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London Lions

London Lions announce Stella Kaltsidou as new Head Coach for the Women’s Team

written by Hugh

The London Lions women’s team have announced former Greek international Stella (Styliani) Kaltsidou as their new Head Coach as they look to emulate their domestic dominance with FIBA EuroLeague qualification next year. Kaltsidou brings a wealth of experience with her after a 27-year playing career where she played for Europe’s elite teams and a coaching career which has seen her become the assistant coach of Olympiacos and the Slovenian women’s national team. The new Head Coach will take charge of her first game on the 19th of February as the Lions take on the Caledonia Gladiators at the Copper Box Arena.

Kaltsidou joins a Lions team who are considered as one of the most successful teams in women’s sport, having achieved an unprecedented feat of 50 consecutive wins in the Women’s British Basketball League (WBBL) earlier this season and going unbeaten domestically for over 650 days. This is the latest in a string of accomplishments for the team after they achieved invincibility in the WBBL Championship last season – winning all 34 domestic games by an average margin of 40 points. They also completed a domestic clean sweep by winning the WBBL Cup, Trophy, Championship and Play-Off titles.

The Lions consider Kaltsidou’s appointment – and the wealth of experience she brings as both a player and coach at an elite level – to be integral in reaching the FIBA EuroLeague and developing the sport in the UK. The new coach’s style has been influenced by her experience in playing in France, Greece, Turkey and Poland and these new ideas and ideologies will now be shared with the rest of the Lions’ existing coaching staff – all of whom hail from the UK – including David Lavinier, Gary Maitland, Jacob Lloyd and Lauren Milligan.

The Lions’ impressive roster serves as a clear reflection of the rapid growth of the women’s basketball in the UK after the team completed a number of standout signings for this season including Mikiah ‘Kiki’ Herbert-Harrigan, Katsiaryna Snytsina and Taylor Murray.

New Head Coach of the London Lions women’s team, Stella (Styliani) Kaltsidou, comments:

“I’m really happy to become a member of London Lions family! I would like to thank the organisation for trusting me and giving me the opportunity to work for British basketball, which grows stronger every year. The club has already proven its dynamic in Europe this season, so the target is to continue the excellent job of coach Clark and work hard every day to improve and get ready to compete on the highest level.

“The goal is to build a team based on the best British players which, with patience and hard work, will succeed to become a stable power in Europe. I believe that this way this project can have a continuity over the years and become a pole of attraction for the next generations of British basketball. I’m really looking forward to start working with all the team on the court!”

General Manager of the London Lions women’s team, Vanja Cernivec, comments:

“We’re delighted to announce the signing of Stella as our new women’s team Head Coach. We have our sights set entering qualifiers for the FIBA EuroLeague next year, and Stella has invaluable experience both coaching and playing at that level. She has an incredible basketball mind, doesn’t leave anything to chance or luck and will bring so much energy and motivation to the team.

“When you talk to players Stella has played with or coached, you hear just how highly regarded she is by everyone and that speaks volumes. We are happy she has agreed to take on this challenge with us and we look forward to her bringing her wealth of experience and professionalism to the job “

15th February 2023 0 comment

Basketball

London Lions become first-ever British team to qualify for EuroCup playoffs with victory over Hamburg

written by Hugh

London Lions have become the first-ever UK team to qualify for the EuroCup playoffs after beating Veolia Towers Hamburg 83-66 at the Copper Box Arena last night. The Lions were led in points by Kosta Koufos, who registered a double-double of 17 points and 11 rebounds, Sam Dekker also continued his brilliant form in the competition scoring 15 points – taking his average points per game to 19.0. The win improves the London team’s record to six wins and eight losses as they sit seventh in Group B.

The Lions have four games left in the group stage of the competition before they enter the playoff rounds, with each remaining game being vital to improve the Lions’ position in Group B – resulting in securing a lower-placed side in the playoffs, with the higher ranked regular season team in each matchup also enjoying home court advantage.

Head Coach Ryan Schmidt’s side now have a chance to secure qualification to the EuroLeague – the most prestigious European basketball competition – if they reach the final of the EuroCup. Fundamentally, last night’s momentous win and the subsequent progression to the next round shows that the Lions can compete with Europe’s best teams.

The game was watched in front of a crowd of just under 4,000 as British basketball continues its rapid growth in popularity. This comes after the Lions have boasted several sold-out crowds for their previous EuroCup games at both the Copper Box Arena and the OVO Arena Wembley.

