London School of Basketball

Part of the London Basketball Network

Developing players.
Creating opportunity.
For the London community.

The London School of Basketball develops the people who help community basketball thrive. Our work brings together player development, coach education, officiating, volunteering and the practical skills needed to establish and run local basketball clubs.

Founded to create a lasting grassroots legacy, LSB’s approach equips local people to build opportunities within their own communities. Today, LSB carries that founding purpose into its role as the technical certification and education arm of the London Basketball Network.

Our approach Work with LSB

Kobe Bryant at the LSB launch with LSB and Nike branding — Kobe Bryant at the official launch of the London School of Basketball.

Technical Certification Coach education Community workforce Club development

Our approach

Building basketball
from within the community.

Strong community basketball depends on the people who teach, organise and sustain it. LSB’s founding model connected learning with practical experience, helping local people develop the skills and confidence to create opportunities for others.

01 · Coaches

Develop the people who teach.

Coach education, practical experience and mentoring help people teach the game well, support player development and continue improving their own practice.

02 · Officials

Support the game on court.

Pathways into refereeing and table officiating equip local people with the knowledge and skills to support organised basketball competition.

03 · Volunteers

Give people a role.

Recruiting, preparing and supporting volunteers creates opportunities to contribute, gain experience and help community basketball thrive.

04 · Club leaders

Build clubs that last.

Practical learning helps local organisers establish and run community clubs, from committees and volunteer teams to facilities, funding and long-term planning.

From taking part to giving back.

Our original programme brought people into basketball, developed regular participation and competition, then supported local coaches, officials, volunteers and club leaders to sustain those opportunities in their own communities.

Nhamo Shire hosting the Midnight Madness dunk competition with cheering spectators — Midnight Madness: competition, culture and opportunity. Nhamo Shire hosting at Crystal Palace.

Michael Jordan with young participants at the LSB pilot clinic — Michael Jordan at the LSB pilot clinic.

Our story

From Midnight Madness
to a lasting legacy.

The London School of Basketball grew out of Midnight Madness—the basketball movement founded by Nhamo Shire that brought together competition, culture and opportunity, connecting grassroots talent with an international stage.

Building on that success, Nhamo and Nike, Midnight Madness’s sponsor and partner, shared an ambition to turn the energy surrounding those events into a lasting grassroots legacy. Nhamo was tasked with developing a sustainable model that would bring more young people into basketball and give them regular opportunities to learn, play and develop. That model became the London School of Basketball.

At the heart of the programme was a commitment to developing local people. Alongside coaching sessions and competitions, LSB trained coaches, recruited and supported volunteers, helped officials gain qualifications and taught community organisers how to establish and run basketball clubs.

Through practical workshops, mentoring and opportunities to put new skills into practice, participants could take on responsibilities within their own communities. The aim was to build clubs with the people, knowledge and organisation to keep basketball growing beyond the initial programme.

Reach & Teach delivered the original community development programme, with support from the Mayor’s Sports Legacy Fund and Sport England helping put that ambition into practice.

Michael Jordan came to launch the LSB pilot, helping introduce the programme as it set out to prove its approach in practice. The foundations were local: quality coaching, player development and opportunities to take part.

Once the pilot had proved the model, Kobe Bryant officially launched the wider rollout of LSB, marking the next chapter with a bespoke basketball clinic. Jordan launched the pilot; Kobe launched the proven programme.

That history continued with visits from LeBron James, clinics delivered by Chris Paul and Carmelo Anthony, and involvement from Scottie Pippen, connecting local participants with the wider basketball world.

That ambition continues through LSB’s focus on basketball education and development, alongside the specialist experiences offered across the London Basketball Network. Midnight Madness retains its distinctive identity within the wider network.

01 · Midnight Madness A movement connecting competition, culture and opportunity.
02 · The legacy ambition Nhamo and Nike seek sustained opportunities for grassroots participation.
03 · The LSB model Nhamo develops a sustainable model for learning, playing and progressing.
04 · The pilot Michael Jordan launches the pilot programme.
05 · The proof The pilot demonstrates the approach in practice.
06 · The rollout Kobe Bryant officially launches the proven programme.

Our community legacy

A legacy built
in local communities.

Through its community development work with Reach & Teach and Midnight Madness, LSB helped local people gain the skills, qualifications and experience to grow basketball in their own communities. Reported programme outcomes included:

177 New coaches qualified

110 New basketball officials developed

417 Volunteers trained

58 Community clubs within the LSB programme

Behind these figures were local people taking on new responsibilities: teaching the game, organising competition, supporting young players and learning how to run community basketball clubs. That experience continues to inform LSB’s approach to education and development.

The official launch

Watch Kobe Bryant launch the LSB.

A short film of the launch and bespoke basketball clinic.

Watch on YouTube

LeBron James playing one-on-one with a young LSB participant — LeBron James taking part in an LSB clinic.

LSB Legends

Great players.
Shared experiences.

Following Michael Jordan’s pilot launch and Kobe Bryant’s official rollout, LSB continued to connect young Londoners with some of basketball’s most accomplished players through visits, clinics and conversations.

LeBron James’s visits gave participants opportunities to ask questions, take part in drills and share the court with him, including one-on-one basketball with young players.

Chris Paul (CP3) and Carmelo Anthony also delivered clinics with LSB, giving participants the opportunity to learn directly from NBA stars in a local basketball setting.

Scottie Pippen also forms part of that history, adding his involvement to the basketball greats who have supported LSB and its community mission.

These experiences brought elite basketball closer to the community and reflected LSB’s ambition: to combine inspiration with regular opportunities to learn, play and develop.

Visits & on-court experiences

LeBron James

Q&A sessions, drills and the opportunity to share the court with one of the game’s leading players.

Chris Paul with young participants at an LSB clinic

Basketball clinics

Chris Paul · CP3

Clinics giving LSB participants the chance to learn directly from Chris Paul and experience his approach to the game.

Basketball clinics

Carmelo Anthony

Clinics bringing Carmelo Anthony’s basketball experience into a community setting for LSB participants.

LSB Legends

Scottie Pippen

Part of LSB’s heritage of involvement and support from basketball greats, connecting the grassroots mission with the wider game.

LSB’s history also includes support from organisations across sport and public life.

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Our place within LBN

A shared approach.
Different ways to take part.

London Basketball Network

LBN brings together specialist basketball brands. LSB provides the technical certification and education focus, drawing on its heritage in coach, workforce and community club development. Each brand has a distinct role in participation, competition or development.

About the London Basketball Network