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Post by massiveridersfan on May 10, 2023 10:00:45 GMT
Lions have signed Dekker on a new three year contract and Sharma on a two year deal.
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Post by LTfan on May 10, 2023 11:52:56 GMT
Being discussed in the Euro Cup thread, but this is big news. London signing Dekker for another 3 years is a huge sign of commitment from both London and Dekker.
It's excellent news for London and (despite what some will say) excellent news for the BBL too.
I also listened to the latest MVP podcast earlier and although it sounds like the deal is not formally done just yet, Coach Ryan Schmidt sounds like an almost certainty for London next season too.
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Post by foxtrot27 on May 10, 2023 15:47:13 GMT
Being discussed in the Euro Cup thread, but this is big news. London signing Dekker for another 3 years is a huge sign of commitment from both London and Dekker. It's excellent news for London and (despite what some will say) excellent news for the BBL too. I also listened to the latest MVP podcast earlier and although it sounds like the deal is not formally done just yet, Coach Ryan Schmidt sounds like an almost certainty for London next season too. So basically, 777 have prioritised Lions over the whole league and everyone else is left in the dust. BBL is no longer a real competition but a plaything for the yanks. You’re delusional if you think otherwise |
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Post by teamnix on May 10, 2023 16:06:13 GMT
So getting rid of a cup so £ions can concentrate more on Europe and smash the bbl again don’t care what anyone says going to destroy the league it’s going to be like the Scottish premier league one team takes all but as long as £ions do ok in Europe that’s great for the bbl delusional if you think different
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Post by LTfan on May 10, 2023 16:30:57 GMT
Being discussed in the Euro Cup thread, but this is big news. London signing Dekker for another 3 years is a huge sign of commitment from both London and Dekker. It's excellent news for London and (despite what some will say) excellent news for the BBL too. I also listened to the latest MVP podcast earlier and although it sounds like the deal is not formally done just yet, Coach Ryan Schmidt sounds like an almost certainty for London next season too. So basically, 777 have prioritised Lions over the whole league and everyone else is left in the dust. BBL is no longer a real competition but a plaything for the yanks. You’re delusional if you think otherwise I’d say having an NBA player (and all round nice guy) like Sam Dekker in the BBL for another 3 years benefits the entire league regardless of who he’s playing for, but that’s just my opinion. |
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Post by SamH on May 10, 2023 16:35:22 GMT
It could go either way - might make things better eventually if it starts to attract more money into basketball in this country. My experience from 30 years watching basketball is that nothing ever stays the same forever. Lions may be on top now but something will happen somewhere down the line which will see that change. I do think it's good to see someone trying a different strategy that might help grow the sport/league in this country. For me very little has changed in 30+ years and the league has fewer teams now than it used to, loads have come and gone mainly due to financial reasons. If the Lions can be successful in Europe and the knock on rub helps the other teams, it helps the league as a whole. Sponsorship money goes up, fan interest goes up, revenues goes up, quality of players goes up. Rinse and repeat.
Having said that, I do think it's a long shot to be successful, a lot of things have to pan out right for it to have that effect. Basketball will always be around though and there will always be a market for it, so I don't think this will kill the league off. It's survived worse!
