Retiring as a GB all-time great – with Dan Clark – Ep. 110

For Episode 110 of the Hoopsfix Podcast, we sit down with GB all-time great Dan Clark, who announces his retirement from playing professional basketball.

The London 2012 Olympian, whose final season has ended up being his only one playing domestically – with the Manchester Giants in the BBL – is fresh off becoming GB men’s all-time caps leader during their recent EuroBasket campaign last month, adding to his all-time points, rebounding and blocked shots leader titles.

The first British player to sign a junior contract in Europe as a 14 year old, he had a 17 year professional career that saw him amass over 1800 points in the ACB, the top domestic league in the world outside of the NBA, while becoming GB captain as an ever-present force in the squad each summer.

In this hour long convo we discuss his decision to retire, what’s next, GB’s recent EuroBasket campaign, his first season in the BBL, as well as looking back on taking the European pathway as opposed to the US route.

Timestamps:

00:00 Introduction
03:16 Interview start
03:26 Why Dan has decided to retire
05:11 Whether he thought coming into this season he could retire
06:25 What his masters is in
06:38 What the next step in his career is
07:59 Whether he had the next role lined up before making decision to retire
09:07 Whether he’s completely stopped playing and working out
09:55 How difficult the recent EuroBasket campaign was
13:27 Whether he would get involved with working with the federations
18:28 Does grassroots or elite need to be focused on first for basketball’s development
20:10 Thoughts on the BBL after a full season in it
25:33 The impact Lloyd Gardner being Head Coach at Manchester had in bringing him back to the UK
26:46 His assessment of the Giants’ season
29:15 The situation in Manchester with regards to this off-season and the club’s financial troubles
30:44 The lack of communication from the Giants
32:56 Why the Giants might be struggling financially
34:34 Whether he could see himself owning a BBL franchise
36:30 Where the BBL could be better from a player experience perspective
39:00 The importance of a player association
41:20 Signing a junior contract in Spain as a 14 year old
49:06 The intricacies of signing a junior contract
51:10 What his schedule looked like as a 14 year old
52:40 How it worked with regards to getting paid
54:33 Being recruited by high major Division 1 programmes
56:34 Turning down the likes of Syracuse to take the European route
59:02 Whether he felt the NBA was in reach
1:53:05 His ability to pass the ball and where it came from
1:03:28 The standout moments from his career
1:05:29 His best individual performance
1:07:15 Best coach he’s played for
1:09:34 Whether it was a surprise for him that Spain won EuroBasket
1:11:21 His favourite teammate of all time
1:12:51 Advice he would give to a young aspiring British basketball player
1:14:35 What he wants his legacy to be

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