High Tea Hoops

Nick D'Urbano is the Co-Founder and COO of RareCircles, a next-generation membership platform that helps turn community engagement into revenue. RareCircles just launched Pistons RareAccess in partnership with the Detroit Pistons, a community that gives fans access to private Huddle Sessions alongside players and legends, limited merch drops, exclusive experiences, and opportunities to give feedback to the team. Brian and Nick talk chat about building fan communities, how sports teams can take advantage of web3 projects, and how teams and leagues are innovating fan experiences with technology.

Maryam Naz is an NBA journalist at Sky Sports, and previously covered football at The Guardian. Brian and Maryam chat about how she got into journalism and covering the NBA, how the NBA is growing their audience in Europe following the NBA Paris Game, and how Sky Sports is helping grow basketball in the UK.

Zach Soskin is the Co-founder of Voltage Management, an athlete and brand marketing agency specializing in athlete representation, brand strategy, content creation, and ownership. Zach started his career in grassroots football marketing at adidas before starting Voltage Management. Brian and Zach chat about why athletes can build such powerful personal brands, how athletes can develop their content strategy to achieve their goals, and best practices for brands that want to work with athletes. Follow Zach on Twitter and Instagram

Brian Bosche is joined by Robyn Love from the Loughborough Lightning who compete in the British Wheelchair Basketball Women's Premier League. Robyn is a Paralympian, a world silver medallist, and a three-time European medalist. Brian and Robyn chat about the formation of the Women's Premier League, the Lightning's undefeated season so far, and how wheelchair basketball can grow as a sport in the UK.

Megan Reyes is a social media & athlete branding consultant, and built her experience working at places like Blue Wire, The Athletic, 2K, and the Golden State Warriors. Brian and Megan chat about what makes a strong brand for an athlete, how athletes can start building their brand pillars, what athletes can do to differentiate themselves, and how brands can better work with athletes.

Brian Bosche is joined by Dirk Williams from the London Lions after the team's impressive 4-0 start in the FIBA Europe Cup. Dirk talks about playing college basketball in Alabama, why he wanted to play in the BBL, how the Lions are building team chemistry, and what it would mean for British Basketball for the Lions to have success in the FIBA Europe Cup.

Brian Bosche is joined by Elvisi Dusha and Cameron King from the Plymouth City Patriots as the club starts it's first season in the BBL. They chat about growing up in London playing basketball, why they were excited to join the Patriots, and the different personalities on the team.

Brian Bosche is joined by Holly Winterburn from the London Lions as she prepares for the second leg of their EuroCup qualifier against Spar Gran Canaria. They chat about Holly growing up playing basketball in the UK, playing at Oregon with current WNBA stars like Sabrina Ionescu, her decision to join the London Lions, and what it would mean to British Basketball for the Lions to qualify for EuroCup.

On this episode of Tea Time, Brian Bosché is joined by British hooper and creator, Jesse Chuku. Jesse was one of the top basketball players growing up in the UK, and had a successful college career in the States at Lehigh University and then professionally in Greece, Spain, and the BBL. Since he stopped playing professional basketball last year, Jesse has become a content creator and amassed more than 3M TikTok followers and 620K YouTube Subscribers. They chat about what it was like growing up in the UK playing basketball, the cultural differences he experienced playing in the States, getting fame as a content creator, the TikTok Creator Basketball Tournament at the GG3x3, and advice for other athlete creators.

On this episode of Tea Time, Brian Bosché is joined by Deric Eze, Founder of DezeReels. DezeReels features the best British Basketball content in the UK, and Deric has become well known in the basketball community for his video work in the BBL, NBL, and basketball leagues around the country. They chat about why he started DezeReels, what he's learned covering basketball across the UK, how social media is building community for the next generation of hoopers, and how he thinks basketball can continue to grow in the UK.

Brian Bosche and Skylar Smith are joined by Manchester Giants and GB Basketball player Will Saunders. They chat with Will about growing up playing basketball in the UK, playing college basketball in the States, playing overseas in Spain and Iceland, signing with the Manchester Giants, and how to grow the BBL in the UK.

In this episode of Tea Time, Brian Bosche is joined by Bucks fan and friend of the show Costas Anastassiou. They chat about the Bucks winning Game 6 and the NBA Finals, The Buck's path through the Playoffs, how the Bucks built a championship team over the last five years, and what winning the Finals means for Giannis.

