First Ever Hoopsfix All Star Classic is Announced

About three months ago, I made the commitment to hold the first ever Hoopsfix event; the Hoopsfix All Star Classic (#HASC14), a one day showcase of some of the top talent in this country.

It is something I’ve been trying to do for over two years now, but for a number of different reasons it never came to fruition. This year however, I refused to let that be the case, getting the venue booked early to force myself, that no matter what the restrictions/difficulties were, an event would take place.

So today, is the official announcement of the 2014 Hoopsfix All Star Classic, a celebration of British basketball talent and culture that will also help give back to the game that means so much to all of us, taking place at Brunel University, West London, on Sunday 15th June.

All proceeds from the day are going to the Hoopsfix Foundation, a newly set up not-for-profit with the sole purpose of growing and raising the profile of the game. The first project we are attempting to take on is to install outdoor bleachers on a basketball court in London (location TBC!).

The past three months have been some of the most challenging for me professionally (and I have no doubt the next month will get even tougher!), but with the backing of a group of ten supporters; ESPN Player, 2tall.com, Amaechi Performance Systems, Sportserve, Molten, Reach & Teach, 5or6, Always Ballin’, Let Me Play, & Wilkie TV (plus one other very talented agency, Much More Creative, who designed the website), we are going to put on a day to remember that will tip off the summer in the perfect way.

In the morning we will have a closed door coaching clinic for hand picked kids from the London School of Basketball, which will be ran by Reach & Teach, our official community development partner.

Then at 12:30 doors will open to the public, as the best under-16s in the country, bar none, will suit up in an exhibition to show just how much talent we have coming through.

A dunk contest, where we will crown the UK’s best dunker will swiftly follow, before the main event, the Under-25s, will take to the floor to put on a show to be remembered.

We have players coming back from Europe, and returnees from the US who some may not have seen for the past few years donning their custom Hoopsfix All Star Classic Nike kits, plus a custom branded court being put together by one of our partners, Sportserve Ltd – so this event is not to be missed!

Rosters and full coaching lineups will be released next week, with a number of other exciting announcements in the coming weeks.

We’ve chosen to start small, with the intention of growing it every year, so there is VERY limited tickets – none will be available on the door, so all I can say is to buy early.

I am not holding any back for freebies and whatever else, so please do not expect to hit me up a couple of days before the event expecting to get in. Due to Health & Safety, we have a maximum capacity in the gym which we physically are not allowed to go over or we get shut down. I’ll say it again – BOOK NOW to avoid disappointment!

*BE WARNED* – there are only 300 seats in the gym, which will be allocated on a first come first serve basis, the remaining tickets will be standing room only (or sitting on the floor). If you are not prepared to stand/sit/adapt then please do not buy a ticket – we want people that are there for the basketball, who will do anything to see it and create an atmosphere! (Note; if you have a disability that prevents you from standing, please let us know so we can ensure you have a seat).

Buy your tickets direct from Eventbrite or go to the Hoopsfix All Star Classic website for more info.

Finally, I am going to need all of your support on this to make the day reach its potential – please spread the word (using the hashtag #HASC14) – we have a number of freebies to be given away to those that make the most noise about it, including clothing, DVDs, games and annual passes to ESPN College Player – see here for more details.

The official press release is below; if you run a website, or any sort of media outlet and want to help let people know about the basketball talent that exists in the UK, please run it. Email me on [email protected] with questions or for media accreditation requests on the day.

Hoopsfix All-Star Classic To Shine a Light on British Basketball

• First annual Hoopsfix All-Star Classic in London will showcase top British basketball talent
• Event will raise money for legacy basketball projects through the Hoopsfix Foundation
• Supported by ESPN Player, 2tall.com, Amaechi Performance Systems, Sportserve, Molten, Reach & Teach, 5or6, Always Ballin’, Let Me Play, & Wilkie TV.

British basketball website Hoopsfix,com has announced the Hoopsfix All-Star Classic basketball fundraiser showcase, as it continues to help fuel the growth of the sport in the UK. Held on Sunday 15th June at Brunel University, the event is supported by ESPN Player, 2tall.com, Amaechi Performance Systems, Sportserve, Molten, Reach & Teach, 5or6, Always Ballin’, Let Me Play, & Wilkie TV.

In face of recent funding cuts to the Great Britain national basketball team, the event is aiming to inspire a new generation of basketball players in the UK, showcasing the best of British basketball talent and paying tribute to the history and culture of the sport. The event will raise money for the Hoopsfix Foundation – a newly-launched not-for-profit initiative dedicated to helping grow the game of basketball in the UK.

Sam Neter, Owner of Hoopsfix, said: “This tournament is a celebration of the UK basketball scene. There are a lot of extremely talented players over here, and there is a thirst for basketball that is often untapped.

“With all the proceeds going towards the Hoopsfix Foundation, this event will give back to the game that has meant so much to all of us.”

The event will see 20 of the best up and coming under-25 year olds in the country play a 40-minute game, coached by two top UK coaching teams, while the main game will be preceded by a junior showcase, featuring national team level under-16s. Rosters and coaching staff will be announced in the coming fortnight.

Hoopsfix will also host a dunk contest, where some of the UK’s best aerial artists will take to the floor to be crowned the UK’s best dunker.

A community coaching session will take place in the morning, which will see youth players from the London School of Basketball being put through their paces by Reach & Teach, the official grassroots development partner of the Hoopsfix All-Star Classic.

Limited tickets, which are expected to sell out quickly, are available online at hoopsfixallstarclassic.com, and will not be available on the door.

To be automatically entered into competition to win an annual subscription to ESPN Player, clothing, DVDS and more, talk about the event on Twitter, Facebook (make your status update public) and Instagram, using the hashtag #HASC14. More details available at hoopsfixallstarclassic.com.