ISSUE 01
MIAMI THRICE CAN ‘BRON, FLASH & BOSH BRING THE HEAT? TEAM USA ON TOP OF THE WORLD NIKE WORLD BASKETBALL FESTIVAL
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RYAN RICHARDS YORICK WILLIAMS KANO £3.50 ISSUE 01
AUTUMN 2010
EDITORIAL > COntrIBUtOrS > lIStIngS
SAM NETER
phOTO By: jaKE grEEn
Sam used to play basketball until he realised he was better off the court than on it. He now runs Hoopsfix and spearheaded the ‘Back British Basketball’ campaign this summer.
MVP MAGAZINE response Studios, 369B high road, leyton, london E10 5na. e: info@mvp247.com w: mvp247.com t: 020 8558 3501
Editor Greg Tanner greg@MVP247.com Assistant Editor Mark Woods mark@MVP247.com Creative Director Jake Green jake@MVP247.com
NEW SEASON, NEW START
T
he Miami Heat weren’t the only ones making some huge off-season power moves, you know. The key guys behind FadeAway, Basketball247. co.uk and Britball.com all officially came together to launch what you’re holding right now – MVP Magazine. The new team has strength and depth, just like the fully-loaded Heat. With myself and Mark Woods taking charge of content, we’re getting stories like Eddie House is set to get open threes this season. And with Jake Green and Harry Adams on board (the design guys who made FadeAway look and feel so amazing), MVP is looking prettier than any Wade-to-LeBron alley-oop will this year. And if you haven’t already, make sure you hit up MVP247.com. Since August we’ve been unrivalled in terms of the quantity and quality of content we’ve been pumping out. We bring you fresh, relevant basketball news and views on a daily basis – so make sure you log on today. Anyway... it’s been a VERY busy summer, so we’re spoilt for choice for Issue 1.
Team GB did their thing in the Eurobasket qualifiers, but we’re STILL waiting to hear whether it’s enough to secure us a spot at London 2012. Mark gives us his thoughts on that. Ryan Richards talks to Sam Neter about becoming the latest Brit drafted to the NBA. We’ve an exclusive interview with the Brit ball legend that is Yorick Williams. We have all the action from the Nike World Basketball Festival in New York. And I talk to potential GB PG of the future, Devon Van Oostrum. We’re always interested in hearing your thoughts, feedback and story ideas. So if you have anything you’d like to share, please drop us an email on info@mvp247.com. Every issue of MVP is set to be jam-packed with exclusive interviews that take you inside the locker room - as well as all the latest stories, features and trends on and court the court. So if you enjoy Issue 1, why not take out a subscription to make sure you never miss out? Here’s to the season ahead.
THOMAS ANGUS
Thomas is a Brightonbased baller with a passion for shooting hoops and photographs. Check out his impressive portfolio at thomasangus.com
IS SEt tO gEt OPEn thrEES thIS SEaSOn... and lOOKIng PrEttIEr than any WadEtO-lEBrOn allEy-OOP WIll thIS yEar”
Contributing Writers Sam Hart, Jacob Hiller & Sam Neter.
Contributing Design, Photographers/ Illustrators
Thomas Angus, Linnea Apelqvist, John Harris, Kieran Halil & Tom Roberts.
Special Thanks
Tom at Pitch, Simon at Nike, Damon, Nick at ESPN & The Lewis Crew.
Printers
KIERAN HALIL
Silver fox photographer Kieran shot our stunning “Lace ‘Em Up” sneaker feature. Apart from being an exceptional re-toucher and avid Arsenal fan, he is also a keen bread baker.
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KEEP BALLIN’ GREG TANNER
“ WE’rE gEttIng StOrIES lIKE EddIE hOUSE
Art Director Harry Adams harry@MVP247.com
JOE LUNARDI
Joe is a college basketball analyst for ESPN, best known for creating Bracketology - the “art and science” of predicting the NCAA Tournament.
We may occasionally use material we believe has been placed in the public domain. Sometimes it is not possible to identify and contact the copyright holder. If you claim ownership of something published in MVP, we will be pleased to make a proper acknowledgement. All letters received are assumed to be for publication unless otherwise stated. MVP does not accept liability for any loss or damage of unsolicited materials. Reproduction in whole or parts of any contents of MVP without prior permission of the Editor is strictly prohibited.
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FIRST-EVER REGULAR-SEASON GAMES IN EUROPE! BE PART OF HISTORY.
TICKETS ON SALE NOW
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< INSIDE > REGULARS
06 | OVERTIME
Proper NBA play is on its way to London...and the BBL’s headed Skywards.