The team boast a plethora of talent, including former Miye Oni, Sam Dekker, Kosta Koufos and Aaron Best. The London team has assembled a star-studded roster with a hybrid of homegrown tier-one talent, in addition to ex-NBA and further international signings, with the diverse squad boasting an abundance of experience playing in major basketball leagues around the world.

Head Coach of the London Lions, Ryan Schmidt said:

“I was pleased with our overall effort and to me, the thing that stands out is just the contributions from the entire team. That’s something I think we’ve been struggling with in this competition, especially as of late. We made some adjustments to our rotation, it wasn’t that anyone did anything wrong but I felt we needed some more balance. I thought the balance was really good and I also thought it helped us with our consistency on the defensive end as well as being able to play and sustain that effort. Anytime you get a win in this competition it’s satisfying and to be able to do it at home was really cool. We just have to continue to build on it again, we have a few games left before playoffs but we want to continue this trajectory.”

9th February 2023 0 comment

Basketball

London Lions become one of the most successful teams in women’s sport going unbeaten domestically for 637 days

written by Hugh

The London Lions women’s team have now achieved an unprecedented feat of 50 consecutive wins in the WBBL after defeating the Newcastle Eagles on Saturday. The team won the game 123-43 and now haven’t experienced a domestic loss for 637 days. This is the latest in a string of accomplishments for the team after they achieved invincibility in the WBBL Championship last season – winning all 34 domestic games by an average margin of 40 points. They also completed a domestic clean sweep by winning the WBBL Cup, Trophy, Championship and Play-Off titles.

Beyond what was a momentous season for women’s basketball, these accolades also cemented a historic moment for women’s sport in general, with the Lions arguably positioned as one of the most successful teams in women’s sport. The team is determined to provide a pathway for aspiring young sportswomen in the UK amidst a landmark study from the Lions showing that a quarter of females in the UK feel like progressing in a sport, either at a player or management level is not attractive as there are no role models that look like them.

The team has been buoyed this season by the historic appointment of Vanja Cernivec as the new women’s team General Manager and Global Director of London Lions Academy. Cernivec joins from her previous role as an international scout for the Chicago Bulls – where she became the first female in the NBA’s history to fulfil this position. Vanja’s appointment serves as a legacy moment for women in sport, as Cernivec becomes the first-ever female WBBL General Manager amidst a study from the Lions showing that 63% of females were not made aware of opportunities to work in sports at school.

The Lions’ impressive roster serves as a clear reflection of the rapid growth of the women’s basketball in the UK, as the team completed a number of standout signings for this season including Mikiah ‘Kiki’ Herbert-Harrigan, Katsiaryna Snytsina and Taylor Murray. These are all additionally supporting a stacked roster as the London-based side aim to repeat their monumental achievements last season.

Women in Sport states that 41% of girls aged 5-16 participate in team sports in their last published report in 2021 – a decrease of 7% from the previous year, with black British girls seeing the biggest decrease in activity levels – falling 8% from the previous year. After the Lionesses’ victory in the European Championships last year, the FA set out an aim of 75% of schools to provide access to girls’ football and for 75% of grassroots clubs to have at least one girls’ team. This is an important step to take, but there are still women’s sports that continue to feel neglected in the UK, including basketball.

Although it is estimated that 1.3 million people play basketball on a regular basis in the UK – the sport boasts the highest percentage of players from a non-white British background (47%) – it still ranks 12th for grassroots funding over the last decade with the women’s sport battling further obstacles to receive the funding it deserves. According to UK Sport, Basketball received just £25,000 p.a. between 2018 and 2021 – compared to the £10m p.a. British Rowing received, despite it being the second most popular team sport – marking a strong disparity between its popularity and level of monetary backing.

25th January 2023 0 comment

Basketball

London Lions register three-straight wins in momentous EuroCup season

written by Hugh

The team beat Greek side Promitheas Patras 77-67 last night

The London team now sit fifth in Group B of the prestigious European competition – with the top eight teams qualifying after the group stage.

The London Lions continued their historic EuroCup run as they beat Promitheas Patras 77-67 in Greece last night. The win marks the team’s third consecutive victory in the European competition and moves them up to fifth in Group B. This represents the latest landmark achievement for the London side as they became the first UK team since 2004 to win away from home in the competition earlier in the season – beating Veolia Hamburg Towers 75-103.

