 | Paul Nilsen is a freelance basketball journalist writing for various web-sites and publications across Europe. If you would like to contact Paul you can e-mail him here badaball@hotmail.co.uk. |
If you have the chance of playing a small but active part in basketball history you should probably take it. With this in mind, I abandoned the usually sterile and passive environment of the media area, grabbed my game ticket and clambered into the spectator area of Torwar Hall.
It was Monday 7th September 2009 in Warsaw and time to actively experience history in the making. I stood shoulder to shoulder with my fellow countrymen from Great Britain and shared the dawning of a day that we all thought would never arrive.
Not normally prone to feeling paranoid or having an inferiority complex it was hard not to feel like some kind of eccentric and distant relative about to gatecrash a family party for the first time.
Even without the inspirational Luol Deng, the mission remained the same - to silence the doubters and prove that Great Britain did actually deserve their place to dine at the top table of the European elite.
One of the fantastic Slovenian fans that made the atmosphere so special inside the Arena decided to practice his English ahead of the game by shouting ‘God Save The Queen' in my direction.
Apt words indeed as minutes later, the national anthem was being proudly sung for the first time at a major basketball tournament.
At tip-off it was an emotional and almost indescribably important moment for the long suffering fans from the British basketball family - supporters who do genuinely love the game just as much as anyone from the big ‘basketball countries'.
When the final buzzer had sounded after a debut EuroBasket defeat to Slovenia, it was difficult not to feel a strange mix of pride and disappointment although nothing could have prepared me for what would happen the following day against Spain.
Having bounced up and down to the sound of American rap/rock band N.E.R.D as they played live in Warsaw city centre last Saturday night, I didn't dream that I would be getting a sense of de ja vous just 72 hours later.
Blown away in the opening minutes against the star studded Spanish, Great Britain stormed back in thrilling fashion and almost completed what would have been one of the biggest upsets in EuroBasket history.
Bouncing up and down with sheer elation when GB went four points up against the world champions having been on the floor in the opening stages was an incredible feeling for everyone in red, white and blue.
While ultimately succumbing after running out of gas, the relief etched on the face of Coach Scariolo told the story - as did the jubilation with which the Spanish fans celebrated victory.
Of course the flat and ill disciplined performance against Serbia was a poor finish and left the EuroBasket rookies without a win and with a bitter taste in the mouth but the ‘Dengless' displays against two probable medallists was heartening.
Making history and treading virgin territory has been tough but nothing compared to now making mainstream national media in the UK sit up and take notice - an issue perfectly summed up by one joker after the near shock win against the World Champions who quipped "That could have been the biggest British sporting story that almost nobody would have read."
You had to smile but what was really important was that with some potential, there is plenty more history left to make for the newest kids on the Eurobasket block.
While a true heritage and reputation will take several more decades to build, Warsaw was an important first step and one that will never be forgotten for those who were there.
