Great Britain basketball: Fiba ban felt worse than ‘getting hit with a sledgehammer’

The immediate priority for the sport has been enabling the GB team to compete in the November international window.

Basketball England has worked with the SLB to deliver the game against Lithuania, while other stakeholders – such as UK Sport and the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport – are involved to plot a way forward.

Lasker believes this chaotic moment could still be a turning point.

With the NBA looking to launch a new Europe-based league in 2027, including potential London and Manchester franchises, he says the opportunity is “massive”.

“It gives the sport a chance to hit the reset button and build a solid foundation,” added the American.

“If we take advantage, British basketball could explode quickly. If we don’t, we may never get another opportunity like this.”

Sanjay Bhandari, SLB interim chair, says lessons need to be learned, admitting the crisis “shows the risks and dangers of insufficiently challenging governance” and the sport needs a governance review.

Steutel agrees change is essential, adding: “We need people who can drive the sport forward performance-wise, commercially, administratively, financially.”

More immediately, though, his team have a match to play.

The unsavoury saga has been unsettling for the players, but GB guard Josh Ward-Hibbert believes it will not affect their performance against Lithuania.

“You hear rumblings of uncertainty within the federation and the league – it can be concerning,” he said. “But you just try to control what you can.

“Everyone understands where we are as a group and gives everything they can to push the national team forward.”

Given the major concerns earlier this month, that the match is even taking place is already progress.