Kieron Achara may not have been able to celebrate victory in Sunday’s BBL Cup final with Glasgow Rocks but Great Britain’s co-captain admitted the country’s appetite for the game had at least left him with something to smile about.
London 2012 Olympian Achara moved back to Scotland in October for a third stint with Glasgow Rocks.
And he was given his first chance of silverware this season when the Rocks took on Newcastle Eagles at Birmingham’s Barclaycard Arena on Sunday.
However it was not to be and, despite shooting 16 points for his team, Achara’s Rocks fell to a 84-71 defeat.
Despite the disappointment however, Achara was quick to point out the presence of so many fans in Birmingham, who also got the chance to watch the City of Sheffield Hatters defeat Nottingham Wildcats 76-62 in the inaugural WBBL Trophy final earlier in the day.
“It was a great thing having so many fans at the Barclaycard Arena. It's great for basketball, great for British basketball,” said Achara.
“I did not know what to expect, it's my first year back in the BBL playing in a tournament, I didn't know what the fan base was going to be like but it's good to see.
“Credit to Newcastle they are a strong team and have shown consistency throughout the season. We did not know when to step it up, we shot woefully from the three-point line and when we're not shooting well from there we have struggled this season.”
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