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Post by LTfan on May 10, 2023 17:06:12 GMT
So getting rid of a cup so £ions can concentrate more on Europe and smash the bbl again don’t care what anyone says going to destroy the league it’s going to be like the Scottish premier league one team takes all but as long as £ions do ok in Europe that’s great for the bbl delusional if you think different Scrapping the Cup (and until I know the details I’m not going to say I’m for or against it) was something multiple teams voted for, not just London. General consensus was that it made entering European competition easier - whether that be at an exploratory entry level like Bristol or a higher level like London and Caledonia. And whether that be next season or in the near future. I’m also hearing that Leicester haven’t made a final decision yet on whether they’ll be playing in Europe next season. This was very much a BBL decision, not a London one. |
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dandayr
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Post by dandayr on May 10, 2023 17:31:25 GMT
So getting rid of a cup so £ions can concentrate more on Europe and smash the bbl again don’t care what anyone says going to destroy the league it’s going to be like the Scottish premier league one team takes all but as long as £ions do ok in Europe that’s great for the bbl delusional if you think different ? going to be like - its already been like that for years, and could actually argue its been less competitive than SPL in fact. 2011 to 2018 only 2 clubs won the league eagles and riders 2019 to 2023 - still only 2 clubs, just eagles now been replaced by london 2011 to 2023 only 2 clubs won the SPL so BBL is already like the SPL - apart from the matter BBL from a league point could be argue is already worse than SPL. Every year 8 sides in BBL fighting for nothing as they wont win the league. At least in the SPL the 10 teams that wont win it, 3 (sometimes 4) are fighting for the European entry spots and the others are fighting to ensure they are not relegated and replaced by a promoted side (direct or via playoffs) |
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Post by blueskies99 on May 10, 2023 17:56:40 GMT
So getting rid of a cup so £ions can concentrate more on Europe and smash the bbl again don’t care what anyone says going to destroy the league it’s going to be like the Scottish premier league one team takes all but as long as £ions do ok in Europe that’s great for the bbl delusional if you think different ? going to be like - its already been like that for years, and could actually argue its been less competitive than SPL in fact. 2011 to 2018 only 2 clubs won the league eagles and riders 2019 to 2023 - still only 2 clubs, just eagles now been replaced by london 2011 to 2023 only 2 clubs won the SPL so BBL is already like the SPL - apart from the matter BBL from a league point could be argue is already worse than SPL. Every year 8 sides in BBL fighting for nothing as they wont win the league. At least in the SPL the 10 teams that wont win it, 3 (sometimes 4) are fighting for the European entry spots and the others are fighting to ensure they are not relegated and replaced by a promoted side (direct or via playoffs) The one thing missing from your analysis is that in all those years we had a level playing field I.e. a salary cap. The collective brain-fart by the BBL board to get rid of the salary cap (which only favoured one team) has opened up a can of worms leading to conflict of interest accusations. The state of the league now, would not happen in any other sporting league in this country……. I have spoken to other people from other sports who just laugh when you explain the situation…..just what we need when we are trying to get more bums on seats. I was listening to a podcast the other day when the following was stated…… When one team dominates a league to such a ridiculous extent, it no longer becomes a competition…..it’s just a procession. That does nothing for the credibility of the league. |
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Post by reallyoldfeenixfan2 on May 10, 2023 17:59:44 GMT
So basically, 777 have prioritised Lions over the whole league and everyone else is left in the dust. BBL is no longer a real competition but a plaything for the yanks. You’re delusional if you think otherwise I’d say having an NBA player (and all round nice guy) like Sam Dekker in the BBL for another 3 years benefits the entire league regardless of who he’s playing for, but that’s just my opinion. Puzzled with your comment about Dekker 's 3 year extension " benefits the league". Not certain his place in the Lions squad adds anything to other clubs progress/ finances/ improvement/successes/ crowd increases? The majority of supporters probably go to see their home team win or lose in a competitive game which depends on the quality of their own team. |
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Post by LTfan on May 10, 2023 18:33:25 GMT
I’d say having an NBA player (and all round nice guy) like Sam Dekker in the BBL for another 3 years benefits the entire league regardless of who he’s playing for, but that’s just my opinion. Puzzled with your comment about Dekker 's 3 year extension " benefits the league". Not certain his place in the Lions squad adds anything to other clubs progress/ finances/ improvement/successes/ crowd increases? The majority of supporters probably go to see their home team win or lose in a competitive game which depends on the quality of their own team. My logic is that having someone like Sam Dekker in our league, regardless of who he plays for, raises awareness of the British Basketball League both domestically and internationally. That gets more eyes on the league - increased press coverage, increased viewers, increased attendances, etc. That should then lead to increased sponsorship, increased funding, more top level European and NBA players in the league, etc. etc. Maybe all that fails… but it’s got to be worth a shot, right? I honestly mean this when I say it, I’d have rather Sam Dekker sign for Leicester next season than him leave the BBL. |
