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9 June 2026  7 min read

Ashley Hamilton: From 5v5 professional to 3x3 pioneer as Great Britain eye Europe Cup qualification

What he didn't know at the time was that the experience would change the course of his career — and help shape the future of British 3x3 basketball.

Today, the 37-year-old is widely recognised as one of the pioneers of the British 3x3 movement. As one of the first players from the traditional professional game to fully embrace the professional 3x3 circuit, he has become a key figure in the development of the discipline both domestically and internationally.

Next week, he hopes to once again pull on a Great Britain jersey as the men's team heads to Romania for the FIBA 3x3 Europe Cup Qualifiers, aiming to secure a place at September's Finals in Belgium.

For Hamilton, the journey to this point has been anything but conventional.

The decision to step away from the familiar world of professional 5v5 basketball wasn't driven by necessity. In fact, Hamilton was still attracting strong offers from around the world.

Instead, it came at a stage of life when basketball decisions needed to make sense beyond the court.

Ashley Hamilton has already repped Great Britain at 3x3

“I don't know what my expectations were to be honest, because it was something new, a new challenge,” Hamilton explained.

“It was a time in my career where I was still getting good offers in the world of 5v5, but with a wife and two kids not every offer was the right situation for them.

“For example, I had an amazing offer in South America, but education wasn't right for the kids, so I didn't move.

“I was at a point in my career where I wasn't taking jobs just to take jobs. It had to be the right situation for my family and I.”

At the same time, another opportunity presented itself.

Hamilton joined Great Britain at the Europe Cup and experienced elite-level 3x3 basketball for the first time.

The impact was immediate.

"I loved the whole experience, the atmosphere, the energy, everything that was going on and I was hooked."

What began as curiosity quickly developed into something much bigger.

Hamilton credits his wife with recognising the long-term potential of 3x3 before he fully did himself.

Following the Europe Cup, he was recruited to play several events for a newly-formed German team, offering him a glimpse into the professional opportunities beginning to emerge within the sport.

Hamilton in FIBA 3x3 Challenger series action with London 3x3

“It was really my wife who saw the vision,” he said.

“After seeing that, she made the case that there was no 3x3 team in London and the opportunity there was to change that.

“It just snowballed from there to the point we're at now with London 3x3.”

The rise of London 3x3 and the increasing visibility of British players on the international circuit mirrors the wider growth of the discipline in the UK.

“In some ways the project has progressed quickly and in others it has been a slow-burn,” he said.

“Trying to get people to understand what we're building takes time, but the excitement and interest is definitely there and we're working hard to capitalise on that.

“The playing side has flown by, but we know the work we're putting in is making a difference for current and future generations.”

Few people have been more closely linked to that growth than newly-appointed Great Britain Men's 3x3 Head Coach Julius Joseph MBE.

A leading figure in the development of 3x3 basketball through Ball Out, Joseph has played a significant role in Hamilton's journey from the very beginning.

The pair will head to Romania together next week, continuing a partnership that stretches back years.

Hamilton with England team-mates Jamell Anderson and Dwayne Lautier-Ogunleye and GB and England head coach Julius Joseph

“To be sharing this journey with Julius is amazing,” Hamilton said.

“Since I started playing, he's one of a group of people who has always offered me guidance, support and encouragement.

“He was one of the first people to push 3x3 seriously in the UK with Ball Out and he invited me to play in the very first event.

“The same relationship is what brought me into the pro circuit too, playing in Europe Cup that summer when Julius was the coach.”

Now, with Joseph officially leading the GB men's programme – and the pair part of England’s bid to win Commonwealth gold in Glasgow in July - Hamilton sees their continued collaboration as one of the most rewarding aspects of his career.

“I couldn't imagine being on this journey now without Julius, so it is a very nice feeling.

“Getting to experience all of this with him, work with him and show him I've grown up, prove to him I am who I say I am and who he thinks I am, it's a special relationship for me and one I never take for granted.”

As someone who has experienced both formats at a high level, Hamilton believes British basketball is particularly well suited to succeeding in 3x3.

Ball Out 3x3 has been at the forefront of the sport's development in the UK

While the format presents unique challenges, he sees enormous potential for current and future generations of players.

“I think for where we are as a basketball nation, we have a lot of players built to excel in this form of the game,” he added.

“You've got to adjust to the physicality, the timing, you have to be ready because if you're not, that 10 minutes goes by very quickly.

“You've got to pay a lot of attention to detail, and you've got to get used to a different style of shot-making and play-making that maybe wouldn't happen in 5v5, but that learning curve is enjoyable.”

For Hamilton, making the move himself was about proving that 3x3 could become a legitimate pathway for British players.

“I could've still played 5v5 when I decided to move on from that side of the game, but I wanted to make a statement and show that 3x3 is a serious option for players here.

“I wouldn't ask anybody to make sacrifices or decisions I haven't made myself, and to see guys like Jamell, D-Lo, Toto stepping into the game either completely or alongside their 5v5 commitments has been very inspiring.

“It has reaffirmed my belief that British basketball can have a successful future in 3x3.”

That future takes centre stage next week.

With both the men's and women's teams travelling to Romania for the FIBA 3x3 Europe Cup Qualifiers, Hamilton believes Great Britain can make history.

“GB fans are going to get a good show next week in Romania,” he said.

“We've got exciting players on both rosters, we play hard and we're going to give everything to punch our tickets to the Finals in Belgium in September.

“The European sector of 3x3 is the strongest in the world pound-for-pound, so the Europe Cup is a very tough competition to qualify for and subsequently win.

“But we have a lot of belief in our group. There are players on both teams who have qualified for Europe Cup before, so we know what it takes to get it done.”

And if Great Britain can deliver in Romania, it would mark another significant milestone in a journey Hamilton has helped shape from the very beginning.

“It's going to be very exciting basketball and we're aiming for this year to be the first time both the men's and women's teams make it to the Finals in the same year,” he said.

“We've both been there before, but on our own. This time we want both teams to progress and continue to put GB on the 3x3 map.”

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