Streetball.co.uk is the worlds best streetball site period. The site notches up over 1 million page views, 100,000 unique visitors and 100,000 video downloads every month. Since its Launch in 1999 streetball.co.uk has been at the forefront of the Streetball and Urban Basketball Scene in the U.K. Greg and streetball.co.uk have done it all ,winning tournaments, summer leagues and events all across the UK, running four Street All Stars Games, being involved with youth coaching camps and even Hot Sauce was rocking a streetball.co.uk Tee Shirt when AND1 visited the U.K. Personally ie've been a big fan of the website since day one and ie've never made it a secret that my frequent visits to streetball.co.uk inspired to set up a similar website for Ireland. Greg has taken time out to chat to streetballireland.com about his website,experiences and opinions on the game today.

Greg can you tell us a little bit about yourself and streetball.co.uk

I am 28 years old and live in the south west London / Surrey area. I am a television journalist by trade, and still freelance for various companies such as Sky and ITN. Streetball.co.uk is Britain's most popular basketball website, and arguably the most popular streetball website on the internet.

How did you first become involved in basketball & streetball?

Back in about 93, my brother's friend Anthony introduced us to basketball. He showed us about the NBA Jam Session programmes that used to be on ITV on Saturday lunchtimes (big up Alton Byrd!!). He also put us onto White Men Can't Jump. We loved it! We started off just playing in our driveway, with a ring bolted onto the side of the house...as you can imagine, my mum loved that. But in 1994 a double basketball court was opened in a nearby park. It drew kids from all over the area...and by the summer of 1995 many of us were practically living at the court - literally balling there from 10am to 10pm. Back in those days you could turn up at the court on any given day and there'd be 30 - 50 people there. We'd play 3 v 3 half court and the games were mad intense, because if you lost you'd have to wait out ages until your next game as there were so many teams waiting on the side. I started getting into "streetball" when Allen Iverson was at Georgetown. My boy Peri used to record all his games and we'd sit there, mezmorised, watching tapes of his crossover. Then, when And1 dropped their first mixtape, it went nuts. Suddenly streetball was my life!

How did streetball.co.uk come about starting?

I've always been a very creative person. I play guitar and keyboard, I used to draw all the time, I like writing. I started getting into the internet in about 97 - and when I got internet access for myself at home (in 99) my creative juices started flowing and I thought "I want to make a website". With basketball being my main love, it was an obvious topic to base the site on.

Tell us about the websites early days.

Boy! Well, at first the site was just hosted on my free AOL space. I literally did it just for my own amusement and didn't expect anyone else to look at it. In May 2000 I bought the domain name Streetball.co.uk, but was still just doing it for myself. I actually had a page for myself in our player profile section...can you believe that!! Back in the very early days there was no video...just a few pages about basketball in the UK and pictures of my friends balling. Gradually people started finding out about the site...and technology improved allowing me to start putting videos up. One day I put a message board on the site...I didn't expect anyone to post anything to be honest. But I checked back a few hours later and there had been like 40 messages. It was then that I realised I was on to something.

In the begining did you ever think you website would grow to the heights it has reached today?

Never in my wildest dreams. Like I said, I started the site just for my own amusement. I wanted to see how easy it was to make a website and it was a good outlet for my creative urges. Never did I think I'd end up going to Europe to cover events, working with companies like Nike and Reebok, putting on popular events etc.

How do you believe your site has impacted basketball in the uk?

I think there are many ways in which we've had an impact. First of all, we've shown a side of British basketball that had never really been seen by many. We've shown to thousands of people across the globe what goes on at all the summer events over here. We've made mini celebrities out of guys who don't even play proper organised ball. We've shown that basketball isn't a boring sport that takes place during the winter but is a vibrant, exciting activity with its own lifestyle and associated culture. I know for a fact that a lot of kids are playing ball now purely because they got into it through SBUK. I also think our coverage has made sponsors sit up and take notice of the UK streetball scene and invest in it.

What are your fondest memories from the early days of streetball.co.uk?

There are so many it's hard to pick individual ones out. I guess one of the first things that put us on the map was when my brother tore up the 2000 Rough and Ready trials. Rough and Ready used to be the UK's top basketball tournament. It really was for the best of the best. So imagine the reaction when this skinny white boy from Surrey shows up in Brixton and starts killing all the well-known guys. Not just playing well, but embarrassing them with all sorts of crazy moves. It was nuts. R&R give us a shout out on their website which really helped our profile. Other highlights include the Battle of the Boards games against Hosana in 2001, Stu doing some crazy shit at the Pro-Am that same summer. The early BUSA weekends were always funny too.

Tell us about your brothers ( Stu Tanner) role in the website?

Stu was the reason why the site became popular. As I mentioned, his antics at the 2000 R&R trials put him and the site on the map. And back then, no one could even see Stu as far as moves went. Bare in mind this was way before the days of Hot Sauce. Stu was pulling shit no one had ever seen before - and not just on scrubs. He shook up BBL MVP Rico Alderson three times at the 2001 Hosana Pro-Am. He was pulling moves on well respected guys like Marcus Knight at the Battle of the Boards. Stu provided the video footage that had kids up and down the country going mad. However, a lot of people hated and thought "he can only do tricks". People who thought / think that should ask around, believe me.

Do you think that the fact that streetball.co.uk's players are also legitimate organised players has helped develop the reputation of the website?

Definitely. Back in the early days, I really didn't care about winning. I was so into all that streetball stuff that so long as some sick moves got pulled I didn't care if we lost by 40. However, that gave us a bad reputation (understandably) with the "establishment". Over the years I've made a conscious effort to make us a legitimate team. Obviously I still try to get guys who are going to bring highlights, because the videos of that stuff are what attract people to the site. But people look so stupid when they can't ball for shit but think that just because they put it through someone's legs that makes everything OK. Now when we show up to tournaments, the expectation is that we're going to win - and dunk on several people in the process! That way we have the best of both worlds - kids go mental at the highlights and no one can say shit because we walk away with the trophy.

