For Episode 55 of the Hoopsfix Podcast, we sit down with two-time BBL Coach of the Year and the first player in English basketball history to play for, and then coach the England National team, Mick Bett.
Bett, now a coach in Canada at Ridley College prep program and basketball commentator, is a multiple national-title winner as a player, 1983 Commonwealth games gold medalist, with 43 caps for his country as a player, along with two-time BBL Coach of the Year (in his first two seasons in the pros!) along with 6 caps for England as Head Coach.
Note – the internet was particularly bad on this call and the mic at my end was not selected correctly as the input so the audio and video quality leaves a lot to be desired; hopefully should be better on the next one!
In this 90 minute episode, hear from Mick on:
How he first got into playing basketball as a 12 year old
Growing up with Paul Stimpson and him being the bar he was measuring himself against
Starting out at Crystal Palace programme and it being his first exposure to a pathway
Playing in the London league coming up and how strong it was
Going to university at Borough Road before making the jump to the US for a year
The Crystal Palace dynasty
The greatness of Alton Byrd
When Jimmy Guymon was coaching and had to step in as a player for one game
Playing under Danny Palmer
The legendary 2OT game of Crystal Palace against Maccabi Tel Aviv at the WICB Junior tournament
Steve Bucknall and his talent growing up
His favourite memories with the National Team
Going up against the likes of Charles Barkley and Karl Malone ahead of the World University Games
England beating Turkey two times out of three in 1986
The British pathway and kids wanting to pursue college basketball
How much British basketball misses Kevin Cadle
The transition from playing to coaching
Winning BBL Coach of the Year award in his first two seasons in the pros
Being a basketball commentator and some of his top memories
A story of a young Michael Olowokandi
His all-time great British players
The WICB tournament
His 1987 title with BCP and the upset of Kingston in the Play-off final
Memories of international hoops legend Nik Galis
The best player he’s ever coached
And much, much more!
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