In this episode of Tea Time, Brian Bosche is joined by recurring guest Huw Hopkins from Sky Sports and Double Clutch. They chat about the Sixers collapse against the Hawks, KD and the Nets coming up short against the Bucks, the Clippers role players stepping up to defeat the Jazz, the surging Suns, and their predictions for the rest of the NBA Playoffs. Follow Huw on Twitter

In this episode of Tea Time, Brian Bosche is joined by recurring guest Yani Ourabah from Sky Sports. They chat about playing pickup hoops in East London, the NBA Play-In Tournament, their favorite matchups in the first round of the NBA Playoffs, and their predictions for the rest of the Playoffs. Follow Yani on Twitter

On this week's show, Brian Bosche and Skylar Smith chat about the BBL and WBBL Playoff Finals after attending the games in Leicester! They cover the Eagles and Lions advancing to the Finals, the best moments from the BBL Finals, their thoughts on the performances by the Eagles and Lions, and a breakdown of the WBBL Finals, which was also between the Eagles and Lions. Follow High Tea Hoops on Twitter and Instagram.

On this week's show, Brian Bosche and Skylar Smith chat everything May Madness! They cover the BBL Quarterfinals and how the aggregate format affected the games, the WBBL Quarterfinals and the Newcastle Eagles' historical run, what it was like attending the BBL Semifinals in Leicester, and predictions for the remaining games!

Matt Desmond is the Founder of the Sports Creative Community, a group of creative professionals in the sports industry with over 5,600 active members. After working on creative teams at sports and media organizations, Matthew saw a need to bring together the sports community to collaborate and share best practices. In just three years, the Sports Creative Community has a thriving Slack group, regular events, a podcast, and more. We talk about the evolution of creative and media in sports, how players are creating content for their own brands, growing membership in a community, and building a community culture. Follow Matt Desmond on Twitter and the Sports Creative Community on Twitter.

On this week's show, Skylar Smith and Brian Bosché chat about an exciting week in British Basketball. They cover the announcement of May Madness for the BBL and WBBL Playoffs, the Flu Game All Stars Basketball Tournament with AJ Tracey and the London Lions, the creation of the British Wheelchair Basketball Women's Premier League, Ball Out 3x3, and why basketball is going to continue to grow in the UK.

On this episode of Tea Time, Brian and Skylar chat with Ashton Keys and Jared Eummer, the Co-Founders of Athlytic. Athlytic allows athlete influencers to connect with brands and take full ownership of their brand identity with partnerships and deals. They talk about why Ashton and Jared started Athlytic, the new Name, Image, and Likeness rules for NCAA athletes, what brands are looking for when they work with athletes, and what young athletes can do to start and grow their brand. Follow Athlytic on Twitter and Instagram.

On this episode of Tea Time, Brian Bosché and Skylar Smith are joined by Behrad Bakhtiari and Denzel Kazembe from SBB (Simply British Ballers). SBB's mission is to help build the British Basketball community. They've grown their TikTok following to more than 135K as they travel to outdoor basketball courts across the UK. They chat about how they are using TikTok to reach a younger audience of hoopers, hoops culture in the UK, and how they think basketball can grow in the UK. Follow SBB on TikTok and Instagram.

Skylar Smith and Brian Bosche are joined by Kennedy Leonard from the London Lions. Kennedy won the WBBL Trophy Final MVP award and set the WBBL single game assist record (21!) last week. They chat with Kennedy about growing up playing basketball in Texas, playing college basketball at CU in the Pac-12, and the London Lions season so far in the WBBL. Follow Kennedy on Twitter and Instagram.

SUNDAY ROAST IS BACK FOR MARCH MADNESS! In this week's show, Skylar Smith and Brian Bosché discuss their favorite March Madness moments, the year of upsets, their favorite moments of the tournament so far, and their Final Four picks. Then they cover an exciting weekend in British Basketball with both London Lions teams winning the BBL and WBBL Trophy Finals.

On this episode of Tea Time, Brian Bosche chats with Todd Radom about creating the visual identity for every team in the BIG3. Todd Radom is a graphic designer who is responsible for many of the logos used in American sports, including the Washington Nationals, Los Angeles Angels, the Super Bowl, and the Basketball Hall of Fame. Brian chats with Todd about how he created the team logos and brands for each team in the BIG3 in collaboration with Ice Cube. Follow Todd Radom on Twitter and Instagram.

