OG Anunoby becomes owner of the London Lions

Por Eurohoops team/ [email protected]

NBA star Ogugua ‘OG’ Anunoby Jr. has become part owner of the London Lions. The 25-year-old Toronto Raptors player joins the majority owners of 777 Partners after purchasing a minority stake in the club. The London-born Anunoby has played in more than 250 games for Toronto and became the first British basketball player to win an NBA championship with the team in 2019.

The young wing has played five seasons in the NBA after being drafted in the first round in 2017, stating that his key goal is to “inspire kids in Britain who want to play basketball and show that they can make it to the British league.” ‘.

Anunoby’s reversal comes as basketball in the UK continues its meteoric rise in popularity. The British Basketball League confirmed a record attendance last season when over 15,000 people flocked to the O2 Arena as the Lions took on Leicester Riders in the BBL play-off final. The London-based team have also posted record viewership figures for their Eurocup matches this season on BT Sport, supported in large part by a record-breaking run between men’s and women’s teams.

Over the course of the last 18 months alone, the Lions became the first team to win both the BBL Cup and the WBBL Cup at the same event in January, while the men’s team reached the Eurocup playoffs, a feat which has not been achieved by any other UK team in history.

“It’s great to see everything that’s going on in British basketball at the moment, which is why I’m very excited to join the London Lions. I just want to do my part as a role model for all the young players in London and around the world.”