile rap styles, but recently he’s been building up a profile as a very opinionated basketball analyst. He has even found a way to combine his musical and sporting passions with a track about his favourite ball player, Lakers champion ‘Kobe Bryant’. He launches in with ‘There’s nothing that Kobe Bryant can’t do’ and continues to rap Bryant’s praises in his unique, croaky style over sparse but catchy beats, interchanged with monologue from the basketball player himself, telling us how he gets his game on.

“Kobe’s a real deep dude. He’s real serious about what he do”, explains Lil’ Wayne, in a relaxed fashion. “He that inspired that track, not even so much the NBA championships. I texted him during the playoffs and I was like I’m going to do a song called ‘He Can’t Go at Me’, he was like ‘do it’ and so I did it.

“I love Kobe. Let me give you an example of how crazy he is. I had to change my phone number recently, and Kobe tracked down my new contact info. Well instead of texting me like a normal person and saying ‘What up, Wayne, just got your number. Hope we can catch up soon’, I get this random text being like ‘I’m getting ready to kill ‘em tomorrow.—KB’. No ‘Hello, Wayne. It’s been a while.’ So that’s how crazy he is. That’s why he is the best basketball player in the world.” Last year the rapper began to blog for ESPN (Entertainment and Sports Programming Network), expressing his random thoughts on basketball, football and baseball. Within one of his recent blogs centering on the 2009 NBA play offs, Weezy noted the Celtic versus the Bulls playoffs as ‘one of the most amazing playoff series in the history of basketball.’ “I wanted the Bulls to win so bad. Derrick Rose showed amazing heart and Ben Gordon was just playing unbelievable.” He’s