Great Britain forward Dan Clark has emerged from obscurity over the past two games for Spanish ACB side Estudiantes, scoring in double digits in both outings and seeing extended minutes for the first time since the start of the season.

The 6’10″ big man had 14 points and 5 rebounds in 14 minutes against Lucentum Alicante in just 21 minutes, before following that up with 11 points on 5/7 shooting, all in the first half, against Valencia on Saturday night.

Heading into this season there were big expectations for Clark after his stellar performances at Eurobasket in the summer, however, when Clark spent the vast majority of the season planted to the bench it caught many, including himself, off guard.

However, he refuses to blame the coach, being unable to pinpoint why he hasn’t been playing. Talking to FIBA, he said:

“I don’t want to say anything against the coach. (But) Physically, I felt great coming into the season. I don’t think we understood each other and that’s what it came down to. It wasn’t physical, or mental – I was really confident. I felt great. I was really looking forward to the season and looking forward to playing, but something happened and it didn’t work out.”

“It’s one of those things you have to put behind you. If I keep thinking about it, or keep dwelling on it, the only person it’s going to affect is me. So it’s just one of those things I have to put behind me and look forward.”

And he has a lot to look forward to with the Olympics fast approaching, an event he admits, that “everyone is thinking about”. However, first he must finish the season, one that will hopefully contain many more games like the last two.

You can follow Clark’s stats for the season on the ACB website.

Read the full interview at FIBA.com.

The Telegraph’s Simon Hart published an extremely interesting article this week, asking whether the Olympic import of overseas athletes is good for British sport or if it could be stifling British talent.

A survey of Britain’s Olympic governing bodies published recently revealed that approximately 50 of our 550 British athletes competing at the London 2012 Olympics were born abroad, joining GB after London was chosen as the host in 2005.

‘Plastic Brits’ are what foreign-born athletes are now being called, and according to Hart’s research, basketball (along with volleyball and handball) is one of the biggest recruiters:

“British Basketball, whose figurehead is the Sudan-born, America-based but British-naturalised Chicago Bulls star, Luol Deng, has not been coy about its search for overseas players and even offers citizenship advice on its website. So far, the recruitment policy has yielded 10 overseas players, and fingers are crossed that Detroit Pistons star Ben Gordon (who was actually born in London before moving to the United States as a baby) will join them in time for the Games.”

It is no secret that British Basketball is extremely active in their search for overseas players with British passports, something they have been criticised for by fans on multiple occasions (particularly with the Ben Gordon saga). However it’s argued that if basketball in the UK is truly to take advantage of the exposure and potential growth the 2012 Olympics could bring, then it is in basketball’s best interests to have the strongest team possible on the floor (a stance I personally agree with).

What do you think?

Read the full Telegraph article here

The 6th Annual Haris Charalambous Memorial Tournament will take place on the 27-29th December 2011, and will be headlined by the England Under-16 side as well as the Under-18 National sides of Luxembourg and Scotland.

The tournament, which serves to remember and pay respects to the late Haris Charalambous (pictured, above), will take place at the Amaechi Basketball Centre, Manchester.

Team Line Up For Haris Memorial Tournament 2011

The 8 teams taking part in the tournament are:

Breitengubach U18 (German club side)
CB Cornella U18 (Spanish club side)
Scotland U18
Solent U18
Magic U18
Luxembourg U18
England U16
Magic U16

Manchester Magic chief Joe Forber is looking forward to the tournament. Talking to the Manchester Evening News, he said:

“The standard of basketball should be as high as it usually is.

“I am really looking forward to seeing our young players test themselves against top-quality opponents.

“The tournament is always well supported and it’s a great atmosphere in the centre.

“We are grateful that the city council is again supporting the tournament and all the money we raise goes into the Haris Fund to help players in need stay in the game.”

Haris Charalambous, who was a 6’10″ 270lb big man, was England’s 2002 Player of the Year and one of the most promising prospects to emerge from the Manchester Magic programme. After receiving a full NCAA Division 1 scholarship to attend Toledo University, he died suddenly whilst at practice with Toledo in 2006. The Haris Memorial Tournament was set up in his memory in 2006, and has had such prominent teams as Blair Academy Prep School, as well as the national teams of England, Scotland, Romania, and Germany take part.

The tournament will be £2 for the 27th, £3 for the 28th and £4 for the 29th, alternatively you can pay £7.50 for all three days, with all proceeds going to the Haris Charalambous fund.

