The British basketball community began to fight back against recent funding cuts at Brunel University on Sunday.
UK Sport cut all funding to the sport in April to bring to an end the progress that has been made since the Great British basketball programme was put together in 2006.
But after appeals against the decision were turned away, the British basketball community took it upon itself to respond.
Sam Neter, owner of basketball website Hoopsfix.com, staged the inaugural Hoopsfix All-Star Classic at Brunel in aid of the Hoopsfix Foundation.
Hoopsfix Foundation is a newly-launched not-for-profit initiative dedicated to helping grow the game in the UK.
The event brought together the country’s best players for U16 and U26 All-Star games to celebrate the strength of British basketball.
All 500 tickets sold out in a matter of days and professional players plying their trade all over the globe answered the call of their country.
One of those was Dan Clark, who is originally from Greenwich but has been playing basketball in Spain for 14 years and represented Great Britain at the London 2012 Olympic Games.
He said: “I don’t agree with UK Sport’s boundaries that they set out at all.
“You can’t compare a team sport to an individual sport, especially when it comes to an Olympic cycle, because in an individual sport there might be opportunities to win 50 medals whereas in basketball there is just one.
“There should be boundaries that offer a fairer set-up for everyone. It is frustrating.
“We are working on things like this. What Sam and Hoopsfix are doing now is great for everybody and it is a great opportunity for basketball to showcase itself.
“That’s the main thing now. We have just got to find a way to fund ourselves or find private sponsors.”
Fellow GB international Matthew Bryan-Amaning shone brightest among Britain’s leading lights on the day, taking most valuable player honours in the main event, following a successful season playing professionally in France.
He added: “We have to realise where we have come from since 06, in the last eight years, to go from not having a team to being one of the top 20 teams in the world.
“Obviously there is room for improvement, we are not saying that we are the best that we can be but we are saying we are on the way and up and to just cut the funding feels like a slap in the face.”
Neter was delighted with the response to the event having pulled it together and garnered support from major sponsors.
He felt that success proved the potential for the sport in this country and should make the powers that be sit up and take notice.
"There are a lot of people that are incredibly frustrated with the lack of governmental support that basketball receives here," said Neter.
"Events such as these are a step forward and show how strong the community is. Hopefully with the money raised and the ongoing work of the Foundation we will start making significant long-term changes. Right now the Olympic legacy is non-existent."
For more information about the Hoopsfix Foundation, and to watch highlights from the Hoopsfix All-Star Classic visit www.hoopsfix.com.
