What it took to put on a World's First

Why

The British Basketball League is growing and with the Playoff Final on May 14 set to be another epic moment for the game, we wanted to do something that would put the British Basketball League on the map, adding value for our partners, and reaching UK basketball fans and wider audiences both in the UK and beyond.

Having visited The O2 platform with my son a couple of years back, and knowing how dunk competitions are a big attraction, it wasn’t a huge leap to consider organising a Dunk Challenge on top of The O2 ahead of the Playoff Finals. As with most things in life, it's as much about having the imagination as it is about the graft, putting the idea into action.

The Dunk Challenge is an epic way to showcase the sport — a WORLD FIRST set to attract the attention of the press, bringing the basketball community together and showcasing what the British Basketball League has to offer fans. As mentioned above, dunk competitions are a staple of basketball and hosting one on top of The O2, with its impressive views, would create unique and unforgettable visuals.

How

We faced several challenges in making the idea a reality; the biggest of which was finding partners to make it happen. We knew that we needed to approach multiple partners to make it a reality. We also needed to bring league and club stakeholders along on the journey. In the end, we were fortunate to bring DYNAMIK Sport Flooring, Net1 (basketball hoops), and General Tire — the latter played a crucial role in bringing the event to life. I thank them all for seeing the vision and having the ambition to be part of what we did.?

After securing the necessary partnerships, SideKick, an agency specialising in developing creative experiential ideas, provided invaluable support on the project. They not only looked to expand the original concept but also found ways to make the event even more significant. One of their suggestions was to host an influencer party afterwards, aiming to create more buzz around the event and attract an even wider audience. Although we couldn't implement all their ideas, they were instrumental in ensuring that the event was a resounding success.

Challenges along the way

However, the road to success was far from smooth sailing. A number of partners dropped out along the way, and there were several changes in the storyline to drive even more focus to the clubs and our players. Weather conditions were also a concern — there was torrential rain the night before.?

Fortunately, by 4am the following morning, we had clear skies and possibly the best weather we had seen in months. In addition to the weather, we had to navigate through risk assessments, liability insurance and drone licenses; and on the day, we even had camera crews confined to their hotel room due to gastrointestinal discomfort (to put it politely) ... the list went on.?

There was not a day during the process of bringing it to life where there was not a change to the plan — we had wins and we had losses. There was a level of blind optimism and some significant determination that got us through it, and some unbelievable luck with the weather.

Who

From the partners who provided support to the crew who set up the platform and ensured that the event ran smoothly, we had an incredible team who worked tirelessly to make the event a success. I really hope I don't miss anyone - ok here we go....

• General Tire - who we could not have achieved the goal without their vision and support. Peter Robb thank you.
• Dynamic Flooring - sports flooring provided us with our court for the day Craig Jack and Sue Hopkins .
• Net1 Hoops - Provided us with our hoop for the day, Paul Reaney .
• Sportserve - who help lay the floor, Will Evans and his amazing team.
• Sidekick & Many Makers - experiential and content expertise in creative and execution Harry Nightingale , Stephen Bradley , William Howe and Alfie C. (plus the rest of the team)
• The O2 - for allowing us to make this happen and the support along the way: Osho Frankland , Dan Hurst , Waiyee Lim , Sarah Allsop , Hannah Stennett and the team who supported on the day.
• Simply British Ballers - Judging expertise from Behrad and Denzal, Ed for the visuals and Matt Webster for making it happen. These guys "got next" when it comes to the UK Basketball Scene.
• Siobhán Prior - Ex Professional and International Basketball Player and Commonwealth Games Silver Medalist providing her Judging expertise.
• Sam Neter - From Hoopsfix providing his Judging expertise. Hoopsfix is the UK's No. 1 source of information for UK basketball and holds some great events throughout the off-season. I highly recommend you check them out if you have not already.
• Tahir Hajat always brings the "bars", expert MC, Broadcaster, TV host and presenter.
• Leicester Riders Blake "The Showman" Bowman for bringing the dunk package, Peter Simmons for keeping it all coordinated, Russell Levenston for giving us the OK.
• Our Freestylers with insane handles and tricks Tarryn Algar and Andrew Wilding - Andrew is likely to be the only person to ever Dunk on top of The O2 over somebody (Tahir) who was inside four tyres (General Tire) & Tarryn is the only person to think up such craziness.
• Brian Bosché - Amazing photographer and influencer in his own right. For a guy who moved over to the UK not so long ago, his dedication to growing the UK scene is incredible.
• carol moir - One of the League's incredible photographers.
• Joe Coales - For producing excellent content and putting together the behind-the-scenes edit.
• The British Basketball League , team for all their support in making it happen Jamie Thomas (special thanks for being a constant sounding board), Paige Robinson (for bringing the hype), Anna-Victoria Jones , Aaron Radin Andy Webb , Clare Holmes , Mani Gill , Daniele L. , Wenzdae, Ben and Jamie P. This team is something special ??

The End Result

The activation has been a game-changer for British basketball, and has also helped to drive General Tire's brand promise of "Anywhere is Possible"; it's putting the League and General Tire on the map and generating a vast reach, both in the UK and globally.

We're also demonstrating how by working with our players, and showcasing their stories and skills, we can provide them with a platform to connect with basketball fans in the UK and beyond to support their careers.

The event has been featured in many high-profile national media outlets, including Sky Sports, The Mirror, Daily Mail, The Express, and a number of global endemic media titles too. We've even had celebrities share and comment on it, attracting significant attention to the sport and raising its profile. The content has had millions of views, and I don't think I've been anywhere in the UK basketball community over the last week that has not said - "Did you see what the League just did on top of The O2?!"

Conclusion

The additional aspect of this activation is also to demonstrate how we can deliver exceptional brand activations and branded content that delights our fans and drives a huge impact for our partners.

In conclusion, a few words that I live by:

• Nothing good is ever easy
• Imagination and graft are more important than talent and knowledge
• If it's fun, it's good

The activation on top of The O2 was no exception. It took tremendous effort, hard work, and dedication from everyone to make it happen, but the end result was well worth it and on the day it ended up being a lot of fun.

I want to thank everyone who was involved, from the partners to the team, for their invaluable support in making the event a success. Together, we achieved something remarkable. This is just the beginning of even greater things for the British Basketball League and British basketball as a whole. This is one for the history books!

Now you've read it, time to watch it

You can check out the main feature here:

The behind-the-scenes video is here:

Final Words

If you've managed to clinch some tickets for the Finals on May 14 at the O2, I look forward to seeing you there. If not don't worry you'll be able to watch the Finals on Sky Sports.