Will you be attending?

Lloyd in his playing days

Our friends over at Milton Keynes Lions have given us a free place (worth £30) on BBL legend Nigel Lloyd’s shooting clinic to give away to one of our lucky readers!

Lloyd is the all-time BBL leader in free throws made and second in all-time points scored as well as a Commonwealth Gold and Bronze medalist after representing with the Barbados National Team.

He has chosen to share his knowledge across a one day clinic at the MK Lions Arena in Milton Keynes, the day will run from 10pm-4pm with players being categorised by age and ability.

All entrants must be under-18, available to get to the MK Lions Arena for 10am-4pm on Monday 19th December 2011 and be registered National League players. (Parents who are bringing their kids can shop at centre;mk with top stores whilst parking free at the Arena. Alternatively, the arena is 5 minutes walk from the train station)

To be in with a chance to win a place at this exclusive clinic, then send an email to freebies@hoopsfix.com (with ‘shooting clinic’ in the subject line) with your name, telephone number, and the answer to this simple question:

What does the ‘MK’ in MK Lions stand for?

The closing day will be this Saturday 17th December 2011 at midday. Winner will be contacted shortly after to arrange. For more information on the clinic, visit the MK Lions website here.

Image Credit: Ian Summers

As Christmas fast approaches, our friends over at Clearvision have got into the festive spirit and given us another 3 copies of this block-buster DVD to give away to our lucky readers.

NBA Champions 2011 – Dallas Mavericks takes you back to the beginning of the ’10-’11 season and revisits the victories that earned them the title as NBA champs! After three first round playoff exits in the previous three seasons, this time around the Mavericks are unified by an intense desire to prove the world wrong and shatter any doubts about their team chemistry.

The DVD relives the wins on the road, as well as the title-clinching game. Bonus features include interviews with players and an in-depth analysis of the championship game.

All you have to do to be in with a chance to add this to your DVD collection is to subscribe to Hoopsfix’s mailing list by clicking here (if you’re already subscribed then no need to re-subscribe!), and then send an email to freebies@hoopsfix.com (from the email you have subscribed with and DVD giveaway in the subject line) with your name, postal address, and the answer to this simple question:

Which country is Mavericks player Dirk Nowitzki from?

A) Germany

B) England

C) Latvia

If you want to be kept in the loop of all Clear Vision’s latest NBA products, you can sign up to their newsletter here.

Competition will close at midnight on Friday 16th December 2011, with winners being announced shortly after. Open to UK residents only.

NBA superstar LeBron James needs no introducing. In London over the last few days, he paid a visit to the London School of Basketball on Sunday (13th November 2011) at Crystal Palace National Sports Centre where Hoopsfix was lucky enough to sit down with the man himself for a very quick 5 minutes to go 1 on 1 with him.

Hoopsfix (HF):So this is your second time in England?
LeBron James (LBJ):Third time.

HF: How have you found it so far?
LBJ: It’s been great, just got an opportunity to meet a lot of the kids from the London School of Basketball and I love to see the game of basketball continue to grow, not just in America but all parts of the world.

HF: How important is it for you to give back?
LBJ: It’s very important, it’s something I’ve always want to do and I’ve always said if I ever had the opportunity to do it, I was gonna do it. So to be here, to give back and just give my knowledge of the game to a lot of these kids that are up and coming and want to play the game of basketball is great.

HF: Recent you bought a minority stake in Liverpool FC and you were here and went to one of their games. Are you a big soccer fan? Do you have more plans to be involved with the team?
LBJ: I’m a big fan. It was a great experience to be a part of that game in Anfield Stadium, it was great, the fans were amazing and hopefully I’ll get an opportunity to go back and witness another game.

HF: Last time Kobe was over here with the London School of Basketball he was asked the question who would win in a 1 on 1 between you and him. What do you think?
LBJ: I’m a team basketball player, it’s not a 1 on 1 sport. But I’m not gonna not take myself against anybody, I always feel that no matter who I’m going against that I will come out victorious. But we won’t see it, nobody will ever see it, so y’all can stop asking me that question. (video!)

HF: You’ve had a lot of great highlights in your career, what is the best individual highlight for you?
LBJ: The best individual highlight for me is just being able to make it to the NBA. Knowing where I come from, and knowing the statistics about how many guys come into the league and how many don’t make it, to be blessed and have the opportunity to get drafted and be a part of the NBA, that’s the single greatest moment for myself.

