General Tire joins British Basketball to deliver slam dunk showstopper

General Tire has partnered with The British Basketball League to deliver a first-of-its-kind basketball dunk competition at the top of The O2. The “Now You Know” Dunk Challenge, supported by General Tire, aims to build excitement in the countdown to the play-off finals later this month.

Leicester Riders star and highflyer Blake “The Showman” Bowman headed 52 metres up onto the roof of The O2 in London to recreate a series of epic slam dunks from this year’s regular basketball season. A judging panel of experts were on hand to cast their verdict on the ‘Dunk of the Season’, and in the end, Bowman’s very own windmill jam came out on top, and the judges crowned him challenge champion.

The activity celebrates another incredible year for The British Basketball League and the growing popularity of basketball in the UK. An expected capacity crowd of close to 17,000 fans are set to generate an electric atmosphere inside The O2 at the playoff finals on 14 May – an event also set to be broadcast live on Sky Sports.

Raised eyebrows not an issue

“There were some raised eyebrows when the dunk challenge was first suggested – but that’s what General Tire is all about,” comments Pete Robb, marketing director for General Tire. “Our mantra is that Anywhere Is Possible, so we’re always pushing the boundaries and striving to achieve ultimate performance.

“Our sponsorships and partnerships give General Tire an exciting point of difference,” Robb continues. “As basketball, in particular, continues to take off in the UK, we’re making sure we’re front of mind for more and more drivers when their next tyre replacements are due or when they’re preparing for their next adventure.”

Joe Edwards, head of marketing and communications for the British Basketball League, adds: “Make no mistake, this season the British Basketball League has made history and we’ve taken the sport we all love to new heights. We wanted to do something to grab the attention of basketball fans and the general public and celebrate the end of season Play-off’s at The O2.

“Whilst a completely crazy idea it might seem, it made complete sense to do this, and we hope basketball fans worldwide enjoy what the British Basketball League has to offer. I want to say a special thanks to our partner General Tire, and all of our other partners, the players and our staff for sharing our vision together and making this possible.”

Incredible progress on & off the court

General Tire comments that British Basketball has “never been at such a high – in every sense of the word,” after “another meteoric year” for the league, which has “seen incredible progress both on and off the court.” The league has enjoyed record viewership across its broadcast, fans have packed into arenas across the country each week and the men’s championship champions, London Lions, proudly flew the flag for UK basketball in a record-breaking run in the EuroCup.