The game, played at the Dimitris Tofalos Arena in Patras, was tied at 64-64 midway through the final period as the Lions’ quality shone through in the final few minutes to clinch victory. The team were led by Sam Dekker who scored 20 points and supported by Vojech Hruban scoring 14.

The Lions are hitting form at just the right time, with their next game in the competition being another tough away clash in Turkey against Turk Telekom on December 14. Their campaign in the competition this season marks a historic moment not just for the London-based side, but also a potential turning point for the growth of British basketball as the Lions are the first UK team to be included in the EuroCup since 2007. The London team has assembled a star-studded roster with a hybrid of homegrown tier-one talent, in addition to ex-NBA and further international signings, with the diverse squad boasting an abundance of experience playing in major basketball leagues around the world.

London Lions Head Coach, Ryan Schmidt, said:

“It was a great, well-fought game and I’m really proud of our guys. It wasn’t pretty and we struggled on the offensive end – we had some of our better offensive players, Zubcic and Nelson who really struggled hitting shots, but I thought the resiliency was impressive from our group. I’m really proud of our group to register this big road win, to get to four wins in the competition and to continue to trying to build on it and keep improving.”

7th December 2022 0 comment

Basketball

London Lions to play at Wembley Arena with all proceeds donated to local charity City Harvest

written by Hugh

On Tuesday 1st November, the London Lions will host their next home fixture in the EuroCup at the OVO Arena Wembley, with all attendance fees being waived in favour of donations for the London-based food distribution charity, City Harvest, with just a single donation of £1 providing up to four free meals for children supported by the organisation.

The Lions will welcome Montenegrin side Budućnost VOLI and will look to build on their historic win over Aquila Basket Trento last week when they became the first UK team in 18 years to win in the prestigious European competition. Their involvement in the EuroCup this season marks a historic moment not just for the London-based side, but also a potential turning point for the growth of British basketball as they became the first UK team to be included in the EuroCup since 2007. The Lions play their next game in the competition away to Spanish side Gran Canaria tonight.

The partnership with City Harvest marks the latest initiative from the team as the Lions aim to make an impact not only on the court but also in their community. City Harvest rescues nutritious surplus food from manufacturers, suppliers, producers and retailers, and delivers, for free, to 375+ London charities feeding those facing food poverty. City Harvest aids nutrition and sustainability by providing life-changing support to communities in every London borough through food donations and reducing greenhouse gas emissions from waste.

Alongside this, the Lions and world-renowned artist, Alvaro Barrington have come together in partnership with Serpentine Galleries, CONSUL and the Tower Hamlets City Council to create a unique basketball court located at Weavers Adventure Playground in Bethnal Green. The renovation will represent the first of an annual initiative from the London team to renovate other inner-city courts. The project aims to bring people from all walks of life together to the court for a celebration of sport, art and community – with a launch event happening on Friday 28th October, to be attended by representatives from the mayor’s office, players from the Lions, children from Weavers Adventure Playground and representatives from the local community.

Sarah Calcutt, CEO of City Harvest comments on the new partnership:

“City Harvest is delighted to be the new charity partner of the London Lions. As part of the fabric of London, City Harvest thrives on connecting key players with areas of need. We supply free food to many youth groups and schools running fit and fed programmes. These free community sessions encourage young people to channel their energy into sports and teamwork to develop key skills, agility and their overall health.

“We thank everyone for supporting us by making a donation so we can continue to offer nutrition to children who would otherwise not eat. So many families are struggling to feed their children right now, please help us to help them.”

Lenz Balan, Vice President of 777, owners of the London Lions, added:

“We are very excited to welcome City Harvest as our new charity partner. Fans will instead be able to get a ticket for the game by making a donation to the charity to help provide food for people in need. We are focused on making an impact not only on the court but also in our community and hope that the fans will help get behind this initiative. The game at the OVO Arena Wembley will mark a momentous occasion as it’s just the second EuroCup game to be played in the UK since 2007.”

25th October 2022 0 comment

Basketball

LONDON LIONS VS LEICESTER RIDERS | 89 -78

written by Hugh

REVENGE WAS SWEET FOR LONDON LIONS AS THEY COMFORTABLY BEAT LEICESTER RIDERS 89-78, IN A REMATCH OF THE BBL PLAY-OFF FINAL, ON FRIDAY EVENING.

