Ballers: Ball Or Nothing | Preview (BBC Three)

New BBC Three series Ballers: Ball or Nothing follows the stories of Scotland’s only professional Basketball team as they try and break a 20 year drought of winning a trophy.

Glasgow Rocks - or The Rocks as they are known - are Scotland’s only professional basketball team. The club is run by a small but dedicated group of players and coaches who confess 'the club means everything to me'.

Basketball is one of the fastest growing sports in the UK with more and more schools and young people choosing to play and watch the sport but without investment the future of clubs like the Glasgow Rocks is in jeopardy.

In the BBL league teams are made up of half domestic UK players and half imported players from the bigger leagues in Europe and America. Due to limited funding the domestic players at The Rocks have to hold down other jobs in order to survive, but will do anything they can to follow their dream of being pro ball players.

The Rocks is run by MD Sean Skelly who has appointed ex player Gareth Murray as his new Head Coach. Together they’ve assembled the best team possible with their limited funds.

The team is made up of returning Scots, Jonny, Ali and Fraser while they welcome back another Scot Kyle, who played the last few seasons elsewhere. With all their imported players leaving after a terrible season last year they’ve had to start from scratch so have taken risks on rookie players from the US who haven’t played a pro season yet.

They also tempt Prince Onwas – who’s had one professional season – to Glasgow, with a two year deal while he finishes his Masters in business.

The rookies, Jeremiah, Darian, Patrick and David arrive in Scotland with just a couple of weeks to go until the new season begins. Two of the guys have never left the US before and none of them have ever been to Glasgow. Sean makes them welcome and settles them into their new digs hoping that a happy home life may mean these players will stay longer than one season.

As training begins everything is looking good. Gareth wears his heart on his sleeve and his passion for the game is evident on the court.

While the US players tackle homesickness and where they might get their hair done, the Scots lads have to juggle their other jobs as a PE teacher, flower delivery boy and personal trainer around training.

Pre-season friendly games show Sean and Gareth if their decisions on players were right or wrong but Gareth is not happy after a modest win over a lower leagues team. Sean has bigger things to worry about however, as he receives a phone call from the club’s owner. The club has been sold. What does this mean for the Rocks and will any of them have a job come tomorrow?

Ballers: Ball Or Nothing begins Tuesday 19th September on BBC Three.