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26 June 2026  7 min read

Home again: Tim Adetukasi returns to Manchester for his biggest game yet

Less than two months after ending his club season on the same floor with Manchester Basketball, the 25-year-old will return wearing Great Britain colours, preparing for one of the biggest games of his career.

For a player making his senior international debut this week with Great Britain, the symmetry isn't lost on him.

"The way the season has come full circle for me is very special," Adetukasi said ahead of the FIBA World Cup Qualifying games against Lithuania (2 July) and Iceland in Manchester (5 July).

 

"To have started it in Manchester with Manchester Basketball back in August and now be looking to end the season in the same venue with GB in a crucial World Cup qualifier... you couldn't write it.

"I'm sure there'll be a moment when we walk in where it hits me, but I just feel a lot of gratitude for the experiences I had with Manchester and how they've led me to this point where I can hopefully represent my country and do the team justice."

It's another chapter in a journey that began in perhaps the most familiar way possible for a young British athlete.

"I first started playing basketball at Brentwood Trinity School," he recalled.

"My coach there, James Potter, introduced me to basketball when I was maybe 12 or 13.

"I'd played football before that like probably every British kid, but once I found basketball I was hooked."

What hooked him wasn't simply the competition or the skill involved.

Instead, it was the freedom he found every time he stepped onto the floor.

"I don't know what it was specifically, but something about being on the basketball court has always felt so liberating," he said.

"It's a space where I can roam free and express myself to the best of my abilities.

"I've never been on a court and not felt that joy and freedom. That's what I love most about the game."

By the age of 15, Adetukasi realised basketball could become much more than a hobby.

Rather than worrying about exactly where the sport might take him, he decided to commit fully and discover the answer along the way.

"I realised I had some prospects of making a career out of the game," he explained.

"From then I aspired to reach the NCAA, not really knowing where it could take me, but that's true of anything in life.

"I just threw myself in headfirst and gave it everything I had to see what would come of it."

That leap of faith took him across the Atlantic, first to high school in the United States before progressing to college basketball.

The move brought challenges both on and off the court, but it also accelerated his growth as a player and as a person.

"Once I got to the States and started having coaches reach out and help me plan the next steps, it gave me a much clearer idea of what I wanted and how I could get there," he said.

"There was definitely an adjustment from high school to college, but I'd also moved country, so there was a lot of change happening all at once.

"I learned so much about myself during that time – how to adapt, how to persevere and how to figure out your way forward when things become difficult.

"The whole experience reaffirmed that this was the path I wanted to be on."

Away from basketball, Adetukasi's curiosity led him to study psychology before completing a Master's degree in coaching and exercise science, fascinated by how the mind influences performance both in sport and everyday life.

That interest perhaps made him more willing than most to acknowledge the uncertainty that accompanies chasing a professional career.

"I definitely had anxiety at every step of the journey," he admitted.

"Nothing is ever guaranteed and your health is always paramount because it can be fragile.

"But at the same time I was hopeful and trusted in the work I was putting in to move me towards whatever the next goal was."

The next opportunity eventually arrived in Slovakia.

"When I graduated, my agent reached out and told me there was a team in Slovakia that was really interested in me," he said.

"I jumped at the opportunity and was super grateful.

"You never know where your next chance is going to come from or how it will present itself, so I was just thankful.

"It was a nice country, there were plenty of English speakers which made the transition easier, and everyone was incredibly welcoming."

After beginning his professional career abroad, returning home with Manchester Basketball proved equally rewarding.

"Coming back to the UK was amazing after being away from home for so long," he said.

"I loved every minute of it.

"It was such a talented group of players and staff. When you're surrounded by that level of talent it breeds confidence because you know you've been chosen to play amongst those guys, but you also know that whoever steps on the floor gives you a chance to win.

"We really felt that throughout the season."

Personally, the campaign allowed him to showcase every aspect of his game.

"I enjoyed the opportunity to show my versatility," he said.

"I showed that I can be an asset in a lot of different ways. Whether you need points, assists or rebounds, I can contribute to helping the team win, and ultimately that's the most important thing.

"I grew so much during my time there and I'm incredibly grateful for it."

His performances didn't go unnoticed, earning him the Molten British Team of the Year award.

In typical fashion, however, Adetukasi admits the recognition came as something of a surprise.

"To be honest, I didn't even know there was an award for that until somebody told me I'd won it," he laughed.

"But I think it's a great idea and a really positive way to promote British talent within the league."

Now comes another unexpected milestone.

A first Great Britain call-up is something he never truly allowed himself to expect, making the experience all the more rewarding.

"To be here with the National Team is beyond my expectations," he said.

"I never thought when I first started playing that I'd reach this point.

"It's been a fun first few days of camp, meeting new faces and catching up with guys I've played against all season.

"We've built some real connections very quickly and that speaks to the quality of this group. I'm excited to see what we can do together."

For now, his focus isn't on minutes played or individual recognition.

Instead, he wants to absorb everything he can while helping Great Britain take another significant step forward.

"While I'm here I just want to learn as much as I can about basketball at this level," he said.

"I'm ready to grow, learn and compete to the best of my ability for this team.

"Every player has a role and whatever mine is, I'm going to give everything I've got, whether I play every minute or not.

"It's a team sport and we're all here to serve one goal – advancing to the next stage of World Cup qualifying."

Great Britain face Lithuania in Klaipeda on 2 July and Iceland in Manchester on 5 July. 

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