Tomislav Zubcic came off the bench to lead Ryan Schmidt’s team with 20 points and five rebounds, while Sam Dekker added an 18 point, 11 rebound double-double as ten Lions got on the scoreboard.

In a contest that Lions never trailed in, the home side built on an early 12-2 run to inflict defeat on the reigning champions in the first game of their title defence. Kosta Koufos opened the scoring for the Lions on the way to a team-high eight first points, and a pair of baskets from both Dekker and captain Ovie Soko helped the home side take a ten-point lead with just three and a half minutes gone.

Back-to-back Koufos baskets saw Lions’ domination continue and Croatian forward Zubcic hit a triple before British pair Morayo Soluade and Devon Van Oostrum also scored from downtown to keep Lions comfortably ahead.

Van Oostrum converted from the foul line as Riders’ coach Rob Paternostro collected a technical foul, leaving Lions 28-18 ahead at the first break, and Soluade’s second triple kept the hosts’ double-digit lead intact after two second period minutes.

Dunks from Soko and Dekker got the crowd on their feet before Luke Nelson made it 41-25 with 4:34 on the clock. Nelson’s step-back three and a Kareem Queeley dunk saw Lions maintain their lead, and although Riders’ Patrick Whelan scored the final four points of the first half, the hosts led 47-35 going into the locker room.

Dekker’s dunk opened the second half, but Marc Loving replied with five straight points before a nice step-back from Kubic follwed by a Nelson drive and a Vojtech Hruban triple saw London regain the initiative.

Zubcic’s triple sent Lions into the final break with a 70-59 lead and Dekker kept the hosts ahead by double digits after three fourth period minutes with three-from-four foul shots.

Josh Sharma converted an alley-oop off Nelson’s assist before scoring a lay-up, and Riders never got closer than nine points down the stretch before Koufos wrapped up the scoring.

Loving led all scorers with 21 points for a Riders team who were out-rebounded 44-28.

Images & Video – https://www.thelondonlions.com/match-report/london-lions-vs-leicester-riders-89-78?mc_cid=b124315e0a&mc_eid=74f480b8be

3rd October 2022 0 comment

Basketball

LONDON LIONS VS B.BRAUN SHEFFIELD SHARKS | 86 – 73

written by Hugh

Former Toronto Raptor Sam Dekker led the way with 22 points, as London Lions made a winning start to the BBL Championship season with a robust 86-73 victory at B.Braun Sheffield Sharks, on Friday evening.

Dekker did most of the damage in the first half, adding four rebounds, as many assists and two steals in under 25 minutes of action. Big man Kosta Koufos, another NBA veteran, added 18 points and eight boards for the Lions, whilst Aron Best finished with ten points for the team.

Captain Ovie Soko scored Lions’ first competitive points of the season when he converted a pair at the charity stripe, but in an even first period it was Dekker who impressed with five points before Luke Nelson’s triple that gave the London side an 18-14 first period lead.

Sharma opened the second period scoring to extend Lions’ lead before Sheffield fought back to open a four point lead. Scores from Bekker and Best tied the game but it was Lions who had the last word in the first half, as Dekker was sent to the line after being fouled on a three-pointer. Dekker sunk all three shots to take his first half tally to 17 points give the visitors a 40-37 lead going into the locker room.

Dekker’s jump shot started what proved to be a strong third period for the visitors, and Koufos wrapped up an 8-0 run to open the quarter and give Lions a double-digit lead. Sheffield’s Nichols broke the run but Koufos was proving unstoppable in the paint, with his and-one giving the Lions a 55-41 lead with five minutes gone.

Image and full report – https://www.thelondonlions.com/match-report/london-lions-vs-b-braun-sheffield-sharks-86-73?mc_cid=89f0a5491e&mc_eid=74f480b8be

24th September 2022 0 comment

Basketball

London Lions confirmed to play in the EuroCup next season after a record-breaking run

written by Hugh

The London Lions basketball team has been confirmed to play in the EuroCup next season – becoming the first BBL team to do so since the Guildford Heat in 2007. This involvement comes after a momentous season not just for the London Lions, but for British Basketball as a whole. The Lions broke records in the FIBA Europe Cup this year, becoming the first British team ever to make the second round of the competition after achieving an impressive 5-1 record in their first-round group. The London-based side then subsequently defeated Danish outfit the Bakken Bears in the next stage, making further history as the first UK team to win in the second round of the FIBA Europe Cup.

