Founding family of basketball meets Fury’s Scot stars

Fury players past and present met up with the grandson of the father of basketball at the weekend, for the launch of a new wheelchair basketball league.
Scotland internationals including Fury players past and present met the founding father's grandson.Scotland internationals including Fury players past and present met the founding father's grandson.
Scotland internationals including Fury players past and present met the founding father's grandson.

The special event marked the expansion of the Jr. NBA basketballscotland League to two leagues, in addition to the first-ever Jr. NBA Wheelchair Basketball League.

On site to celebrate the announcement was Jim Naismith, the grandson of the inventor of basketball, Dr James Naismith, alongside

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Kieron Achara, Jonny Bunyan, Bantu Burroughs and Ali Fraser, plus other Scottish internationals, Caledonia Pride players Maela Faleu and Pollyanna Storie, and Scotland National Team wheelchair basketball player, Josh Manson.

Fury’s under-12s Rose Tyrell, Kirsten Whyte, Rachael Dagger, Adama Hainey, Gavin Black and Lucas Barbero were all attending too.

Naismith was going back to his roots at the launch, with his family hailing from the south side of Glasgow and Pollokshields. He said: “I am delighted to be here, back in the home territory of my father’s family in Glasgow. The game that he created in 1891, a long time ago, spread internationally immediately, but I am standing in the place where the background started and a lot of that thinking came out of this very neighborhood.”

Kieron Achara added: “It means a lot to have the first wheelchair basketball in the Jr. NBA in Scotland just because it just shows how inclusive our sport really is. That’s something we have been preaching a lot in basketball in Scotland because we really believe it’s a sport for all, so this is a chance to highlight that, really expand the game, raise the awareness and offer everyone the chance to experience it.”

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Throughout the clinic, youngsters were led through various warm-up and skill exercises in a fun, competitive environment, with the NBA Basketball Operations clinician employing engaging tools such as scarves and balloons to encourage agility and spatial awareness and to foster their understanding and engagement with the sport.

Naismith’s Glasgow story featured in a Sky Sports documentary including Team Solripe last night (Wednesday).

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