One of the things I love about running an NBA fan account in the UK, is the fantastic NBA UK community that I get to be a part of.
Everyone is super supportive of each other's work and I wanted to show my support by helping you get to know the people behind the fan accounts.
So, without further ado, here is Getting to Know the NBA UK Community.
Part 2 - The Podcasters
What’s your name, where do you come from and who are you reppin?
My name is Darryl, I'm from London and I co-host TheAnd1Podcast
How did you discover basketball?
I really got into basketball at university when it aligned with my sleeping pattern
Who do you support?
I lean towards the Rockets, but I do like a few teams such as the Lakers
Why do you support your team?
Well, James Harden is my favourite player so that's why I follow the Rockets
If you had to choose 1 game to convince a new basketball fan to support your team, what game would it be?
Definitely Game 7 2016 Finals. Lebrons block and Kyries shot were all time great moments but the game in general was a great occasion. It was the greatest sporting event I've seen live on TV
You need to build a 3 x 3 team, choose your current favourite player and your all-time favourite player to join you.
I'd have to go for James Harden & LeBron James. I haven't been a fan long enough to have a favourite player who's retired
Have you ever had the opportunity to go to a live NBA game, if so when & where? If you’ve been to more than one which was your favourite?
I have been luckily enough to go to 3 NBA games. My first one was at the Barclays Center for Chicago @ Brooklyn on Christmas Day 2013
I also managed to go to 2 NBA London Games. In 2017 I saw Pacers v Nuggets & in 2018 I saw Celtics v 76ers
What are your social media handles or websites where fans can find you?
@TheAnd1Podcast on all social media channels!
What’s your name, where do you come from and who are you reppin?
Mike Miller. I live in Kent, come from the midlands and I’m repping Double Clutch UK
How did you discover basketball?
A mate of mine turned up at school wearing a red
Chicago Bulls cap around 1992-93, sparked an interest and found out that one of the teachers at the school happened to be the England ladies coach and ran kids camps. Signed up and have been hooked ever since.
Who do you support?
If people press me I say Blazers, but I love basketball in any form.
Why do you support your team?
Ah... so I grew up a Bulls fan (MJ stan), by my single team fandom was challenged when I lived in Oregon for a bit and really got into the Blazers (who weren’t great at the time). As I started doing more NBA coverage, my single team fandom further waned as I became more objective in my analysis.
If you had to choose 1 game to convince a new basketball fan to support your team, what game would it be? Erm, I may have shot myself in the foot here with my answer... so I’m going to go 2001 ASG, so man stars showcasing the league and an excellent game.
You need to build a 3 x 3 team, choose your current favourite player and your all-time favourite player to join you.
Giannis and MJ
Have you ever had the opportunity to go to a live NBA game, if so when & where? If you’ve been to more than one which was your favourite? Several Blazers games, including Kobe dropping 41 a week before he dropped 81
2011 - T-Wolves @ Warriors, where the young Steph Curry snapped KLove’s record streak of double doubles
2011 - Rockets @ Clips, young Blake and DJ with Eric Gordon
I’ve been fortunate to have been to every NBA London/Paris game since 2016, mostly as media, so have had really great access to the games. Favourite moments include; being lost for words bumping into Larry Bird, hearing the crowd react to MJ being in an exec suite in Paris, Kenneth Faried slamming on a fast break for Denver just a few feet away from me in 2017, Ben Simmons tearing Boston apart in 2018... I could go on. What are your social media handles or websites where fans can find you?
mikemiller_time on
What’s your name, where do you come from and who are you reppin?
My name is Jared, I'm from Manchester and I am a Chicago Bulls fan.
How did you discover basketball?
I discovered basketball many years ago, my cousin played for a local team and I used to play with him sometimes but never really got into it. In 2016, me and some family and friends visited New York City for a holiday. Naturally we visited MSG which was amazing but also attended a Nets game, and from then, I've been obsessed with the NBA!!
Who do you support?
As I repeatedly tell anyone who asks.. "I'm an ashamed Bulls fan"
Why do you support your team?
This is a poor story. I'd love to say that it was Paul Zipser's talent that drew my eye for the Bulls... basically the first NBA 2K My Career I started, I said that I'd support whichever team drafted me. I think I was pick 14 or something and the Bulls pick me - thus I'm a Bulls fan. Yawn!
If you had to choose 1 game to convince a new basketball fan to support your team, what game would it be?
This is tough. Recent Bulls history hasnt been particularly kind to us fans. However I think the game at Charlotte this past season is a worthy pick, 24th November 2019. Bulls were down 8 with a minute left.. 7 with 30 seconds left, and ended up down 5 with 10 seconds left. Satoransky hit a 3 to cut the lead to 2 points. On the Hornets inbound pass, Arch and Coby managed to get a steal and got the ball to that man Zach Lavine. Having already hit 12 threes on the night, he ran out beyond the 3 point line and attempted a 3 whilst fading away, a fairly low percentage shot. Bang, in it goes!! Bulls up 1, 0.8 seconds, Hornets out of timeouts, the clock runs out. Lavine finished up with 13 threes in the game (1 off Curry's record) and 49 points. I think this game just showed the young players can have some resiliency, just need some more games like that. Admittedly, it's against a poor team but we just wont tell the new fan that!
You need to build a 3 x 3 team, choose your current favourite player and your all-time favourite player to join you.
My favourite current player is also my favourite all-time player.. Russell Westbrook. A polarising figure and someone I know isn't the best player ever and has never been higher than maybe top 5 in the league, but his explosiveness and all-around ability makes him my favourite. So put me, Russ and I'll go Tim Duncan as my 3rd name, Mr Underrated! Anyone wants to try beating us 3v3 I wish you the best...
Have you ever had the opportunity to go to a live NBA game, if so when & where? If you’ve been to more than one which was your favourite?
So I attended the Brooklyn Nets home game against the Toronto Raptors on 13th April 2016. We were quite far from the court but the atmosphere and excitement of the game was amazing, especially when compared to football games I had attended at home. This night was the same as the Warriors winning their record 73rd regular season game and the night Kobe bowed out with 60 points against the Jazz. We went to Times Square after the game and caught the highlights of both events and were surrounded by people in awe of the Black Mamba. Overall, one of the best sporting days I've ever had!
What are your social media handles or websites where fans can find you?
So I'm 1/3 of Met The Criteria podcast, available wherever you get your podcasts.
Check us out on social media too, @MetTheCriteria on Instagram and Twitter. (Facebook is old news, we were told!).
We produce weekly podcasts and do our best to cover the whole league, all the major headlines.
We have some wicked segments as well that we are proud of...
Unique All NBA teams like All NBA Despicable/Handles/Nice Guys etc...
Blank The Criteria, where we guess the missing words from famous quotes... Vinny's Real Talk...
Jared's "Settle down"...
It's a pretty fun and lighthearted conversation but you can guarantee at least one argument per episode! Check it out and let us know what you think.
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