The Lions’ performance in Europe last season provides a mere glimpse of what the team wish to make a regular occurrence in every campaign – competing with Europe’s elite teams. Their landmark inclusion in this season’s EuroCup means the team has an opportunity to make history again. Over their recent run, the Lions have enjoyed record crowds at the Copper Box Arena as the popularity of basketball continues to grow in the UK. This trend is only set to continue in their next campaign with the passionate fans being a key factor of the side’s recent success. The competition will see the Lions facing potential European heavyweights such as Hamburg Towers, Extra Frutti Bursapor and fellow newbies Paris Basketball.

General Manager Brett Burman comments:

“This is a great opportunity, not just for the Club, but for London basketball as a whole. Being able to compete on this stage, one of the highest in the basketball world, is an honour and an opportunity that we have been waiting for. We are committed to bringing the highest level of competition to this city and showing the basketball world what we, the London Lions, are about. There are big things in store with the Club; our staff, ownership, and myself are ready to showcase this to London and UK hoops as a whole.

“We have unfinished business, and that starts with winning trophies and championships. 7DAYS EuroCup brings on an exciting slate of regular season matches from October through March, and it is up to us to navigate those waters in order to be prepared to compete at the highest level throughout both our domestic (BBL) and international leagues.”

Adam Weiss, Vice President of 777 said:

“We appreciate the opportunity to show the ascendancy of British basketball is real and sustained on one of the biggest stages in Europe. The London Lions are as much a cause as a basketball club. We emanate from the culture of East London and enter EuroCup with the community behind us.”

23rd June 2022 0 comment

Basketball

London Lions women’s team complete a domestic clean sweep

written by Hugh

The London Lions women’s team have completed a domestic clean sweep following their triumph in the WBBL Play-Off finals at The O2 on Sunday 15 May. The final was played in front of a capacity crowd of over 15,000 people who cheered the dominant Lions onto victory over Sevenoaks Suns. The win marks the latest achievement in what has been an astonishing season for the London Lions women’s team, with the WBBL Cup, Trophy and Championship already secured before the game on Sunday. Beyond the momentous win for women’s basketball, yesterday’s accolade also cements a historic moment for women’s sport, with the Lions arguably positioned as one of the most successful female teams in British sport.

The Lions, who have won all 34 domestic games this season with an average margin of 40 points started quickly, with Shanice Beckford-Norton shining scoring a three to extend the Lions lead to 12-7 at the end of the first quarter. The Suns fought back to take them within six points of the Lions at the end of the third quarter, but after having failed to score for almost five minutes in the fourth quarter, the Lions amounted an unassailable lead. The domestic clean sweep was secured with the final score being 70-45 to the Lions.

The team, as always this season, had a plethora of stand-out performers in the game as five Lions players scored double figures, with Shanice Beckford-Norton scoring 15 points, MVP Kennedy Leonard 13 and Holly Winterburn adding 12.

The win at The O2 marked the perfect end to an invincible domestic season for the London Lions women’s team as they made the domestic clean sweep a reality.

21st May 2022 0 comment

Basketball

London Lions retain the WBBL Trophy – beating the Sevenoaks Suns 72-36

written by Hugh

The London Lions women have won their first silverware of the season after they beat the Sevenoaks Suns 72-36 in the Betty Codona WBBL Trophy Final, with the score being 33-23 at the halftime break, the Lions started to assert their dominance in the last two quarters, with the score standing at 56-29 at the end of the third quarter and winning the last quarter 16-7 to secure a 72-36 win and defend the WBBL Trophy they won last year.

Holly Winterburn produced a stand-out performance, securing 16 points, six rebounds and five assists to gain the MVP award, Johannah Leedham-Warner also contributed 14 points for the Lions. The Lions remain unbeaten so far this season and have an opportunity to gain four titles, the league, cup, trophy and play-offs, if they follow their current trajectory.

General Manager Brett Burman comments on the fantastic performance of the London Lions team:

“This season has been a momentous one for the team and the WBBL Trophy win is the latest achievement for us. The morale in the team at the moment is extremely high and they came into the final full of excitement and enthusiasm and the performance in the final showed this. Holly performed magnificently in the final, but it was the whole team performance which was the most impressive .

“We hope that we can continue this form and winning those four titles is our ultimate goal this season.”

22nd March 2022 0 comment

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