52 | FASHION
Get your sneaker game correct for the start of the season.
64 | WORKOUT
Reach for rim with Jacob Hiller’s arm-stretching tips.
> FEATURES 14 | NCAA PREVIEW
ESPN’s Joe Lunardi gives us his expert opinion.
16 | TEAM GB
32
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We proved ourselves on the court this summer. What now for our Olympic hopes?
18 | GREAT BRIXTON
The special bond that links five of our national team players.
20 | WORLD BASKETBALL FESTIVAL Stars from Jay-Z to Jordan turn out for this homage to hoops.
24 | BBL PREVIEW
Can the Mersey Tigers end the Eagles’ monopoly of the league?
28 | FIBA WORLD CHAMPS
Durantula weaves his magic in Turkey.
36 | MIAMI THRICE
Can the Big Three bring the Heat?
44 | BRIGHTON BEACH
A portrait of the UK’s number one streetball court.
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60 | STYLAH
The South London spitter talks Twitter and his recent collabo with Mr Hudson.
62 | KANO
Find out who the urban star’s favourite NBA player is.
> BALLER
10 | DEVON VAN OOSTRUM
The potential GB PG of the future tells us why bulking up is top of his priorities. TOP TO BOTTOM: NBAE/GETTY IMAGES, JAKE GREEN & THOMAS ANGUS
NEXT ISSUE MVP ISSUE 02 OUT JANUARY 2011 Follow us on Twitter and Facebook for all the latest news, events and competitions. (twitter.com/MVP_247 / facebook.com/MVPMAG)
12 | RYAN RICHARDS
The Brit big man on how he always knew he’d get drafted.
32 | YORRICK WILLIAMS
An exclusive interview with British basketball’s most misunderstood individual.
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BRITS ABROAD > RYAN RICHARDS
“ Before the
draft they were all like ‘no way he’s gonna get drafted’. But I already knew I was gonna get picked. I just knew with what I can do and my height, it’s rare ”
Words By: Sam Neter Photo By: Gran Canaria
EARNING HIS SPURS Ryan Richards surprised the basketball world when he was drafted by San Antonio this summer. But he says the hard work begins now.
T
here are two things Ryan Richards has always had - size....and confidence. “I remember when I was like 15, 16, I was like ‘I’m gonna be in the NBA by 2010, watch me’,” says the 6’ 11” baller out of Sittingbourne in Kent. “Everybody was like ‘yeah, yeah, OK Ryan.”Becoming the youngest person ever to play at the Nike Hoop Summit - and securing himself 12
a contract with Spanish powerhouse Gran Canaria - answered a lot of questions about his ability. So haters instead began focusing on his alleged ‘attitude problem’. “They said ‘your attitude’ and this and this...but no-one’s ever said ‘you ain’t got the tools’ or ‘you aren’t good enough to be in the NBA’. A lot of people in England talk like I’m this and this, but I don’t leave Kent...no one knows me! Even when I played for England, we were out the country in Bosnia or Estonia.” If no one knew him in England, they certainly didn’t know about him in the States. When he declared for the NBA draft this spring, following a number of less than impressive seasons in Europe, he didn’t even register as a blip on anyone’s radar. But all that changed when he smashed the NBA draft combine camp in Chicago - putting in a perform
ance which ESPN’s Chad Ford labelled as “kinda sexy”. “It was good to see how overhyped these [other] guys were and how some of them weren’t as good as the internet says they are. I think I was definitely the most skilled power forward in the group workout we had. The difference was really body-wise, and height. Some guys were a lot smaller - they said they were 6’ 11”, but a lot of them were 6’ 9”.” Even after a flurry of internet interest, many doubted whether Richards would actually get picked by an NBA team. But he remained confident. “Before the draft they were all like ‘no way he’s gonna get drafted’. But I already knew I was gonna get picked. I just knew with what I can do and my height, it’s rare.” Ryan didn’t go to Madison Square Garden for the big night, choosing instead to watch it on TV in a bar. “My name came across the bottom [of the screen] and everybody in the bar started jumping up and down - people I didn’t even know! It felt good. Then [San Antonio Spurs] Coach Popovich called me within two minutes and said ‘great to have you, can’t wait until you get down’.” Ryan says his next challenge is securing a roster spot - no easy task as he continues to rehab from shoulder surgery. “It was an injury I could’ve played on this season, but speaking to people from San Antonio and my agent, there was no point in risking it. I’ll be back November 21 and allowed full contact workouts on January 21, where I’m hoping to get on the D-League team in Austin. My goal is to get a call up during the end of the season.” Despite achieving so much already, 19-yearold Ryan remains grounded. And although he understands the huge task ahead of him, he’s set himself some lofty goals. “In 5 years, I’d say [I’ll be] a legit, decent NBA player - not just a draftee who makes some money and then drops out. In ten years time? I’ll have an NBA championship.” Ryan Richards, NBA Champion 2020? Given his track record of proving haters wrong, I wouldn’t doubt it. MVP
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> NCAA BASKETBALL PREVIEW
HIGHER LEARNING Coach K and the Dookies may be favourites to win it all again this year, but history suggests it might be easier said than done.
