THE ROAD TO GREATNESS: A short film presented by Biffa

Presented by the British Basketball League’s Official Sustainability Partner, lock in for a behind-the-scenes look at the biggest game of the season – the Playoff Final – in The Road to Greatness!

Following Cheshire Phoenix’s up-and-coming star Aaryn Rai, and London Lions veteran Jordan Taylor ahead of the showpiece final, The Road to Greatness is about more than just a Final. This is about impact. This is about community. This is about a sustainable legacy.

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#UNBEATABLE

25 seconds to play 85 all in the 02 here we go the big moment everyone take a deep breath shot clock at six yes maybe the most clutch shot of the entire [Music] season greatness means a lot to me because feel like that’s something as professional athletes we always chasing consistency is greatness to me everybody has a different skill set and that makes your trajectory in life whether it’s basketball or whatever you put your mind too different obviously in the sport there’s different levels of greatness and I think that for me at least this year would be winning this playoff final and being the best version of myself those two kind of go hand in hand and hopefully we can achieve that can’t be 8 billion Michael Jordan so as long as you’re consistent and you maximize your situation I think that’s greatness [Music] we are here in the O2 Arena a little bit of context the Lions ches Phoenix both teams have had amazing Seasons the Lions these are the veterans that have been there before and on the other side you’ve got Jes Phoenix The Underdogs early on in the season not sure that everyone expected them to be as formidable as they have been this is the rematch of the trophy game the Cheshire Phoenix answers the call every single time the Lions haven’t won anything yet this year ches have got all the silverware so far London have the bigger guys they have experience and then on the other side you’ve got the new school cats that don’t care about who you are up down they’re the generation of young guys are like okay you’re supposed to be that but you’re going to have to show me and I love that I love that because now the Lions have to bring it today or else ches are going to sweep them sweep them all the sway all the marbles Lions you going to bite you’re going to bite with no teeth basketball leag baby the wolf at the top of the hill isn’t as hungry as the wolf that’s climbing it if you’re looking up at what you want to do never being satisfied with what you’ve done then you’re going to be a lot hungrier and motivated to to get it done it’s important to have guys that don’t rattle Under Pressure some guys don’t need experience for that when pressure situations hit you fall to the level of your training so it all comes down to this the number one versus the number two the present versus possibly the future who has what it takes to lift the trophy and claim the title in 2024 will it be London or will it be cheser we are underway Maci o Jack he’ll try a three Off the Mark Aaron Ry IQ and all on the putback for the first bucket of the championship I’ve worked a ton of different jobs in a ton of different Industries none of which I’ve liked I worked in a lab worked this summer in a consultancy firm I’ve worked for a fintech startup so I’ve done a bunch of things but I haven’t really liked any of them so I haven’t stuck to it the biggest thing I’ve liked so far was basketball so I decided I I’d pursue a career in that at least uh for as as it was uh feasible I think I’m taller than a giraffe just a newborn at least I played four years at Dartmouth College after about four years there went to to heml right by London it was in the second league actually we had a really great season there one and all and then uh yeah ended up at cheshier it’s really tempting for me to just to reach over and touch it but I I won’t I heard it’s kind of Posh real housewise a cheshier I but uh that that’s it my teammates would uh probably describe me as quite relaxed and uh chill I don’t really take myself too seriously I don’t think they take me too seriously either what what is their like most exciting thing that they do stad hence why I’m like at the butt of many jokes but I don’t know if I can uh repeat them on camera so I’ll just keep that out I guess we haven’t got a phoenix here then no I just enjoy you know having a laugh and and being part of the team for sure that’s like me pretty much every Monday it’s a really big honor to be at the final they’re a great team but uh I think if any team could beat them it definitely could be us because we showed that we can these ones are a lot scarier than the ones we’re going to be facing so we know exactly what they want to do and their talent level makes it hard to stop but the level of edge that we play with will allow us to to hopefully get it done our group is a quite a close H group there we everybody’s kind of around the same age