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Post by foxtrot27 on May 10, 2023 19:12:53 GMT
Puzzled with your comment about Dekker 's 3 year extension " benefits the league". Not certain his place in the Lions squad adds anything to other clubs progress/ finances/ improvement/successes/ crowd increases? The majority of supporters probably go to see their home team win or lose in a competitive game which depends on the quality of their own team. My logic is that having someone like Sam Dekker in our league, regardless of who he plays for, raises awareness of the British Basketball League both domestically and internationally. That gets more eyes on the league - increased press coverage, increased viewers, increased attendances, etc. That should then lead to increased sponsorship, increased funding, more top level European and NBA players in the league, etc. etc. Maybe all that fails… but it’s got to be worth a shot, right? I honestly mean this when I say it, I’d have rather Sam Dekker sign for Leicester next season than him leave the BBL. Let’s be real. One marginal player on one team that happens to dominate the league by a wide margin, is not going to attract anything. 777 should fund a marquis player for each team to level the playing field. At least that would give the impression of an attempt at balancing the league. |
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Post by LTfan on May 10, 2023 19:16:14 GMT
My logic is that having someone like Sam Dekker in our league, regardless of who he plays for, raises awareness of the British Basketball League both domestically and internationally. That gets more eyes on the league - increased press coverage, increased viewers, increased attendances, etc. That should then lead to increased sponsorship, increased funding, more top level European and NBA players in the league, etc. etc. Maybe all that fails… but it’s got to be worth a shot, right? I honestly mean this when I say it, I’d have rather Sam Dekker sign for Leicester next season than him leave the BBL. Let’s be real. One marginal player on one team that happens to dominate the league by a wide margin, is not going to attract anything. 777 should fund a marquis player for each team to level the playing field. At least that would give the impression of an attempt at balancing the league. If you consider someone the calibre of Sam Dekker a ‘marginal player’ then we’re clearly not going to agree on things. |
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Post by foxtrot27 on May 10, 2023 19:32:30 GMT
Let’s be real. One marginal player on one team that happens to dominate the league by a wide margin, is not going to attract anything. 777 should fund a marquis player for each team to level the playing field. At least that would give the impression of an attempt at balancing the league. If you consider someone the calibre of Sam Dekker a ‘marginal player’ then we’re clearly not going to agree on things. What is he, 30? He’s marginal in Europe and a washout in America. Him getting a 3 year deal anywhere is a massive win for him. |
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Flexo
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Post by Flexo on May 10, 2023 20:03:16 GMT
Puzzled with your comment about Dekker 's 3 year extension " benefits the league". Not certain his place in the Lions squad adds anything to other clubs progress/ finances/ improvement/successes/ crowd increases? The majority of supporters probably go to see their home team win or lose in a competitive game which depends on the quality of their own team. My logic is that having someone like Sam Dekker in our league, regardless of who he plays for, raises awareness of the British Basketball League both domestically and internationally. That gets more eyes on the league - increased press coverage, increased viewers, increased attendances, etc. That should then lead to increased sponsorship, increased funding, more top level European and NBA players in the league, etc. etc. Maybe all that fails… but it’s got to be worth a shot, right? I honestly mean this when I say it, I’d have rather Sam Dekker sign for Leicester next season than him leave the BBL. The average Briton is not going to be swayed by the name Sam Dekker. While he is clearly a talented player and far above the level of the rest of the league, he has little to no brand recognition outside of people that are already dedicated basketball fans. I'm sure I wasn't the only person whose first reaction to the initial signing was: "wasn't he the guy that faceplanted on shaqtin a fool?". His only genuine claim to fame is a blooper. A player of his talent might get recognition in basketball circles and have some level of influence on future recruitment, but it isn't going to convert the general public outside of London and it won't convince anyone to take the necessary pay cut to play here. If anything, you could argue that a couple of "washed up" NBA players in Dekker and Koufos utterly dominating the league is just further ammo for the BBL critics that think the league is a joke.
Edit: I would like to add that I have enjoyed watching London play this year. They are a well run team with exceptional talent at this level. I just struggle to find the positives in what they have done when it has essentially sucked out all competition. They have dominated everyone despite an injury list that would have destroyed all others. The fact that Dekker being out is giving the second best team only a marginal chance of beating them in the final is a real problem.
