Lockdown Legends: Tell us about your basketball heroes of the pandemic

The 2020/21 season has been like no other with the COVID-19 pandemic causing national and local lockdowns that have had a severe impact on basketball.

But, while getting on court has been difficult and at times impossible, the basketball community has stood strong and resilient.

Over the past year, clubs and organisations have engaged in basketball activity through other means - running online coaching sessions, upskilling volunteers and planning development opportunities.

Clubs and their members have also worked hard in their local communities with activities ranging from helping to support food package deliveries to the vulnerable and needy to providing an emotional outlet for people to discuss how they are feeling.

With so much of basketball having been on hold in an extraordinary year, we are adjusting our yearly awards to recognise even greater levels of extraordinary effort.

So, for this year Basketball England will change our usual categories in our ‘Volunteer Awards’ with recognition for our ‘Lockdown Legends’.

Basketball England CEO Stewart Kellett said:

“More than ever, it is important to recognise and celebrate the work of the basketball community, big or small.

"COVID impact research has highlighted the major constant that has featured most significantly in our COVID survival is sport – and it’s been volunteers that have had to oversee, stretch and adapt to changes whilst supporting their local clubs and vulnerable members.    

“This spring, Basketball England is providing a one-off opportunity to nominate people and organisations that have done great work supporting the basketball community and others during the pandemic.

"This could be anything from arranging basketball sessions under the latest safety guidelines or helping club members online, to members of the basketball network who have volunteered in the local community to support valuable initiatives and causes.”

How it works

Nominations do not have to be basketball-specific. Anyone from the basketball family - individuals, clubs and organisations - who have done positive or extraordinary things to help others in any setting can be nominated.

We want to use this opportunity to demonstrate the great work that people do within the sport and the wider community, as well as giving recognition and appreciation for such effort.

Please use the form below to nominate candidates and tell us a little about them. The deadline for nominations is 23 May 2021.