T
he coming college basketball season in the U.S. figures to have a familiar theme. Namely, can anyone catch Duke? The Blue Devils (Luol Deng’s alma mater) are the Manchester United of college bball. Last April they won their fourth NCAA championship under head coach Mike Krzyzewski (he of Team USA fame) and they enter the 201011 season as solid favourite to repeat. Since the NCAA expanded its annual “March Madness” tournament to 64 teams in 1985, Duke has advanced to the coveted Final Four of the tourney on 11 different occasions. No other university in men’s Division I basketball has come close to such sustained excellence since the late John Wooden led UCLA to 10 national championships in the 1960s and 1970s.
Senior forward Kyle Singler and senior guard Nolan Smith will provide on court leadership for Duke’s title defence. They will be backed by the venerable “Coach K”, who has won nearly 800 games over 30 seasons at the exclusive private school (795 - 220, .783). Yet one of the charms of American college basketball is its unpredictability. While the defending champions enter the new season as heavy favourites to repeat, history suggests it is far easier said than done. In fact, only the Blue Devils (19911992) and Florida Gators (2006-2007) have managed it in the modern era. The more likely scenario is that events will conspire against the Devils. Indeed, the list of favourites falling short the “year after” is longer than one might think: Georgetown, 1985 (Patrick Ewing & Co. lose an epic encounter with Villanova); UNLV, 1991 (Jerry Tarkanian’s mini-dynasty is halted by Duke at the Final Four); North Carolina, 1994 (Boston College delivers a second-round shocker over the Tar Heels); and Arizona, 1998 (the Wildcats get waxed by Utah in the West Region final). Even Duke’s last defending champions were stunned by Indiana in 2002’s Sweet 16 (or notso-sweet, as it turned out for Duke).
Words By: JOE LUNARDI PhotoS By: Kevin C. Cox Streeter Lecka
The “unknown,” it seems, tops the “known” more often than not. What we do know is that Duke will almost certainly be one of four No. 1 regional seeds come March. They have been a No. 1 seed nine times in the last 13 years, including five straight seasons (1998-02) and eight of nine (1998-06). Other high-level contenders for No. 1 seeds this season figure to come from the Big Ten, where Michigan State, Purdue University and Ohio State are all very strong, and the Big 12 Conference, where relative upstarts Kansas State and Baylor University hope to take the next step from their Elite Eight finishes in 2010. Another popular element of the U.S. college game will be on display this year.
“ One of the charms of American college
basketball is its unpredictability. While the defending champions enter the new season as heavy favourites to repeat, history suggests it is far easier said than done ” 14 MVP ISSUE 01
So-called “mid-major” schools – those outside the six power conferences dominated by large enrolments and college football revenue – will once again threaten the elite teams of the sport. Little-known Butler University came within a single basket of mighty Duke in last season’s championship game, and the Bulldogs join Gonzaga University, the University of Richmond and Utah State among those with a real chance to spoil the bracket next spring. Even Northwestern University, the only major conference school never to reach the NCAA tournament, is considered a strong post-season contender for 2011. Finally, fans of March Madness will be treated to three extra games in the 2011 tournament. The NCAA field is expanding for the first time since 2001, with the field increasing from 65 to 68 teams. The last four conference winners will join the four lowest ranked at-large entrants during a new “First Four” round in Dayton, Ohio. This replaces the current single opening round game between teams 64 and 65. After considering what most thought was an unnecessarily large expansion proposal (to 96 teams), the NCAA has been praised for not diluting the pool of tournament teams while at the same time providing more compelling opening round match ups. America’s college basketball fans, among the most loyal in any sport, will surely be watching. NCAA Basketball will broadcast live and exclusively on ESPN America from November and will include coverage of March Madness and the Final Four. For details visit: espnamerica.com For further live and on demand coverage of NCAA Basketball, ESPNPlayer.com offers hundreds of games via the ESPN College Pass, the ultimate ticket for college basketball fans! MVP
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> Nike WBF
“ From the street game at Rucker
Park and West 4th, to Madison Square Garden, the hip hop culture and basketball in New York City definitely intertwine ” - LAMAR ODOM, LOS ANGELES LAKERS
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A Words By: Jake Green PhotoS By: Nike & Jake Green
