There’s been so much excitement for this final – the Sevenoaks Suns against the London Lions – and I can absolutely understand why. There is obviously a lot of hype around this game, but the core of our team has so much experience by now that it is sure to be a huge benefit to us.
As captain, it is my job to remind everybody how we got here, why we are here and that as long as we do what we’re supposed to do, I see good things for us. We have to use the hype as motivation, whilst remaining humble and reminding ourselves why we’re here.
Our first meeting with London was really early in the season, where our players had only just arrived for the season and I’m sure there’s had too. It was a great game between two great teams, and I expect the same in this final. We’re both undefeated in the Championship, so it is a huge occasion and one I’m definitely very excited for.
They have incredible depth on their team, able to play 10 to 12 players without really losing anything when they make substitutions. They share the ball so well and they play in a very similar style to us. They’ve brought back a lot of players from last year but bringing in Jo Leedham-Warner has taken them to another level entirely.
I’ve heard people say they’re another Sevenoaks in terms of their potential to dominate, and we have to take that as a compliment because we’ve worked so hard over so many years to earn that status.
I’ve always said that the consistency of our core has been a key part to our strength over the years and it is no coincidence that their core has remained broadly the same over the last 18 months and they’re growing in the same way we did, adding some really good pieces around a really strong core.
We’ve been in several finals now and experienced a lot of very big occasions like this and I still get the same buzz now as I did the first time, honestly. This is why we play the game, to have these moments. Maybe in my younger days I didn’t take them in as much as I do now, but every occasion is as special as the last.
We’ve won, we’ve lost, we understand the emotional aspect of it, and I’ll definitely be making sure I take it all in this year as much as I can. Basketball won’t be around forever, so I am very appreciative, grateful and thankful that I can still play this game and get to these moments that are of such significance.