Action from Midnight Madness Ball Till You Fall, Brixton, UK
Greetings from across the Atlantic – London, England, to be exact. Though I’ve had the privilege of posting on here once before and contributing to the realest hoops magazine on the planet (Bounce Magazine is THE solution), I thought it would be a good idea to go back a couple steps and properly introduce myself before I invite you to walk (blog) with me…
As it says on the label, my name is Nhamo Shire, aka ‘Nhamz’ (pronounced ‘Narmz’), and I’m the founder of Europe’s biggest open participation summer tournament, Midnight Madness: Ball Till You Fall. I fell in love with the game 21 years ago and have developed the most beautiful relationship ever since, as a player (high school, college and pro), coach, trainer, announcer, tournament organizer and, of course, fan.
Nhamz coaching at Quai54 in Paris, France
Basketball has taken me to places and spaces I could never have imagined, coming up on the streets of London (North West represent!). I’ve been truly blessed to have traveled the world and had so many life changing experiences, and now dedicate much of my time to helping players enjoy similar opportunities, while elevating the game in the UK and beyond.
The UK is nowhere near the level of the US yet. There is comparable talent, players can ball, no doubt, but the infrastructure of the game and outlets for solid fulls on a regular basis is a long way off NYC. Through my Midnight Madness program, and our charitable community development program ‘Reach & Teach,’ we’re trying to address some of these issues and give all players from Street through to Elite, kids through to adults, the chance to play, enjoy the game and show the rest of the world that we’re on the rise.
No matter what language you speak, Bounce is universal (Paris, France ‘07 - Photo By Greg Tanner)
Through my blog, I’ll do my best to be your eyes and ears from overseas, bringing you interviews, playground tournament reviews, a little Feet On The Street international flavor, and fresh insights into hoops from overseas. Cross-Atlantic shout out and big ups to my main man Kool Bob Love and his partners who make this all happen Sean ‘Coach’ Couch, Jesse, Justin and the whole Bounce family for passing me the rock and blessing me with this opportunity.
December 3rd, 2007 at 10:35 pm
Bobbito Garcia a.k.a. Kool Bob Love says:
yo nhamz-
that navy/burgundy sweatsuit top that you’re wearing above is fire. i’ll trade you an elite 24 hs all-american game pair of shorts for it! haha! whaddup kid?!!! good to see you back on here. photos are bananas. what’s the update on matthew bryant, bro?
December 3rd, 2007 at 11:52 pm
Sean Couch says:
Nhamz:
Did he make the dunk? First image.
December 4th, 2007 at 3:36 am
Nhamz says:
Ha Ha…B, i’m gonna have to open up the extra extra exclusive closet to bring any trade value to the table with you! Your flavors are globally feared B! Matthew is gonna feature as one of my regular blog updates, bringing some light to the UK players people should be aware of. He’s a freshman at Washington in the Pac10 now and showing signs of doing big things.
Sean, dudes name is Darren Mills and his bunnies are crazy! I’ve seen him make that 360 through the legs a number of times like it was nothing! Crazy!
December 7th, 2007 at 4:35 am
Bakar says:
Hey Nhamz,
I used to study in Bristol for 2 years.. those days it’s really hard to find a decent court to play in, and if you find one it’s full with kids playing soccer or tennis or whatever.. good to see the game on the rise in the land of fish and chips.
December 15th, 2007 at 5:12 am
Nhamz says:
Bakar, the game is growing in some ways over here, but you know its a constant struggle to get the people who hold the money to make a difference, invest it in the game to allow it to really thrive. We went down to Bristol this past summer - there were a few young cats down there who looked promising. Check the link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ieO4DGZu6NU