HF: What about the best dunk of your career?
LBJ: Uhhh, I don’t even know. I’ve had so many dunks in my career, I don’t know if I could just single out one, but I’ve had some pretty good ones if I can remember!

HF: When the NBA has come over here before for pre-season games, there has been a lot of talk of the NBA expanding to Europe. Is that something you would you like to see, a franchise in Europe?
LBJ: I’d just like to continue to see the game grow. That’s what it’s about, of course, there’s some young ballers here in England, especially in London, so as the game continues to grow that’s what it’s all about.

HF: Ever since you’ve been drafted, there has been a massive amount of pressure, media coverage, there’s a lot of negativity sometimes. How do you deal with that?
LBJ: I just try to be myself. When I go out on the basketball court, I play for my teammates, I play for myself and I play for the fans, and that’s the only thing that matters to me.

HF: What is the best piece of advice anyone has ever given to you?
LBJ: My high school coach always told me to use the game of basketball and don’t let it use us, use it as a vehicle to take us places in life and I never understood what he meant as a 12, 13 year old kid. But now as a 26 year old man, I understand exactly what he was talking about.

HF: Looking into the future, where do you see yourself in 10 years? Where do you want to be?
LBJ: In 10 years? I don’t know, I don’t think that far in advance, but hopefully I can continue to inspire people in the game of basketball, continue to inspire my friends and my family and my two sons on being great people. Being people that are liked, and for me individually, if I can do that I’ma be satisfied.

HF: In the nearer future, you recently committed to Team USA and the 2012 Olympics, is that something you are looking forward to?
LBJ: Absolutely. It was an unbelievable journey for us in ’08 at the Beijing Olympic Games and we’re looking forward to coming here, it’s not too far away, and trying to go after it again.

HF: Any predictions on how you’ll do?
LBJ: If we play as a team, work hard in practice, and we understand how important each game is, each minute, each quarter, each half is, then we give ourselves a good chance of winning it all.

HF: And finally what advice would you give to young British basketball players that want to be where you are today?
LBJ: Love the game. Work hard at it. Any opportunity you get to play the game, go for it. For me, as a kid, everytime I got an opportunity to play the game I was on the court. Me and my friends stayed on the court for hours and hours and hours, and we got better, we got better everyday. I think when you do that, the game will give back to you.

HF: Thanks very much!

The London School of Basketball is a network of grassroots basketball delivery across London with the objective to increase sustainable grassroots participation and positive playing opportunities. Find out more at http://www.londonschoolofbasketball.com, or check out their Facebook page at http://www.facebook.com/LSB

ESPN UK have further expanded their coverage of Euroleague basketball for the 2011-12 season thanks to a new agreement between the two sides.

ESPN UK, who have the exclusive rights to broadcast Euroleague games in the UK, first began their coverage with the 2010 Final Four, whilst last season expanded to the Top 16 and Playoffs. This season will now see weekly coverage of the Euroleague for the first time, with the channel broadcasting every Game of the Week all season long, plus the Top 16, the Playoffs and Final Four in Istanbul next May.

Andrea Bassani, Euroleague Basketball’s Chief of Television and New Media Rights Officer is pleased with the new deal:

“By expanding our relationship with ESPN UK, we are confident that basketball fans throughout the British Isles will get the best service possible when it comes to seeing the Turkish Airlines Euroleague. The ESPN brand represents the same quality that the Turkish Airline Euroleague does on the basketball court, which means the fans will be the true beneficiaries of this agreement.”

With the recent announcement that Sky Sports will once again be broadcasting the BBL this year, British fans will be able to view more European basketball than any time in recent memory (legally); which can only be seen as a good thing for the growth of basketball in the UK.

The agreement reinforces Euroleague Basketball’s efforts to expand the visibility of the competition in the UK market.

You gonna be tuning in?

After a week of submissions and being overwhelmed by the number of entries (just under 250!), I am pleased to announce the winners of our NBA 2K12 giveaway! Hoopsfix was given 13 copies from 2K Sports to distribute (8 for Xbox and 5 for PS3) and the lucky winners selected today by a random number generator are as follows:

Winners of NBA 2K12 for PS3
Shirzad Yousafi (Hounslow), Matt Symes (Orpington), Anand Desai (Tolworth), Daniel Bell (Wallingford) and Benjamin Araya (Cardiff)

Winners of NBA 2K12 for Xbox
Mark Pearl (Shoeburyness), Andrew Wilson (Hyde Park), Barney Blake (Stafford), Aaron Baker (Sandhurst), Rick Lansdell (Addlestone), Mark Beeson (Herne Bay), Alex Greenan (Lewes), and Ed Pellant (Wadesmill).