few weeks before the FIBA World Championship celebrated the game of basketball, Nike paid homage to the sport’s associated culture with the World Basketball Festival in New York. Now you know Nike - they Just Do It. And they certainly did it BIG this time, with half the city decked out in WBF branding. For Queens native Lamar Odom, the sneaker giant couldn’t have picked a more perfect location. “Basketball and New York go together like hand and glove,” he told MVP. “From the street game at Rucker Park and West 4th, to Madison Square Garden, the hip hop culture and basketball in New York City definitely intertwine. I think it’s an amazing thing that’s happening this week.” Literally every facet of the game was covered at the festival - from the playgrounds to the pros. And it was with the latter that things tipped off - at a rather unusual venue. The Radio City Music Hall usually plays host to rock groups and award ceremonies. But on this night, it was ballers rather than bands under the spotlights. With LeBron James, Chris Paul and Dwyane Wade looking on, members of the Team USA squad squared off against each other in an exhibition game. The match up had a great finish when, tied at the end of regulation, it went to overtime and a “first bucket wins” situation. With everyone suddenly playing seriously, the blue team sealed
a win as Rajon Rondo found Tyson Chandler on an alley-oop. But that was just the warm up. The main event…the reason why 6,000 free tickets had been ravenously snapped up by local kids and community groups, the reason why people were queuing around the block in the rain, the reason the whole thing had been re-located from Times Square to Radio City for health and safety reasons…was about to happen.
Jay-Z
Yep - Hova was back in his hometown to officially get things jumping. With a full live band and a backdrop of the New York skyline, he belted out classics - including, of course, “Empire State Of Mind”. And trust me...Jay’s poetic description of the Big Apple is even more engaging when you’ve come fresh from roaming its streets all day. Radio City was going to be a hard act to follow. But the following morning I was treated to “breakfast” at the hallowed ground that is Rucker Park with Michael Jordan, Carmelo Anthony, D-Wade and CP3. It took me a while to work out that this was nod to the days when Jordan and Scottie Pippen would get up at the crack of dawn to get some early practice in (they called it “The Breakfast Club”) and not merely an opportunity to sit around eating croissants and drinking coffee with some of the biggest names in basketball.
From Jay-Z to Jordan, some of basketball’s biggest names hit New York for a bball bonanza...
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> FIBA WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP
Kevin Durant dominates as the USA reclaims the world title - leaving team bosses with problems of the right kind headed to London 2012. Mark Woods reports from Turkey.
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Words By: Mark Woods PhotoS By: NBAE/Getty Images
I
t’s the morning after the night before in Istanbul. The shreds of confetti are still stuck in between my laptop keys, the parties continuing over breakfast as Turkey celebrates the end of a FIBA World Championship that so nearly had the perfect ending. No-one expected the hosts to reach the final. To get there, delighting an entire nation, made the event all the more special. Coming runners-up was no disgrace. Then again, a lot of people had doubts about the United States of America. “They said we shouldn’t be here, that we couldn’t win,” said Kevin Durant. An 84-61 victory over the Turks to claim the Naismith Trophy for the first time since 1994 showed how little we knew. “To bring this back to the USA after a long, long drought feels good,” added the Thunder forward. “All that work we’ve put in is worth it.” Over 15 days in Turkey, no-one had a higher value than Durant. Argentina’s Luis Scola, the
tournament’s top scorer, carried his ageing team to fifth. Lithuania’s Linas Kleiza led a precocious young side to third place. Hedo Turkoglu shone for the home side until their final letdown. But Durant, at 21, threw a party for the world. Not only did he hit a game-high 28 points in the climax but he also broke all kinds of Team USA records en route. And, as the only A-List star, on a roster that lacked any of the Americans champions from Beijing in 2008, he showed that he belongs now in the stratosphere along side LeBron and Kobe. “That’s why he’s the MVP,” Chicago Bulls guard Derrick Rose declared. While the likes of Tyson Chandler and Rudy Gay are unlikely to be required for the defense of the Olympic title in London, USA Basketball now has a dilemma. The B in B-Team now stands for Beat Everyone. “This is a big deal for each of the players in their careers,” said USAB chairman Jerry Colangelo. “They’re a champion.”
“ To bring this
back to the USA after a long, long drought feels good. All that work we’ve put in is worth it ” - KEVIN DURANT, TOURNAMENT MVP
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> BBL LEGEND - YORICK WILLIAMS
Words By: Mark Woods PhotoS By: JAKE GREEN
Is Yorick Williams British basketball’s greatest enigma? Maybe you just never understood.