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Post by LTfan on May 10, 2023 20:41:39 GMT
My logic is that having someone like Sam Dekker in our league, regardless of who he plays for, raises awareness of the British Basketball League both domestically and internationally. That gets more eyes on the league - increased press coverage, increased viewers, increased attendances, etc. That should then lead to increased sponsorship, increased funding, more top level European and NBA players in the league, etc. etc. Maybe all that fails… but it’s got to be worth a shot, right? I honestly mean this when I say it, I’d have rather Sam Dekker sign for Leicester next season than him leave the BBL. The average Briton is not going to be swayed by the name Sam Dekker. While he is clearly a talented player and far above the level of the rest of the league, he has little to no brand recognition outside of people that are already dedicated basketball fans. I'm sure I wasn't the only person whose first reaction to the initial signing was: "wasn't he the guy that faceplanted on shaqtin a fool?". His only genuine claim to fame is a blooper. A player of his talent might get recognition in basketball circles and have some level of influence on future recruitment, but it isn't going to convert the general public outside of London and it won't convince anyone to take the necessary pay cut to play here. If anything, you could argue that a couple of "washed up" NBA players in Dekker and Koufos utterly dominating the league is just further ammo for the BBL critics that think the league is a joke.
Edit: I would like to add that I have enjoyed watching London play this year. They are a well run team with exceptional talent at this level. I just struggle to find the positives in what they have done when it has essentially sucked out all competition. They have dominated everyone despite an injury list that would have destroyed all others. The fact that Dekker being out is giving the second best team only a marginal chance of beating them in the final is a real problem.
It’s not Sam Dekker specifically, it’s the fact the BBL can boast it has NBA players… and that does mean something to the general public who might be looking for a different night out. Equally a league with NBA players in it suddenly becomes a lot more interesting to potential players thinking of coming over or staying here. My view is that the BBL is better with former NBA players in it than without. But others can obviously disagree if they see it otherwise. |
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Post by spacejammer on May 10, 2023 21:11:44 GMT
From reading the comments I can see the logic in 777's plan and understand what they are hoping to achieve.
However I also do agree with the others which is the only way I see it working 100% is if they level the playing field as well or make it a bit more even.
And if there plans work then it could do wonders for the league and change the face of the BBL.
However at the same time I see it similar to someone completing the Great North Run and then all of sudden trying to then enter the Paris Olympics next year.
And I think they might eventually realise that growing the league and raising brand awareness isn't going to happen overnight and will probably take atleast a decade I would say.
But if having a player like Sam Dekker could possibly attract players like LeBron James and Kevin Durant once they hit their 50's then I suppose its some vision.
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Flexo
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Post by Flexo on May 10, 2023 21:16:11 GMT
The average Briton is not going to be swayed by the name Sam Dekker. While he is clearly a talented player and far above the level of the rest of the league, he has little to no brand recognition outside of people that are already dedicated basketball fans. I'm sure I wasn't the only person whose first reaction to the initial signing was: "wasn't he the guy that faceplanted on shaqtin a fool?". His only genuine claim to fame is a blooper. A player of his talent might get recognition in basketball circles and have some level of influence on future recruitment, but it isn't going to convert the general public outside of London and it won't convince anyone to take the necessary pay cut to play here. If anything, you could argue that a couple of "washed up" NBA players in Dekker and Koufos utterly dominating the league is just further ammo for the BBL critics that think the league is a joke.
Edit: I would like to add that I have enjoyed watching London play this year. They are a well run team with exceptional talent at this level. I just struggle to find the positives in what they have done when it has essentially sucked out all competition. They have dominated everyone despite an injury list that would have destroyed all others. The fact that Dekker being out is giving the second best team only a marginal chance of beating them in the final is a real problem.
It’s not Sam Dekker specifically, it’s the fact the BBL can boast it has NBA players… and that does mean something to the general public who might be looking for a different night out. Equally a league with NBA players in it suddenly becomes a lot more interesting to potential players thinking of coming over or staying here. Does it really hold that much sway though? It's like saying something along the lines of former Leicester City player Yohan Benalouane signing for your Sunday league team is going to bring in waves of new fans, sponsors and players because there's a Premier League winner playing.
Now the NBA line of marketing might help London's crowds as that's hyping up your own team, but I don't think opposition fans are being drawn in to watch a low end NBA talent that they've never heard of.
I can see a potential draw for rookies or players with perhaps troubled careers being interested in playing against London to prove themselves if they are struggling to get a desirable deal, but at the end of the day, money is what will drive the recruitment of better players and that is scarce outside of the capital.
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Post by D44 on May 10, 2023 21:35:56 GMT
Lots of people used to say the same thing about the Eagles when they would win everything.
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Post by stepback3 on May 10, 2023 21:43:50 GMT
The way people talk here we sound like we want to go back to 2009 when we struggled for teams and squads were 6 deep.
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