'Basketball merger could be massive for Sussex'

Two basketball clubs in Sussex are to merge after eight years to give a pathway for young players, with a "bottom to the top" approach.

Worthing Thunder, from the country's second tier, and the Brighton Bears, from the fourth division, will merge with the hope of forming a new "powerhouse", they said.

In a joint statement, the clubs called it a "ground-breaking move that reshapes the basketball landscape in Sussex".

"This merger brings together decades of legacy, excellence and fierce rivalry to create a united force, dedicated to driving elite basketball development and community impact across the south coast," it said.

Zaire Taylor, Worthing Thunder's owner and general manager, said the idea "just made a lot of sense".

"The fit is almost as seamless as putting two puzzle pieces together," he said.

"Everything that one club is missing, the other provides – while also strengthening what we already do well."

The clubs said the main objective of the merger was to create a "seamless development pathway" for players from grassroots basketball to professional opportunities.

Taylor, who played last season, said: "To have that opportunity to grow players via the pathway to actually become pro and to be able to make a living, or at minimum be able to subsidise a living playing basketball, doing what you love, is, I think, the real goal.

"We're not thinking from a top to the bottom perspective, but more of the other way around, from the bottom to the top."

The merger means the club will have sides from an under-12 level to Division One of the National Basketball League – the country's second tier behind the British Basketball League (BBL).

Gary Smith, co-leader of the project, said: "What excites me most is what this merger means for the youth in our basketball community.

"We can now serve them in a way we never could before."

The men's part of the programme will be named Worthing Thunder, while the other sides will be the Worthing Thunder & Bears.

The Brighton Bears are known for signing NBA legend Dennis Rodman in 2006 and having NBA-winning coach Nick Nurse as their boss from 2001 to 2006.

Worthing Thunder have spent the past eight seasons in England's National Basketball League, with six final appearances and two championships.

The clubs added: "By combining resources, venues, coaching expertise, and infrastructures, the clubs aims to elevate the experience for players, coaches, and fans."

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