in terms of you know first or second years out of out of college you know their first second Years playing professionally set up to Oklahoma man you know what I’m saying it took some time for all of us to gel from all the media and stuff go we weren’t picked as one of the better groups you know our success definitely has come a little bit of surprise but it’s definitely deserved because of the effort we put in I think it’s just never being satisfied with what you’ve done you heard me cameraman coming out of college no teams wanted to sign me in the first league and uh you know it’s kind of a little bit of a slight I would say because I thought I was definitely good enough as a show to play at this level I really kind of had that in the back of my mind even though I haven’t said it and I think I’m like one of the best players at this level for sure three 1 2 three no question about it Skyler white drags his man deep into three-point range and called glass someone let me know the bank is open on Sunday Decker on the wing he cuts inside Euro Step all day long and Sam Decker puts it in for another two oh that’s pretty Dante Grandam well within his range buries it huge three Sharma finger roll beautiful laquincy inside oh throw down David introducing himself to the fans of the O2 oh folks this is just the appetizer quarter number one we like to call it Tariq Phillips comes out of that first quarter and he buries a three to push the lead to 13 and not only is he burying the three but he’s locked in on the defensive end how about this three and then Showtime we knew it was going to get Fiery and testy and it has certainly lived up to that nice drive and nice Dy Grandam says not this time oh beautiful shoty always in a game when you’ve got laquincy Rau and Aaron Ry and wava head up looking to run he’ll go right down the middle and lay it for two Aaron R look like he got the nudge and the hip check JT Jordan Taylor the captain down on the ground the prde of the University of Wisconsin remember he was last year’s finals MVP [Music] PE literally the one basketball is like other than your mom probably is probably your first love you know trly all that I know in a sense this Sunday be my 12th year Pro a lot of my friends I don’t know if I would have lasted this long overseas it’s just as long as a physical and mental grind that has been but yeah it’s been a blessing to be able to to go this long my my experience through basketball has literally taken me all over the United States to some NBA training camps and then across the world from Rome to Tokyo and and back to London I got the the great honor bestowed upon me when we voted for captain at the beginning of the year I felt my job was to try and keep guys motivated keep guys locked in so also I just play around all day just always messing with people it’s like a little kid I just want to see my my teammates and my friends do well St feeling when he makes it which has really helped me this year you know especially being an older guy you always want to push people and see them fulfill their full potential yeah I think when you want that demanding something of yourself and other guys it’s kind of like iron sharpen running a tiny bit late but going to scan for my soon to be son U so yeah excited we’re at the uh scan for jet for baby jet to try see his face to see what he looks like and see if he has Casey’s top lip or [Laughter] if baby do soon me and my girlfriend Casey were super excited having him come along would be nice for him to get to at least be at a g I don’t know if he’ll ever get to see me you know play we’ll see how long we go but um at least be at a game while I’m playing would be would be super cool why he so serious that was it if that’s his permanent face I’m not going to be to take him seriously laugh I I’m a big proponent I don’t know if people ever change per se but I think your priorities change having a tiny little human that you get to mold into this person it’s probably the most pressure you can have of all it’s definitely going to be a challenge probably one that I’m most nervous for uh in my life so far such a stabilizing Force when you have Jordan Taylor out on the court the Speedy Matt Morgan up and in that’s ivy league on Ivy League crime Cornell on Dartmouth the Quincy Rau just cuts right through the defense and gets it the fall and gets right up in the grill of Tariq Phillip Aaron Ry comes right back and that’s what we need to see more right Sam Decker on him goes to the spin backside inside Up and Under uses the glass it might not be pretty all the time Z but it’s effective Aaron Ry with his back to the rim and somehow Aaron Ry finds a way to get it in Rau for three to hit it trip so the first half of Championship Sunday has come to a conclusion London led by 10 after one quarter they lead by 11 at the half 20 minutes of basketball to to determine a title winner here and there are the fans I don’t know if any fan base travels as well as a chesher phoenix