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Player Spotlight – Nathan Jones

The finish line for the 2021/22 season is coming into view but we still have enough time for another spotlight piece, taking the opportunity to ask a WEABL player what makes them tick, how they got into basketball, their goals for this season and beyond, and much more.

This week, we’re Nathan Jones of The Sheffield College is in the spotlight.

Name: Nathan Jones

Position: Shooting guard/small forward

Team: The Sheffield College

Tell us a little about yourself:

My name is Nathan Jones, I am from Leicestershire, England and I have been playing basketball for seven years. I first started playing basketball in year seven at school.

How and where did you first get into basketball?

I got into basketball when I was in year seven at school, then in year 8 I went to try out for the local national league team, where I played until I was 16 years old.  

Can you a remember a moment when you decided basketball was something you wanted to play more seriously? What happened?

I have always taken basketball seriously, however, after I finished playing a year in the ABL at Loughborough College, and got the opportunity to play in the EABL with The Sheffield College, I decided to take it a lot more seriously and make it my prime focus as I realised I had to take advantage of the opportunity that I had been given.

What have been the biggest challenges of your basketball career so far? 

The biggest challenge of my basketball career so far has been taking the step up from playing in the ABL and Junior NBL Conference, to playing in the EABL and NBL D3 because of the increase in talent, physicality and the increased frequency of training sessions. 

Who is the toughest player you’ve faced? What made them so difficult to play against?

The toughest player I have played against was a player who I played along-side in my first year in the EABL, Hensy Sako. He was the toughest, not particularly because he was the best player I have played against, but because he always brought the intensity in practice with whatever we were doing which made me, along with all our players, much better by the end of the year.

What are your current goals for the season?

To win the EABL playoffs.

Do you have any plans or goals for next season?

To take a step forward in my basketball career, whether that is to try and play professionally, overseas or in the States.

What are you currently working on to take your game to the next level?

Currently I am working on my defence and rebounding ability, as well as my inside scoring and attacking the basket aggressively.  

What advice would you give someone who is just getting started in basketball?

It would be to take every opportunity given to you and train as much as possible with as many different people as possible to get used to playing in any situation and to constantly work on your fundamentals that will help to get you started.

Who is your favourite basketball player and why?

My favourite basketball player is Kevin Durant because he takes advantage of his size and stature whilst also being one of the most skilled and controlled players in the league. 

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