Latest news with #LondonLions
Reuters
28-03-2025
- Business
- Reuters
Bouncing back from abyss, London Lions can join Europe's elite, says CEO
LONDON, March 28 (Reuters) - London Lions can become a global basketball brand and compete against Europe's elite in a state-of-the-art arena, according to the club's ambitious chief executive Lenz Balan. The club was saved from collapse when it was bought by Tesonet last August and plans for a purpose-built stadium in the capital have been backed by London's mayor. There have been many false dawns in British basketball, and London in particular epitomises the sport's struggle to establish itself as a mainstream spectator sport in the UK. Last season London Lions made waves across the continent and beyond when its women's team became the first English club to win a major European trophy, beating Besiktas in the EuroCup final on a momentous night at London's Copperbox Arena. The men's team also reached the semi-finals of the EuroCup, losing to Paris. Yet a matter of weeks later the club was in administration after American owners 777 Partners, who acquired it in 2020, hit financial trouble. Lithuanian tech firm Tesonet stepped in to save the day and while there is no European competition for the Lions this year, Balan believes the future is bright, not just for the Lions but also for the sport in Britain. "This time last year I was basically in tears every other day," Balan, a former vice-president of 777 but who has been retained as CEO, told Reuters in an interview. "For everybody it was emotional. Those women deserved to keep going. But the financial realities wouldn't allow for that and ultimately didn't allow for the men's team to compete in Europe either. But what we did learn was that you can have a team with British players in significant roles in the team competing at the very top levels of Europe." Balan says a purpose-built stadium in London owned by the club will allow it the platform to compete with Europe's top clubs and even attract players, and fans, from the NBA. "I think it's absolutely critical for a club," Balan said. "A stadium means you are able to build a sustainable business model. Without it, you can't. That's why so many clubs have failed and that's why clubs like Newcastle and Leicester have been able to succeed over time. "Having your own arena allows you to create a bespoke, high-quality experience. The goal of this venue is for it to be indistinguishable from an elite NBA venue." Balan is adamant that Super League Basketball, launched last year after the British Basketball League, 45% owned by 777, lost its license, can attract top global talent and provide a domestic pathway for home-grown talent. "Interest in the UK market, both from the NBA and from EuroLeague is sort of unprecedented," Balan said. "They've all identified the UK as a really critical and important market. "With this tailwind, combined with a set of investors who have deep pockets, have connections, have the network to do this, you have a club-owned league that is driving forward." London Lions are top of the men's standings and Balan is confident the club will return to Europe next season, with the women's team perhaps the season after. Many wonder why London remains a basketball backwater, but Balan says with a purpose-built arena in the offing, the potential to rival the likes of Real Madrid, Olympiacos and Barcelona is no longer a pipe dream. "Our ambition is to be a global basketball brand," he said. "There's no reason why kids in Brooklyn or kids in South Carolina won't be wearing London Lions jerseys or caps."
BBC News
20-03-2025
- Health
- BBC News
'Removing No Ball Games signs will help kids play'
"Slowly, across the years, we've been obligated to lock the kids in the house and not allowed them to be a bit free like we used to be growing up," says mother-of-three Helena 31-year-old lives on an estate in south London that has seen some of its No Ball Games signs removed or replaced with basketball Long said she hopes the initiative from the charity London Sport and the London Lions basketball team will see more children playing outside on the Mursell Estate in Lambeth. "The kids won't have so much fear being out playing," she said. "A lot of people use the signs, not only for ball games, but in general as 'you shouldn't be playing around here'.Ms Long, who has lived on Mursell Estate since 2011, said she hoped it would inspire children to spend more time playing outside and not staying inside playing computer games."It's okay, don't get me wrong, but too much of it gets to the brain," she said. "A couple of years ago you used to see children play out here and slowly slowly, with people complaining and so on, you rarely see it now."She said it was amazing to see a large group of children playing outside on the estate after a basketball hoop sign was installed. Beatrice Kabutakapua, who lives in Woolwich, said the signs in her area were very limiting for her two children. "It's a pity, because there is a lot of space and it's not being utilised for anything except passing by."She said some of her children's school friends live in the same building, but they do not play outside together due to the signs."We still play sometimes and that has taught them to be mindful of the effect their actions have on properties and people," she Kabutakapua added that a sign that allowed children to play, but encouraged them to think about their neighbours, would be better. According to Sport England, more than half of the country's children are failing to meet the Chief Medical Officer's recommended 60 minutes of daily exercise. In London, 32% of children and young people are averaging less than 30 active minutes per day, according to research. London Sport said the signs act as barriers to activity and should be removed from public charity's chief executive, Emily Robinson, said: "Unfortunately, when you get loads of signs that say No Ball Games, it absolutely prevents children from going out and playing. 'Send the wrong message' "Across London there are more than 7,000 of these No Ball Games signs up," Ms Robinson said."We're working with local authorities to take down the signs."Elsewhere in London, Haringey Council removed more than 130 of the signs from its estates since 2015, as part of the London Sport initiative. "These No Ball Games signs send the wrong message especially to children and young people," Ms Robinson added. "As a society we need to be finding suitable, safe places which proactively encourage children to play, exercise and take a break from screens and devices."Ben Kind, cabinet member for children and families in Lambeth, said they had removed almost 100 of the signs to date. "In that time, I don't think we've had a complaint about it," he said."They're a hangover from the '70s and the '80s. They're not really enforceable. They make people feel unwelcome."By taking them down, we're able to make sure that Lambeth is a great place for young people to grow up."This is their estate too and they should be able to get out and play where they want to."
BBC News
09-03-2025
- Business
- BBC News
London Lions plans 'world-class' basketball stadium in capital
The London Lions basketball club has announced it hopes to construct a purpose-built basketball stadium in the Balan, CEO of the club, which currently tops the Super League Basketball standings, said: "We want to create a world-class home for elite hoops and a place where the community can come together."Mayor of London Sir Sadiq Khan, who created a basketball taskforce last year, said he supported the proposal, adding that it would create positive opportunities for young club, which plays at the Copper Box Arena in Stratford, is due to announce a proposed stadium location in the coming months.
Reuters
09-03-2025
- Business
- Reuters
Lions to build new stadium in London
March 9 (Reuters) - London Lions plan to build a world-class basketball stadium in the capital, aiming to establish a long-term home for elite competition and grassroots development, the British basketball club said on Sunday. The Mayor of London is pushing for more NBA games to be held in London and the project follows rising participation figures for basketball, with over 1.5 million people playing weekly in the United Kingdom. "This venue can be a major new hub for basketball in the capital, creating positive opportunities for young people, attracting new fans to the sport and hosting more events which would provide a significant boost to the economy," Mayor of London Sadiq Khan said in a statement.
