Nhamo Shire has quit London City Royals after just a single season as its basketball supremo.
The Midnight Madness founder, who oversaw the franchise’s inception and its victory in the BBL Trophy during a successful inaugural campaign, Â plans a return to working in grassroots basketball where he has spent the past two decades.
However it is known that there are to be tough decisions involving Royals backer Jon Sawyer and the Royals board this off-season over how to grow a club whose relatively lavish spending had mostly attracted mediocre crowds to Crystal Palace.
Shire, a key ingredient in attracting leading British players back to the UK, has also stepped down as a director and will focus instead on his long-standing enterprises rather than the 24/7 role of running a BBL side.
“As with all things in life, great achievement comes with great cost and for me personally, the absolute commitment to the Royals year 1 success was to the unexpected time sacrifice of continuing to grow and evolve the community and grassroots agenda via the key programs I’m responsible for,” the former BBL player told MVP.
“London needs more and improved opportunities to learn, play, develop and progress within our sport and anyone who knows me or my work, understands how passionate I am around addressing these issues rather than just talking about them. As wonderful and important as the Royals experience has been this past year in establishing a much needed exit route for all of our aspiring young London ballers, my heart and head are aligned in understanding that it’s time to go back to my roots and fully invest myself into building a stronger community infrastructure, peppered with that ‘special flavour’ I always endeavour to bring to all I do, both in season and in the all-important summer months.
“I leave the Royals in an exciting position as the BBL’s newest and most exciting franchise (yes, of course I’m biased!), led by Chairman and co-owner Jon Sawyer and a strong management team poised to take the team to new heights.  I look forward to cheering on our boys as they take the Royal Family forward.”
Photo: MAP
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