With just a year to go before the Olympics comes to London and just about everyone we speak to focused on 2012, we (the MM team) sat down to discuss seriously taking a year off this summer.  We've certainly got nothing left to prove at this stage...we've pretty much done it all.  

Nobody's repped for UK ballers like us.  10 years in the game, running the hottest competitions, the biggest events, bringing things to the UK that haven't been seen before and delivering opportunities you just don't get in the UK.  We've done Wembley, had Busta, Chris Brown, Flawless, Faith SFX, Lebron and put on the greatest dunk competitions ever seen on the planet.  Taken UK ballers all around the world...Paris, Milan, New York, Chicago, Miami, LA, Washington...Put their names and games up in lights.  Helped so many players get scholarships to prep schools, colleges, pro-looks and experience things they never would have without Midnight Madness.  We've opened doors for a whole generation of ballers - but what more is there for us to do?  

We spoke about maybe it was time for us to move on...All good things come to an end, right?  Jordan retired, Magic retired...even Kobe and Lebron will retire one day.  Shoot, even Rough & Ready bowed out of the game (in style, on top, never question the legend...), so maybe it was time for us to take a break?  The basketball gods know, me and my team have paid our dues and the dues owed by a whole lot of other people too, with a 'round the clock' work ethic that has been going on for so many years now.  There comes a time when even we get tired of trying to convince the 'establishment' that fire is hot.  

Add to all of that, that right now, we're in the midst of an economic 25 point blowout (aka: recession), with sponsorship money becoming harder to come by for everyone this year (no fun searching for 2011 sponsors when everyone is jumping on for 2012!).  Maybe it really was time for us to take a timeout?

Just when I was starting to get comfortable with the idea, I bumped into a teenager on the street who I'd never met before - but he was sure he knew me!  "Nhamz!  Midnight Madness!  When are the dates??" he sounded almost frantic.  "Errrrm...well, you know...we may not actually be having a MM this year...It's getting too difficult to put it on with less and less support..." I tried to reason with him.  "WHAT!!  Are you MAD?? No MIDNIGHT MADNESS?? Do you know how long I've been waiting to play in this?  I've been following it for years from when I used to watch my older brother play - now it's my turn and you CAN'T take it away!  NO WAY!" he literally was shouting me down in the middle of the street in broad daylight. We spoke for a little while longer, with him letting me know just how much the opportunity to play meant to him and "...everyone I know" (he's got to be exaggerating, right?).  Then I left him and went on my way.

Inspired by his words (Calvin, I bet you never thought I'd remember your name!), I began to speak with and listen to more and more players from both the younger age group and even the men.  Spoke to some female ballers too and asked them just like I did the other players "how important is MM to you and what would you be willing to do to keep it going?".  I must confess, I was humbled by the responses.  I never knew we were that important to you!  Turns out, there's a whole new generation of players who haven't played in MM, and many more still who haven't been able to win at MM yet. The need and desire for MM from the players is, as I learned, stronger than ever.  It’s more than just an event, in the words of one of the players I spoke to “Midnight Madness is UK basketball, it’s what we all look forward to as players, it’s where we want to play, watch and if everything goes to plan, where I’ll get seen this summer”.

Though the new generation will never know it, I’m a baller at my core.  I was born a baller and one day will die a baller – which is why I’m so passionate about putting players first with all we do.  In you, I see me – I was you, years ago (but I was probably nicer with the rock, lol).  So as long as ballers need what we do and continue to crave the ‘Madness’, we’ve got to find a way to make it happen…

You’ll see this year, all participants are required to pay a competition entry fee, which is new, but necessary.  As a side, the Elite Court reversible jerseys this year are the best we’ve ever had, AND for each player who plays at MM, you’ll get a 50% reduction on your Showcase ticket (if you’re not playing in it!).  We’re not in as many places this year, so playing places are bound to be tight – be different for a change and register online for your spot so you aren’t one of the players vex that you never got in.   Full details of how the competition is working this year can be found here.

Other than that, I’ll see you at one of the events, I’ll be the guy on the sideline hyping your game and trying to build your name…It's all for the love...

Let’s GO!...

Nhamz

aka 'The Voice Of Reason'

MM Founder