Skylar Smith and Brian Bosche are joined by Plymouth Raider and Team GB Player Ashley Hamilton. They chat with Ashley about growing up playing basketball in the UK, playing high school basketball in the States, the Plymouth Raiders' recent hot streak in the BBL, and GB Basketball qualifying for EuroBasket after clutch wins against Germany and France. Follow Ashley on Twitter and Instagram.

On this episode of Tea Time, Brian Bosche chats with Alexis Robinson about how athletes can build their personal brands. Alexis is the Owner of One Brand Agency where she manages the brands of professional athletes like Dearica Hamby from the WNBA and De'anthony Melton from the NBA. They talk about what athletes can do to build a strong brand, how to create consistent content on social media, how athletes can attract brands and sponsors, and specific advice on what young athletes can do to start and grow their brand. Follow Alexis Robinson on Twitter and Instagram.

On this episode of Tea Time, Skylar Smith and Brian Bosché are joined by Team GB Wheelchair Basketball Player Sophie Carrigill. Sophie has won a Gold medal at the 2015 Women's U25 Wheelchair Basketball World Championship in Beijing, placed Fourth at the 2016 Paralympics in Brazil, and won the Silver medal at the 2018 Wheelchair Basketball World Championship in Germany. Skylar and Brian chat with Sophie about Wheelchair Basketball 101, training for the Tokyo Paralympics, and the Inspire a Generation programme to grow wheelchair basketball in the UK. Follow Sophie on Instagram and Twitter.

On this episode of Tea Time, Skylar Smith and Brian Bosché are joined by Alex Haigh Co-Founder and Designer of Flagrant Magazine, which has been featured on places like The Jump on ESPN and FanSided. Flagrant Magazine is an all-inclusive print publication that unearths the stories surrounding the culture of basketball, including the artists, communities, projects, and fans. Created by women for all hoops fans, Flagrant amplifies the quiet and unheard voices in basketball and covers issues like mental health, inequality, and activism. Skylar and Brian chat with Alex about how Flagrant was started, what it's like launching a print magazine in the digital era, and how basketball culture is so much more than games and stats. Follow Flagrant on Twitter and Instagram.

On this episode of Tea Time, Skylar Smith and Brian Bosché are joined by Martin Dyan, Founder of the UK's largest 3x3 nonprofit community platform and tournament, The GG3x3. They chat with Martin about how he led the #NothingButNetLDN challenge where volunteers put nets on 76 hoops around London as a part of Project Swish from Basketball England, organizing the GG3x3 charity basketball tournaments, growing up in the UK playing basketball, and how basketball is a powerful way to grow community in the UK. Follow Martin Day on Twitter and Instagram.

Skylar Smith and Brian Bosche are joined by GB Basketball Player Melita Emanuel-Carr. They chat with Melita about growing up playing basketball in the UK, playing D1 hoops in Chicago, winning a silver medal at the Commonwealth Games, why she decided to play in the WBBL, and what she wants to do after basketball. Follow Melita on Twitter and Instagram.

In this special episode of Tea Time, Brian Bosche chats with Paul Bae, the former Director of Social Media for the Oklahoma City Thunder. Brian and Paul spoke during the NBA offseason about the role social media in sports, how to grow a social team, developing campaigns with stakeholders from the front office, and creating content with players. Skylar and Brian also kick off the show discussing the partnership between the British Basketball League and Basketball England with TikTok to promote #BritishBasketball.

Skylar Smith and Brian Bosche are joined by Seattle native Darien Nelson-Henry from the Leicester Riders. They chat with Darien about growing up playing basketball in the Pacific Northwest, playing D1 hoops in the Ivy League, why he decided to play in the British Basketball League, the Riders season so far, the BBL Cup, and what he likes about living in the UK.

On this episode of Tea Time, Brian Bosché and Skylar Smith are joined by Jamie Furness, a British Basketball influencer on TikTok and student studying the history of basketball in the UK. They chat with Jamie about the different eras of British Basketball, how he is using TikTok to educate a new generation of fans, and the best ways he thinks basketball can continue to grow in the UK. Follow Jamie Furness on TikTok

In this week's Sunday Roast show, Skylar Smith and Brian Bosché start off by discussing Curry pouring in 62 points against the Blazers, the Wizards stealing a game from the Nets as Kyrie and KD both miss game winners, and the Suns and Sixers strong starts to the season. Then they cover an exciting weekend in the BBL with the London Lions beating the Leicester Riders in a last minute comeback and the Sheffield Sharks stepping up to beat the Plymouth Raiders. Then Skylar closes out the show with Beefs, Roasts, and NBA Fits of the Week!

