GB BASKETBALL TO RECEIVE HUGE BOOST WITH MAJOR GAMES TAKING PLACE IN THE CAPITAL

GB BASKETBALL’S SUBWAY® SUMMER SLAM TICKETS ARE ON SALE 10AM THURSDAY 23 MAY AT TICKETEK.CO.UK

This July, London will be the capital of basketball with GB Basketball taking over the Copper Box Arena for two enthralling games – under the banner of the Subway® Summer Slam.

GB Men will take on South Sudan on Thursday 18 July and GB Women will play Germany on Sunday 21 July. With tickets from as little as £10, fans are urged to book now due to high demand during an exciting summer of sport.

With the biggest names in USA basketball such as LeBron James and Kevin Durant playing major games at The O2 this July, NBA opening a flagship Oxford Street Store and even Hollywood’s Adam Sandler stopping by Clapham Common’s popular courts recently to play a game, the spotlight on basketball in the UK is bigger than ever.

More than 1.3million people regularly play basketball in the UK, making it the most played team sport after football. With more than 297,000 young people* taking up basketball in the last academic year, the growth is second only to football for team sports.

Now, all eyes are on GB Basketball as they play two major games at the Copper Box in Stratford. Tickets for July’s Subway Summer Slam go on general sale 10am, Thursday 23 May, giving fans the chance to see GB Basketball men’s and women’s teams take on nations that are heading to Paris just a few days before the Olympic Games opening ceremony.

The games will take place on 18 and 21 July in the Copper Box Arena, a London 2012 legacy venue. The GB men’s team will take on South Sudan led by legendary 2012 GB captain and NBA star, Luol Deng. Just three days later, the GB women’s team will play Germany in what is expected to be a fiercely competitive game, with the sides currently just two places apart in the FIBA world rankings.

GB Basketball Chair, Chris Grant, said: “These games are taking place just ahead of the Paris 2024 Olympics but we already have our sights set on the journey to the Los Angeles Games in 2028.  There’s no doubt that we have the talent to be a force both on and off the court.  The momentum is building, and we would love to see as many fans of British Basketball as possible filling the seats at the Copper Box to support the players as we take our next steps.

“This is an exciting new era for GB Basketball following our work to rebuild and raise standards in recent months. There couldn’t be a better time to team up with such a well-loved and established global brand. These games will be the first activation of our partnership with Subway. We are extremely grateful for their support and we are very much looking forward to working with them.”

GB Basketball’s brand new partnership with Subway was announced last week and Subway EMEA Brand and UK & Ireland Marketing Director, Kirstey Elston, said: “Our Fresh Moves initiative is focused on creating more opportunities for people interested in basketball, and other emerging sports, to participate and feel valued.
 
“We’re excited to leverage Subway’s reach and our new partnership with GB Basketball to increase the excitement around basketball, bring communities together, celebrate movement and advance our efforts to promote inclusion within the sports community.” 

These games, which are hosted in partnership with TEG Sport, will give the GB teams a welcome opportunity to accelerate the momentum that has already been building in their quest to qualify for FIBA EuroBasket 2025.

CEO for TEG Group, Geoff Jones, said: “We are thrilled to be working with GB Basketball and bringing more basketball content to the fans of the United Kingdom, as part of TEG’s continued growth globally. These games should be on everyone’s list to attend.”

The GB women will also be keen to make the most of this timely chance to play together ahead of competing in the FIBA Women’s Basketball World Cup 2026 pre-qualifying tournament taking place in Rwanda in August.

The women’s game against Germany will see Anna Montañana take charge as GB women’s head coach for the first time, following her appointment earlier this year. 

The men’s game has also piqued interest as it will be an intriguing reunion for former GB teammates Luol Deng, now President of South Sudan Basketball, and GB General Manager, Dan Clark.

Tickets for adults for these international basketball games start at £10.

The games will be supported by Subway, as part of the brand’s new “Fresh Moves” initiative and partnership with GB Basketball, announced last week. Subway will support GB senior and age-group teams initially for a 12-month period.

Tickets for Subway Summer Slam are available from 10am on Thursday 23 May at ticketek.co.uk

(Source: Sport England Active Lives Survey).