Head coach of the Manchester Giants, Brian Semonian, spoke to the British Basketball League ahead of the North-West Derby and how the League has treated him in the early days of his Giants career.
Taking over
the Manchester Giants over the summer, head coach Brian Semonian has spent many
years honing his craft and understands what it takes to become a successful
basketball coach.
Having
spent time in the likes of Mexico, Malta, and the USA, Semonian has had many
years to prepare for his life in the British Basketball League.
Origins
Coming from
a developmental background, Semonian’s career has been tailor-made to become a
great head coach. Spending time in the NBA D-League (now G-League), Mexico, and
Malta, as well as in athletic director roles, the coach of the Manchester
Giants has always preached the priority of potential and development.
“What
drew me to this league, was the thorough process behind creating the structure,
as well as the quality on the court.
“I
coached in Rucker Park, NY, the hallowed ground. I didn’t get paid for that, but
I wanted to be in the game. Due to that, I connected with a lot of players, and
it allowed me to do my part to help the game grow more.”
With
Semonian having the rare role of being both head coach and general manager of
the Manchester Giants, the expectations and workload is doubled for the
American.
Due to
this, Semonian is ready to put the Giants on the map to become another
successful sports team from the city of Manchester.
“I’m here to play my role and grow the game in the city. Manchester is a great size market for basketball. We have a great fan base, and we just want to grow the game here because I think there’s a great audience here.
“For the
team, we want to put in a team that fans can be proud of, to get behind, have a
particular character, and play a fun style of basketball. We want to play fast,
and that has been my goal since I got here. We want to be a fast
perimeter-based team and that can be the brand here in Manchester.”
North-West Derby
The
North-West derby between the Manchester Giants and the Cheshire Phoenix has
always been a fiery affair. Having already played once this year with the
Giants losing 83-67, this next episode in the derby will hopefully be a closer
one.
Semonian, who has only been in charge for one of these matchups, also has loose ties to their opposition, having spent time with the Phoenix.
“I spent
time with the Phoenix with coach [John] Coffino. The situation changed quite
quickly when I was there, and I returned. It was a brief time for me there.”
The Giants
coach worked with Coffino, who was coach for the 2014-15 Phoenix team, after
having met as coaches in the NBA D-League.
Semonian
also isn’t the only Giants member to have ties to the Phoenix, with Manchester’s
star player, Jamell Anderson, also having spent a lot of time in Cheshire. The
Giants head coach believes that the professionalism of Anderson should steer Manchester
in the right direction for the derby.
“Jamell
is such a professional. In my experience, he could play anywhere in the world. Watching
his approach off the court, he’s a pro’s pro.
“I know he’s going to have emotions because he was there before, but my job is to lighten his load and let him focus on what he does best. We’ve spent this past week going into this game to figure out the best way to get Jamell focused and let him play like himself.”
To watch the North-West Derby in the British Basketball League, tune into Sky Sports on Thursday, November 2 at 7:30 pm BST.
With the new season here, you can still get your British Basketball fix by following the League on social media or heading to our YouTube channel to relive all of the best moments from the current season.