02 May 2nd Annual Summertime GB Spree

Last year, Team GB took to the court at K2 in Crawley to play an Ireland side that, you could say would of probably been demolished by an average EBL side WRITES JOHN "SWISS" HOBBS .

In any event, that game sparked GB fever, and with players such as Chicago Bulls team captain, Luol Deng, ACB stars, Robert Archibald (now playing in Ukraine) and Andy Betts playing, there was a buzz and a sense of hype.

Also in the squad, in case you've hidden away somewhere or just plain don't pay attention to Basketball, were Everton Tigers guard, Richard Midgley and Scottish Rocks guard/forward, Julius Joseph.

 There was some serious talent in the team, and some people were un-aware, that GB had already played half of their Division B pool games and were laying in mid table. Their last home game, at Ponds Forge, was a narrow one point loss at the hands of Belarus. Then the Luol Deng era began!

From then, GB went unbeaten, brushing aside Slovakia, Holland, Albania, Belarus and Switzerland to qualify for Division A. Where we will now play, Israel, Bosnia and the Czech Republic, who should provide Team GB stern tests indeed. Rumors are already spreading that the first home game, which against the Czechs on 6th

September will be played at the o2 Arena in London. For those who don't know, the o2 played host to an NBA Europe pre-season game between Boston Celtics and Minnesota Timberwolves. And will be once again showcasing another pre-season game in late summer, when Miami Heat square off with New Jersey Nets. o2 holds 20,000, their record crowd being 19,700 for a recent World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) event.

The NBA game roughly reached the 17,000 mark and eventhough Team GB would never bring those numbers in (unless Basketball takes Football over as the National Sport), I would say, 7,000-8,000 would be a great and successful crowd aim, if o2 was used.

With the right marketing tools, anything is possible. BBL Cup final, brought 6,000+ into the National Indoor Arena in January, and Everton Tigers local derby game with Cheshire Jets brought the same number to the newly built, Liverpool Echo Arena in March. Setanta Sports showed that game live by the way.

Belgium is a nation that coach Chris Finch knows all too well, he coached a Mons team to the Fiba EuroCup this year and the second part of the friendly fixtures are being held at Mons, against Sweden and a second time against Belgium who are ranked 67th and joint 74th (with Great Britain...and thousands of other nations) respectively.

Out of the three trips for GB, this is the easier leg of the three they are in. Sweden have played in England around six years ago, I think. Playing two games against England in Burgess Hill. The GB team though, is a much different opposition than the England team.

Straight after the games in Belgium, Team GB will travel to the hostile enviroment of Turkey who are ranked 15th in the world. Basketball in Turkey is one of the national sports, and like Italy,

Turkey has also got well known countrymen playing in the NBA. Mehmet Okur for Utah Jazz. Turkey also has a strong European flavour at club level, with several teams that competed in this past season' Euroleague and ULEB Cup competitions.

One side, Turk Telekom, played against BBL side, Guildford Heat in the ULEB Cup. The Turks came out victors on both occasions.

Team GB's other opponents will be Portugal, ranked 44 in the world and an interesting game in prospect, when we face our European Qualifing opponents Bosnia, in warm up.

All games should provide stern tests for Team GB. All nations are Division A quality sides and it'll be interesting to see if Italy and Turkey will field full strength squads against Chris Finch's side.

Either way you look at it though. This is a fantastic experience in store for the boys and it looks like we are in for another fantastic summer of indoor ball - which is rare for me to say, but is starting to become a norm.

  (THE K2 LAST YEAR)

Before the pool games though, Team GB will take to the floor for a host of friendly games. Friendly games that will more than test how far they have progressed.

Unfortunately, they WON'T be taking to the courts around Britain for the friendlies. Despite about 90% of the team earning their basketball trade outside the United Kingdom, it'll give the team a chance to play in new enviroments around Europe.

The three enviroments, that I am on about will be Italy, Belgium and Turkey. Two and a half basketball mad nations, Belgium, like us is an improving basketball country.

These nations hosting will all be playing Team GB over the summer month of August .

Italy are among the top European sides in international basketball, and ranked number 7 in the world.

They boast NBA talent in number 1 draft pick, Andrea Bargnani of Toronto Raptors and Marco Belinelli of Golden State Warriors. Both are regulars in the National side, and the Italian Lega is amongst the top European Basketball leagues with Brit, Pops Mensah-Bonsu formally of Dallas Mavericks playing for ULEB Cup side, Benetton Treviso.

Team GB will also be playing Estonia and Belgium, the latter will be hosting GB in their back yard a few weeks after GB's Italy tour. Estonia are up and coming basketball nation, who are ranked 62 in the world, and have actually slipped down the rankings to that position. So a tough start but a much needed start to prepare for the group games.