Brian Bosche and Skylar Smith are joined by Liam Brown, Head of Marketing at the Manchester Giants, and Aleksander Jovanovic, Team Captain and Manager for Manchester Giants Esports. They chat with Liam and Aleksander about the launch of the first Esports team in the British Basketball League, how Esports helps engage new fans, and how the team plans to practice and compete in NBA2K. Follow Manchester Giants Esports on Twitter and Twitch

We're BACK with the first Sunday Roast show of the new NBA season! In this episode, Skylar Smith and Brian Bosche discuss which teams are hot + which are not after the first couple days of NBA action, the Trae Young vs Grayson Allen drama, why Harden deserves to be roasted, top fits of the week, and then finish with a round-up of the most recent BBL games.

Skylar Smith and Brian Bosche are joined by Nat Coombs, Anchor at ESPN UK's The Nat Coombs Show and Presenter for the BBL on Sky Sports. They chat with Nat about how the NFL has grown in the UK, what it's like covering the BBL and NFL, and how he got his start in sports media. Skylar and Brian also talk about Giannis staying in Milwaukee, KD and Kyrie looking good in Brooklyn, the NBA Preseason, and the BBL Cup Quarterfinals. Follow Nat Coombs on Twitter

Skylar Smith and Brian Bosche are joined by Paul Nicholson, Lead Academy Coach for the Plymouth Raiders, Head Coach for Raiders Development U18s, and Co-commenter for Plymouth Raiders TV and live BBL games. They chat with Paul about how important youth development is to building British Basketball, what it has been like calling Raiders games in a pandemic, and if he thinks he could train Brian up to Raiders playing shape. Skylar and Brian also talk about Who's Hot and Who's Not in the BBL, James Harden not showing up to camp, and a new dress code for NBA coaches. Follow Paul on Twitter

Skylar Smith and Brian Bosche jump on an emergency podcast as the Houston Rockets trade Russell Westbrook to the Washington Wizards for John Wall and a 2023 protected draft pick. They also discuss The Athletic's story on the failed Clippers playoff run and Paul George's comments on the All The Smoke podcast. If you enjoy the podcast, please rate and review!

Skylar Smith and Brian Bosche are joined by former D1 hooper and WBBL Trophy Winner Christina Gaskin from the Leicester Riders. They chat with Christina about her journey to playing at Fordham University, moving back to the UK to play in the WBBL, the Leicester Riders strong start in the WBBL Cup, and how basketball can grow in the UK. Skylar and Brian also talk about the BBL Cup games from the past weekend, the upcoming BBL coverage on Sky Sports, the newly launched streaming service BBL Player, and GB Basketball playing in the EuroBasket qualifiers.

In this special episode, Brian Bosche speaks with SamThaRuler about how NBA 2K is helping build basketball culture in the UK. SamThaRuler is one of the best 2K players in the UK, is a part of S2V Esports, and is partnered with 2K United Kingdom. They discuss how SamTheRuler became a fan of the Miami Heat, what it's like training for 2K, playing for S2V Esports, going to Paris to play in the ESL Global Championship European Finals this year, and 2KFest celebrating the launch of NBA2K21. Follow SamThaRuler on Twitch: https://www.twitch.tv/samtharuler

Skylar Smith and Brian Bosche are joined by James Green, Sports Journalist for Sky Sports and talkSport, to discuss the NBA Draft and offseason. For the NBA Draft, they discuss the top three picks, which teams were the biggest winners, steals of the draft, and best family moments. For the NBA offseason, they discuss which teams have become contenders, challengers, and up and comers with their trades and signings. There is a lot to cover from the last week so get ready for a rapid fire show! Follow James Green on Twitter: https://twitter.com/JamesGreenInUK

A special episode on how athletes can use Twitter to build their brands and engage with fans. Skylar Smith (@duchessofhoops) and Brian Bosche (@thedukeofhoops) speak with Benson Mensah-Bonsu, Athlete Partnerships at Twitter. They talk about what athletes can do to build a strong social media presence, how to use Twitter effectively to engage with fans, and how Twitter can be used to attract sponsors. They also discuss how British basketball clubs and players can grow the culture of the sport in the UK. Follow Benson on Twitter: https://twitter.com/CreativeBonsu

Skylar Smith and Brian Bosche are joined by 2-Time BBL MVP Rahmon Fletcher from the Newcastle Eagles. They chat with Rahmon about his journey to the BBL, playing in Europe, winning MVPs and trophies, the Eagle's hot start to the BBL season, and how basketball can grow in the UK. Skylar and Brian also talk about the NBA Draft, Russell Westbrook wanting out of Houston, "The W" Mode in NBA 2K21, and Vote Warnock.

