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THE MOLTEN G-SERIES BASKETBALL
The revolutionary MOLTEN G-Series basketball is the only 12-panel basketball which is approved by FIBA (International Basketball Federation). Internationally, the Molten GL7 is the official match ball for all FIBA competitions worldwide and is also the official game ball for the Olympic Games up until 2012.
In the UK it is the official match ball for the Great Britain Basketball team, the British Basketball League, and the Great Britain Wheelchair Basketball Association. In addition, it is to be the match ball for all GB European Championship team games for men and women this summer (2007), where, for the first time, a number of NBA players will be playing in the men’s team.
What makes the Molten GL7 special are the distinctive 12-panels in orange and light brown which stretch around the ball, enhancing visibility, and the additional seams which give players increased fingertip control and therefore more accurate shooting and passing.
Indeed, British Basketball League players up and down the country are reporting a dramatic increase in shooting statistics since they began playing with the new Molten G-Series basketball. Three pointers, field goals and foul shots have all increased significantly.
Paul James, head coach of the BBL’s League Champion’s,Guildford Heat commented: “All of our players are really impressed with the Molten BGG7, they love the feel and control of the 12-panel ball and this was reflected in our shooting this past season.”
While Scottish Rocks head coach, Thorsten Leibenath, said of the ball: “Our experience with the Molten ball has been very positive. It looks good, has enough grip, and doesn’t get slippery even when it’s wet.”
Molten has applied the new design to its entire range of basketballs from top of the range genuine leather balls to composite leather and rubber balls.
Chairman ofMolten Sports, Bob Hope, has led an interesting life in sport and television. I was fortunate enough to meet him back in January.“Tell me about yourself”, I asked Bob once we had got all the usual introductions out of the way.“Back in the 80’s I was manager of the British Olympic basketball team. I also owned and coached the Birmingham Bullets”. So far, so good – a man who understands the sport that spawned the product. Exactly what any journalist wants to hear when penning an interview in the trade press!
Interestingly however, our Molten man also owns the eponymous Bob Hope TV productions, which, in the beginning, covered minority sports from basketball to netball, junior golf to tennis.His first ever event for the BBC was the European Water Skiing Championships, then came frontline basketball for Channel 4 and Sky. Fired by an unadulterated passion for real sport, Bob set out to make this company a success, bringing marginalised sports into the mainstream with the help of expert freelancers. The world netball championships and European gymnastics followed.
It wasn’t always quite so glamorous though. Back in the day, Bob only earned a small salary as a basketball coach. He made his money by winning games. Bob’s ‘Recruit the best and let them play’ philosophy was one he applied both on and off the court. So it is perhaps no surprise that he was audacious enough to phone the editor of Grandstand to recruit him for a round of golf: “I’ll pick you up from your house, take you to the golf course and bring you back,” Bob insisted. Some of the best business deals of all time have been sealed on a golf course, so Bob knew he was on to a winner. And he didn’t give up when this particular editor,who shall remain nameless, questioned his objective and flatly declined, stating that standard golf invites were ten a penny in his office.
Undeterred, Bob went all out to make this an invite he couldn’t refuse: “I’ll be in a helicopter,” he said. Said Editor had a change of heart and agreed, promptly asking if he could bring a guest. That guest was Des Lynam, and there has been basketball on national television ever since.“With no background in journalism or TV, how did you do it?” I asked, perhaps quite naively, since Bob replied simply: “I just put it to them:Why is there no basketball on TV? Let me cover it!”And cover it he did. Today basketball is the third most played sport, even beating rugby, and Bob’s pro-activity no doubt played a part in this.
