TONY G UPBEAT DESPITE BLOWS
12/21/2009
Billed as an 'important milestone' by Head Coach Chris Finch, GB were dealt two blows last week as Luol Deng and co. were overlooked for a wildcard entry into next year's World Championships...just days after the announcement that the sport's funding will be reduced.
However, Assistant coach Tony Garbelotto is focused on the long-term future and does not believe FIBA's decision will damage GB's hopes of competing in London 2012.
"I wouldn't read anything into it at all," he said.
"We need to be in EuroBasket in 2011 and that's all we need to worry about.
"They might not have made the criteria for qualification public knowledge but the bottom line is, FIBA are not stupid, they know that when the GB team gets to the Olympic Games they will be extremely competitive.
"They know that and there is nothing else to prove."
Last chance
The 40 year-old play caller who splits his time between Team GB and coaching Everton Tigers, is more concerned by the proposed funding cuts.
"It could not have come at a worse time," he said.
"Our sport has to realise that the Olympics is almost last chance saloon for exposing the country to basketball.
"I believe our governing bodies are missing a trick, they have no PR campaign out in the schools leading up to 2012 and we really need to start thinking about that because this is our big chance."
One thing Garbelotto is well aware of, is the pressure on the GB squad ahead of 2012. With UK Sport operating on the basis of medal success, failure could lead to further funding cuts.
"It places pressure on everyone within the programme and at the same time it is a tough dynamic that we are left with," he said.
"I feel we would have had some success at EuroBasket had Luol played but you are always at risk when you are banking on a situation like that.
"But people thrive on pressure so I am looking forward to the challenge of helping the country succeed."
Success Stories
The London-born coach also feels the level of preparation Team GB will receive can help them achieve success in 2012, as they benefit from the experience of Head Coach Chris Finch and his Assistant Nick Nurse, both of whom are currently plying their trade in the NBDL (National Basketball Development League) in America.
"I won't have anyone even think that these two are not two of the best coaches in the world let alone Europe," he said.
"These guys are at the next level and that will be proved in a short period of time, with Nick very close to becoming an assistant in the NBA itself and Chris now taking the job within the Houston Rockets organisation.
"It is important not to forget that these are two people who cut their teeth, learning how to coach here in the BBL, and that is a story which has been under sold."
Another home grown success story Garbelotto feels has been over-looked and needs to be celebrated, is that of Newcastle Eagles' Darius Defoe.
"At this moment there is no performance pathway mapped out for a young person to succeed in our sport," said the former Eagles coach.
"There are three basic routes you can take to reach the next level. You can reach a certain standard and then try to make it in high school and college in America, go to Europe like Joel Freeland and Dan Clark or stay in this country.
"The player who has had the most success staying in this country is Darius Defoe.
"The situation with Darius has been under played because there is no question that he is the biggest success story. If you look at the top English players now, almost all went to high school and college in America.
"It can be done but people have to see it and not just younger people and the parents, the authorities need to realise that the pinnacle level of basketball in this country is the BBL and we have to find a route for putting our younger players through to that level."
Capitalise
As well as working with GB and Tigers Garbelotto is also involved in Everton’s newly formed basketball academy, something he describes as a 'work in progress' and he feels the time to start such projects is now.
"We need to capitalise on 2012 and the euphoria of it all," he said.
"The BBL needs to be on TV on a regular basis and England Basketball need multiple programmes in place so there can be a legacy.
"The main thing we need is the facilities.
"We would be in a very healthy state if we had 15 to 20 Amaechi centres around the country each with a capacity of 2,000-2,500 and a BBL team playing out of them, but we don't."
This is a problem which goes hand in hand with that of media exposure, although a solution could be close with the potential Sky Sports TV deal believed to be all but completed.
"That is a close deal and we hope it is going to happen," said Garbelotto.
"We need people watching and being enthused about the sport of basketball. We need younger people to aspire to be on TV through basketball, it doesn't matter whether they go to America or Europe what matters is that they are seeing basketball on a regular basis."
Frequent helpings of basketball on television would clearly represent a huge step forward for the sport in this country as receiving a wildcard would have done.
But while GB may have lost the fight to secure a place in Turkey, the bigger battle to ensure Britain is ready to capitalise on the buzz around of the Olympics, rages on.
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