In this special episode, Skylar Smith and Brian Bosche battle Josh Bett and Ishmael Fontaine to build the best BBL Jam duos. In a High Tea Hoops vs. Below the Rim competition, both shows select two players from each BBL Club to represent their BBL Jam duo. The group also discusses the Newcastle Eagles beating the London Lions in the first game of the BBL Cup, BBL Twitter, and games being cancelled due to COVID. Vote for who you think wins each BBL Jam matchup on the High Tea Hoops Twitter.

A special episode on how British Basketball players can build their brands and engage with fans. Skylar Smith and Brian Bosche speak with Zoe Scaman, founder of Bodacious, a strategy studio. Zoe has worked with clients like adidas, Coco-Cola, Nike, and various athletes and celebrities. They talk about what athletes can do to build a strong brand, how a brand can evolve over a career, how athletes can work with brands and sponsors, and specific advice on what young athletes can do to start and grow their brand. They also discuss how British basketball clubs and players can grow the culture of the sport in the UK. Follow Zoe Scaman on Twitter: https://twitter.com/zoescaman

Skylar Smith and Brian Bosche are joined by former NBA and current London Lions player Byron Mullens. They chat with Byron about playing in the NBA alongside players like Kevin Durant, Russell Westbrook, and Blake Griffin, why he wanted to play for the London Lions, what it's like preparing for the BBL season in a pandemic, and what their team culture is like in London. Skylar and Brian also talk about all the NBA coaching moves, BBL season updates, the London LuperLonics building a super team, the NBL Lynch Trophy, and the new Glossier campaign with WNBA players.

Skylar Smith and Brian Bosche are joined by Mo Mooncey, The Hoop Genius and Presenter at Sky Sports, to discuss the NBA season. They chat about what it was like for Mo to cover the NBA Finals for Sky Sports, their biggest takeaways from the Finals, their thoughts on the NBA Bubble, how the players and league handled COVID and social justice issues, who had the best fits, and then answer listener questions about next season.

THE LOS ANGELES LAKERS ARE NBA CHAMPIONS. Skylar Smith and Brian Bosche discuss Game 5 and Game 6 of the NBA Finals between the Los Angeles Lakers and the Miami Heat, the Finals MVP Award, and how this series changed the legacy of LeBron and Jimmy. Then they introduce a new segment called "Thought Experiments with the Duke of Hoops" where they discuss the NBA Playoffs in a parallel universe where teams get to select a player from each team they beat throughout the Playoffs.

Skylar Smith and Brian Bosche chat with Matt Ellentuck, a WNBA Reporter that runs the popular “Here's Basketball” newsletter about women's basketball. They discuss the the Seattle Storm winning the WNBA Championship over the Las Vegas Aces, Breanna Stewart winning another Finals MVP, Sue Bird setting records at 39, takeaways from the season, and what the WNBA can learn from the Wubble experience. Subscribe to Matt's newsletter here: https://mellentuck.substack.com/

On this week's Sunday Roast show, Skylar Smith and Brian Bosche discuss the WNBA Finals between the Storm and Aces, if the NBA Playoffs have an asterisk, best fits of the week, and a toast to the British Basketball community for getting to 10,000 signatures on the petition to give the BBL more Government support. Then Matt Evans, Founder of Lakers UK, comes on the podcast to discuss the Lakers season, playoff run, and their series against the Miami Heat in the NBA Finals.

On this week's Tea Time show, Brian Bosche chats with Creon Raftopoulos, Head Coach of the Surrey Scorchers in the British Basketball League. They discuss Creon's playing days in Zimbabwe growing up in a basketball family, becoming a coach in the BBL, building the Surrey Scorchers program, what it's been like coaching through a pandemic, the influence of Tayo Ogedengbe and Joel Freeland on his team, and why the Government should support the BBL.