This BBL Playoff Final is a true tale of two teams; We have the London City Royals, a product of the infamous Crystal Palace sides in the 70s and 80s. A team under refurbishment and in its first season as a BBL franchise, they’re looking to take their place in the history books and win the Playoffs as well as the BBL Trophy which they claimed back in March. They are a team that stands for social change through basketball – the new glamorous face of the league
But then there’s the Leicester Riders with a chance to bring home a third consecutive playoff victory under coach Rob Paternostro and cement their position as the most dominant side in the UK. They’re a team who has dominated the BBL scene recently, even making an appearance on the European stage at the beginning of the campaign.
However, not taking top spot in the standings in the regular season is one of the many indicators that their unchallenged dominance could be coming under threat. With the new look Royals alongside their London counterparts – the Lions – making huge steps in challenging the Riders’ long term achievements, this makes the Playoff finals coming up tomorrow on Sunday the 19th at the O2 Arena all the more tantalizing.
Here at ACT Sports, we were lucky enough to catch up with Riders star man Pierre Hampton and, with under 24 hours until tip off, here’s what he had to say:
ACT: “What would it mean to you personally as well as the Riders organisation to win a third playoff final on the trot, and how well do you think that would cement your position as the best team in the country?
Pierre: “It would be great to bring home the trophy one more time, and of course it’s a huge achievement for the club and the players. Especially after a long season we have had this year. A lot of teams have definitely stepped up this year and that really showed in the regular season and playoffs and I do believe the league is just going to keep moving forward and become more and more competitive.”
ACT: “So, you drew the season series with the Royals including a frustrating loss earlier in the season. Just how are you intending to avoid a repeat of what happened earlier in the season?”
Pierre: “Yes it was. But the Royals are a very talented team and we have to be on our toes all forty-minutes. (Ashley) Hamilton is playing as well which makes them better for sure. It’s gonna be a dog fight and we have been preparing all week – we just need to stick to our game plan and execute our scouting report.”
ACT: “On that topic, stopping the athletic big-man duo of Ashley Hamilton and Matthew Bryan-Amaning is something that teams have struggled with this season. How do you guys intend to stop them?”
Pierre: “For sure, they are a powerful duo. But I can’t reveal that yet – that’s something you will have to find out tomorrow haha”.
ACT: “ Fair enough, makes sense! Lastly, do you feel more significance is weighted on this final, simply because of the ever-increasing level of talent and higher standard of competition in the league?”
Pierre: Yeah I would say so. We definitely fought hard this year and it’s been a long one with all the other European games we played as well.”
Tune in tomorrow at 1:30 pm to watch the WBBL Final and stay on until 4pm on the BBC red button to see the two men’s teams in action in what promises to be a hugely competitive afternoon of the pinnacle of British Basketball.
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