All winners will be contacted via email today.

Massive thanks to 2K Sports for helping run the competition, join the conversation and end the debate here. If you didn’t win, you can buy the PS3 version from Amazon here- NBA 2K12 (PS3) and the Xbox version here-NBA 2K12 (Xbox 360) (affiliate links).

To be in with a chance of winning free stuff in future Hoopsfix competitions, get subscribed to the mailing list here! Thanks to all those who entered!

Whilst the NBA Lockout continues with seemingly no resolve, it is being reported that the league’s top players are making plans for a two-week, six-game, four-continent blockbuster tour; including a stop in London.

If the tour is to go ahead, it is rumoured that two games will be played in the capital in an arena that holds at least 15,000 fans, which immediately points to the o2 in Greenwich. However, basketball journalist Mark Woods has said the arena is denying any involvement in the tour which would feature the likes of Kobe Bryant, Lebron James and Dwyane Wade.

ESPN reports:

“While the final details are still being worked out, more than a dozen of the league’s best players are working to join forces on what would be a two-week, six-game, four-continent blockbuster tour, sources said.

In a trip that could resemble Team USA’s takeover of the world stage at the 2008 Beijing Games, Kobe Bryant, LeBron James, Dwyane Wade, Derrick Rose, Carmelo Anthony, Chris Paul, Amare Stoudemire, Chris Bosh, Rajon Rondo, Blake Griffin, Russell Westbrook, Carlos Boozer, Paul Pierce and Kevin Love are among the players expected to participate. Kevin Durant and Kevin Garnett, among a few others, are also contemplating joining the tour.

Tyson Chandler also has agreed to participate in the tour, a source close to Chandler told ESPN The Magazine’s Ric Bucher.

Griffin’s availability may be in question, however, as he was forced to pull out of a charity exhibition Sunday in Oklahoma City because of a cut on his right foot.

Griffin’s agent, Sam Goldfeder, said Wednesday that Griffin was hurt while swimming in the ocean but that it’s a minor injury and he should be back on the court soon.

Atlanta business mogul Calvin Darden has been putting the tour together with the players’ agents for nearly three months. He has already obtained signed contracts from Bryant, Wade, Bosh, Griffin, Rondo and Pierce. Sources say he’s hoping to complete the rest of the agreements, along with insurance requirements, over the next few days.

Even so, sources warned that the tour has not yet been finalized and there’s still a chance it could unravel.

The tour, scheduled to begin Oct. 30 and end Nov. 9, will make stops in Puerto Rico, London, Macau, and Australia. Each game will be staged in an arena that holds at least 15,000 fans. Two games each will be played at sites in London and Australia.”

Read the full article over at ESPN.

If the tour doesn’t go ahead, UK fans will have to wait until next year for a glimpse of so many NBA stars in one place, when Team USA will be in Manchester as part of their preparation for the 2012 Olympics.

*Update as of Wednesday 26th October*
ESPN are reporting the tour is confirmed and is being dubbed the ‘World All-Star Classic’ with an official announcement to be made by the tour’s organisers on Wednesday.

The two games in the UK are scheduled for Nov. 1 and 3 at the O2 Arena in London, however, the O2 is already seemingly booked up on those dates, leaving lingering doubts about whether or not it will actually take place.

Do you think we’ll be seeing the league’s marquee names in London?

England Basketball launched their first initiative to combat falling participation rates as measured by the Active Peoples survey this week.

IM Basketball is a free information product designed to increase levels of weekly, social, and informal participation in the sport by providing all the information and resources required for an individual to organise basketball games.

Whether it’s games of 2×2, 3×3 or 4×4 on a half court or 5×5 on a full court, IM Basketball is advertised as “flexible and fully inclusive, suitable for single sex or mixed games for both young and old’. The free DVD also comes with things such as posters, sign-up sheets, scorecards, rules and instructions on setting up an IM Basketball Facebook page.

EB launched an accompanying website, http://www.imbasketball.co.uk, for individuals to apply for their IM Basketball package and released the following promotional video:

By getting as much non-national league basketball as possible played under the IM Basketball banner this initiative should no-doubt help EB show increased participation rates. What do you think?