“ The thing about me is that I’m
quite expensive, I’ve never wavered from what I get paid. Some of the guys aren’t able to pay the mortgage from what they get. It’s ridiculous what they’ll play for”
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> NBA - THE HEAT IS ON
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Words By: GREG TANNER PhotoS By: NBAE/Getty Images
Miami pulled off one of the biggest coups in NBA history by luring LeBron James and Chris Bosh to South Beach to join Dwyane Wade. But there are many questions to be answered: Can the superstars work together? Will anything less than a chip be considered a flop? And will LeBronâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s decision ultimately hurt his legacy? The Heat is most definitely on in Miami.
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> BRIGHTON BEACH COURT
Words By: Michael Romyn Photo By: NBAE/Getty Images
“ There’s just something about
this place that attracts a whole bunch of unusualness” 44
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Words & Photo By: Thomas Angus
BEACH BALLINâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; Brighton-based baller and snapper Thomas Angus has been shooting hoops and photographs at the famous beach court for years.
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> FASHION
Air Jordan Flight 9 n style – complete with Designed in keeping with the classic Jorda new Flights mean you these – black and white number 23’s Chicago red, e of Hoops.) Hous can be just like Mike. (Available from
Cup Sole High Tops Converse Chuck Taylor As e that you’ll come with the These striking blue suede Chucks ensur your defender “all shook up”. g leavin correct style to match your game (Available from www.converse.com.)
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Set Design: Linnea Apelqvist PhotoS By: Kieran Halil
ks to lace up. ic k f o p ro c h s and new fre A new season ese in the stores and online. Look out for th
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STYLAH > UK STAND UP
NET RESULT
How a chance encounter at an internet cafe gave London rapper Stylah his big break.
K
arim Rhouila, aka Stylah, has been on the rapping thing for time. A looooong time. “It’s been one of those things I’ve always done,” he told FadeAway. “I remember when Kris Kross came out with ‘Jump’, I wrote down all the words and memorized them. I went into school the next day spitting the lyrics and people were amazed”. Years later, the Woolwich native was still wowing crowds, but this time with his own bars. “When I was about 21, I heard about Deal Real (the legendary hip-hop record store) where they had open mic sessions. People told me to come down to that, and I kinda became a regular”. With his reputation growing thanks to his well-crafted,
often humorous lyrics, Stylah recorded a mixtape but didn’t really know how to get it out there. But his eyes were opened by an old friend: “I knew this guy called D-Raw. One day I saw him on the street with Mike GLC selling CDs. I saw him sell like 30 CDs right in front of me. He was like ‘you should try this shotting on road!’. I was never really into it, so he started selling them for me. “But this was in the days before there were so many shit MCs out there!” he quickly points out. “These days, the mixtape market is just saturated with crap. Now it’s seen as a negative thing selling your CD on the street...I locked that off about two years ago”. The net has been Stylah’s main platform recently - with many of his tunes notching up some serious YouTube views (in particular his “Forever Young” remix and a tune about John Terry’s affair with Wayne Bridge’s ex) and his Twitter account always proving entertaining. But his big break came completely by fluke: “It was some proper chance situation. I was in an internet cafe sending emails and whatever, and some kid on the computer next to me was
on the Mr Hudson webpage. He was like ‘there’s some competition where you can win the chance to do a track with Mr Hudson’. “I was going to the recording studio that same day, so on the way I stopped for about 20 minutes and wrote a verse for the competition. I recorded it and told the studio guy to send it in. “I completely forgot about it until I got a call from my manager. He said “Keep it on the downlow, but you’ve won that Mr Hudson competition.” “I then went studio to record the verse. Mr Hudson said he’d been listening to my shit for years, he’d followed me as an artist! There was a real mutual respect - this is a guy who’s done tunes with Jigga, you get me!” Since then Stylah has performed at shows with Mr Hudson...and seen interest in him increase. “They’ve written about me in The Sun, there’s been a lot more internet activity about me. In fact off the back of it we’re trying to organise a Stylah tour in August or September”.Stylah’s new album, “Treading Water” is due this summer...and features appearances from Sway, Ghetts, Grafh, Akala and Joell Ortiz. “I know and have met all these guys, it’s not one of them fraudulent tracks!” he insists. Make sure you follow @ Stylah.tv for his daily jokes and bars. MVP Sam Hart
“ Mr Hudson said he’d been listening to my shit for years,
he’d followed me as an artist! There was a real mutual respect - this is a guy who’s done tunes with Jigga”
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