Darts v. Basketball

I decided as the eurobasket tournament is approaching, that is was time to really find out what Brits know about basketball. So I took my camera out to do a small sample in north London. In any other country competing in the eurobasket, it would be laughable to ask someone on the street in one of those countries if they’ve ever seen a basketball game, and majority would probably know the names of the top players on the national team.

In Britian it’s a different story. Basketball remains a niche sport, much like Lacrosse or the Spelling Bee in the States. Basketball struggles to find its place in a country thirsty for sport, yet seemingly unwilling to fully embrace anything outside of the traditional ‘english’ sports. I’m willing to bet that more people in the UK could name the 3rd string Aston Villa Goalkeeper than they could name any player on the GB basketball team. This doesn’t mean that it’s hopeless for basketball in Britian, quite the opposite in fact. With the Olympics fast approaching and British talent developing fast, all those involved in the sport see a light seeping through a crack in the British sporting landscape, just big enough to fit a few 7-footers into the awareness of the British public.

blog-knowledge of GB2

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Special Thanks to my camerawoman Melissa!