doesn’t matter where the game is they [Applause] show it’s just say so fastpaced isn’t it it’s 40 minutes but I don’t know once you step through those doors to watch a basketball game I think I think you’re always going to return aren’t you it’s just a just HW sh the Nicks Nation are a group of people that I have I’ve never seen so much heart and passion in a group of people you are very quickly sucked into the world of of chesa Phoenix this season has hit differently we’re so excited about this weekend we say it every game but I think we’ll absolutely Bring the Noise are at the trophy final there was a comment made by be Ben Thomas that London had zero fans I’m I’m so happy for everyone I’m so happy for this lot you know London had zero fans here and you know I’m just so happy that we can win this for them honestly I’m so so it does bring a little bit of pressure but I think we’re up to the challenge we have some big voices and um I I think we’ll raise the reef wow Todd you can feel the intensity in this between these two teams Matt Morgan for three Bingo just finds away oh Aon Ry with just a beauty I tell you what things are heating up shesher barking back at the Lions we’ve got an eight-point game and another steal coming David and WBA Returns the favor he spins on Aaron taken any foul cam Kristen lets the three go buries it big we’ve got ourselves a fivepoint ball game in the capital city R into the lane kicks it out Mao Jack the Lions led by 10 after one they led by 11 at the half it is now a three-point ball game and if you thought the first three quarters were heated buckle up I’m not their biggest fans and I don’t think they’re my biggest fans or are biggest fans and that’s not secret that we don’t particularly like them and I’m sure they don’t particularly like us but fighting for the one piece of silverware I don’t expect anybody to like each other we have the better team I don’t think that’s a secret and I don’t mean that disrespectfully I think that’s just a fact they have talented players but for us we play our game we should be our I’d be happy if we didn’t get a trophy we just want the game honestly the pride about beating them at the O2 would would be enough you play basketball to have fun and you play basketball to win I don’t believe in moral victories or anything like that yeah Winning is Everything don’t get it twisted here we go the final 10 minutes for a title and now an opportunity for chesher to tie or cut it to one make it cut it to one Morgan to Decker clutch Dante CR them there’s blocks and then there’s some blocks with attitud inside Conor Morgan he’s blocked and the ball’s pinned you’ve seen it all today three-point ball game and this time they’re going to get Jordan Taylor you better be careful so J is going to have to take a seat 90 seconds to go for a title about shoot off what fingernails they have left here comes Rau pushing the pace he’ll take the bump and the heart and look he’s loving it loves the fans gets it we are back to a onepoint ball game 58 seconds to play would you have it any other way Tariq Phillip before he took that shot was N9 for n in the playoffs from the foul line called pressure gets the second two-point ball game two point ball game the Quincy Drive dish bucket big time we are all all even 25 seconds to play 85 all in the O2 shot clock at 6 Morgan Decker yes deer to inside deer thing we’ve seen this multiple times this season wham bam thank you Sam maybe the most clutch shot of the entire season that was as good Good As It Gets 9.1 seconds to a title Jack tied up gets the shot away Aaron Ry has it he has a look at it nothing there London Lions take a b man tired exhausted but relieved good win couldn’t think to ended any other way than big balls Sammy you know what I’m saying Corner Pocket three man happy for him he’s had a long year with injury so I couldn’t think of a better way for him to finish it and us as a team that’s great Winning is Everything yes but it also means more than that just being able to accomplish something with people that you respect winning to me is the ultimate connector which is generally linked to furthering your career or bettering your life in some way you know you never forget that it is man got the D we the top talking about man that’s a tough one like road to Greatness I feel like that’s like an intimidating title per se because that means that I’ve got to achieve it or something like that I guess my road the end of that would be me being the best version of myself on the court and off the court whenever that best version is is probably when my road will end I don’t want to see myself go down the other way so I think that’ll kind of be my end goal my greatness per se you know honestly I I’m really proud of of the career I’ve had up to this [Music] point I definitely have less in front of me than I do behind me so if I retired today or if I was never able to play a basketball game again I’ll be very proud of the career that I had [Music]