Teesside Lions chairman James Thomson: End of season thoughts and the future of the club

Teesside Lions 25/26 season was a success in terms of developing the profile of the club and developing their youth talent. They finished at the bottom of division 1 and were relegated to division 2. However, the club were hard done by through the season. Most notably, Mike Hood played brilliantly for the Lions but due to eligibilty he was forced to leave and the wins he was involved with were turned over.

"It’s a season where, for the last two years, we haven't performed as we would have liked. Factors like the import player situation with Mike Hood. Hood was brought in mid way through the season and he made an instant impact. He was named an NBL player of the week and improved our form. He was a great scorer and his passing ability made his teammates better. There was then an issue with Hood's elgibilty and he was forced to sit out for the rest of the season and he eventually travel back to America. We were then given a double blow as the wins Mike had been involved in were overturned. The situation had a dramatic effect on results. With Hood, I believe we would have been on the winning side of many games we've competed in.

"Next season, we will have an import player through our relationship with Teesside University."

Thomson said the Lions should be in a 'better postion' next season and the club always aims to be 'competitive' rergardless of division. The clubs objectives are to win every game and entertain the fans.

"We hope to keep the core of the team and add players to strengthen the squad. Players like Benas Maldutis and AJ Harris, who joined through the university program, have been great additions. This provides an opportunity for aspiring student-athletes globally to look at Teesside Lions and Teesside University as a place to study and advance their basketball careers."

Thomson emphasised the importance of fan experience and how it can be more important in building a fan base than team success

"For me, the fan experience is often more important than the game itself. What we’re wanting is to build a product that people enjoy. It’s an event; it’s more than the game. People are coming to be entertained." "Me and Serge Bojev (head coach of the Lions) are very similar; we're a similar age, he is one year older than me (I probably look a little bit older than him). When we first met, I think my wife had said to me that it was like a carbon copy; me and Serge were saying the same things and talking the same way. The principles and ethos in terms of what we do in not only running a basketball club but the way we develop the players." "There’s a huge ecosystem of people involved that most don’t realize are there, but without them, the whole thing crumbles."