Tell us about the first tournament streetball.co.uk entered?

The first tournament was the Sprite 3 v 3 on Clapham Common in 2001. The team featured Stu, Chris Jeremiah, one of our friends called Mike "Fish" Sullivan and a big guy from New York called Nick. Back then we were still kinda unknown but we pulled off some major upsets. We beat Tayo Odulaja's team...and then beat Damion Modeste, Mark "Snoop" Burton, Demaja Stewart and Frank Batimba's squad. All of these guys were well-known ballers considered to be elite. CJ went on sick that day. Anyone who doesn't know about him needs to do their homework. Anyway, we got to the semi finals then rain stopped play. The organisers split the £2000 prize money between us and the three remaining teams. We could have won

Does running such a busy and popular website become a chore or do you still enjoy what you do?

I still love it, but there are times now when it does all get a bit much. This weekend, for example, I've gotta go to Birmingham for Nike Midnight Madness, come straight back to London and take a team to Hosana's Battle of the Boards. Then I have to have the video clip, write up and everything else from Midnight Madness online by Tuesday evening. There are times when I'm like "I never want to see a basketball again"...but that never lasts long!

Tell us about the ways you have managed to maintain streetball.co.uk at the forefront of the world streetball secne.

By keeping the site constantly updated with quality content...that's the bottom line. There have been lots of other streetball websites that have come and gone. But I just kept at it. The advantage I have is that I'm a one-man-band. As a trained journalist, I can write all the articles myself. I have good web and graphic design skills, so I don't need anyone else to update the site. I can video edit. I have established many links within the UK basketball community so I always know what's going on. Because we are so big now I get companies hooking us up with stuff. But the fact that I have a passion for basketball and can update the site myself whenever I want without having to rely on other people means no one can f**k with SBUK in terms of internet presence!

Where did the idea for your famous Fundamental Advisory Tee Shirts come from?

There's a bit of a debate about this. The idea either came from my brother or Peri. Both are claiming it. I honestly can't remember who first mentioned it to me!

Do you find many people begrudge the site and its players due to its popularity when you travel to events?

Hell yeah! We've got mad haters. People always end up routing for whoever is playing against us. I remember a comedian summing up the British "hater" syndrome years ago, and it's so true.....in America, if someone sees a person driving a nice car they think "that guy's done well. A product of the American Dream - good on him". In England they think "flash c**t, I'm gonna key his car". That's the attitude we have to deal with a lot of the time. That said, I also meet lots of people who come with mad respect. When I talk to people like that, it makes all the hard work seem worthwhile.

Do you meet much adversity in the organised basketball community in the UK?

Back in the early days, yes - the organised ball community used to hate us. They just saw a bunch of kids more concerned with pulling bullshit moves than working on their fundamentals and it pissed them off. But now we are being embraced by the establishment. They recognise that we are the best way of reaching the UK's basketball community. We get 50,000 UK visitors a month...no one else even comes close. We are currently in the process of becoming a Clubmark registered club. We will then push for people to sign up to England Basketball with us. The London Development officer for EB thinks we can significantly increase the number of people officially registered as basketball players in this country...and that is key to getting government funding for the sport. You'll be hearing more about all this in the autumn.

How do you fell when you hear people saying " streetball is ruining basketball"

I think that was true maybe 3 or 4 years ago. But I think most people realise now that all that And1 bullshit isn't going to get you anywhere. Sure, there are still kids out there who only work on their moves then can't make a layup...but the problem is nowhere near as bad as it was back in like 2003. That whole And1 thing is played out...and things like Nike Battlegrounds and Midnight Madness are showing kids that you should be aspiring to be the best baller you can...and that means winning, not dancing.

What is your opinion on the comercialisation of Streetball? Is it a good thing for the game?

I have mixed feelings. Overall, I think it's probably a good thing. Streetball captures the imagination of people who might not already be into basketball...and increases the likelihood of them going on to discover the real game. As mentioned earlier, it does encourage some kids to focus entirely on flashy moves rather than fundamentals, but overall I think the commercialisation of streetball is a positive because it's getting more people interested in the sport.

Who is your streetball dream team starting 5 from around the world?

It depends what the objective is. If it's winning then Hot Sauce ain't even gonna make the bench! But if it's highlights then he's starting!

If you could bring 5 UK Streetballers to the rucker who would they be?

It's hard to say. Someone like Mike Martin plays in all the summer events...but he's also BBL. Does that make him a "streetballer"? I'd probably go with Germaybe Forbes, Ryan Cadogan (in his prime), Mike Martin, Darius Defoe and Andrew Sullivan.

Tell us a bit about streetball.co.uk's street all stars game.

Back in 2002 there was no Rough and Ready. Whilst I did not for one moment think I was going to replace it, I did think there needed to be an all-star game. I got all the flashiest players together for an exhibition game. I knew it was going to be good...simply because of the players I had there...but it went way beyond my expectations. It was ridiculous. I had people emailing me telling me it was the best day of their life and stuff!! And you know what?...The next year was even better! This summer will be our 5th one.

Tell us about your association with KIX?

Back in early 2005, k1x got in contact with me. They'd just done a deal with JD Sports, and their products were going to be available in the UK for the first time. They knew that we were the people to speak to about promoting their stuff over here, so I went out to Germany and met with them in February 2005. We did a deal and began an association with them. A couple of months later they said they wanted to use SBUK ballers for their next marketing campaign, so we did a photoshoot with Pierre and Frenchy at Westway. The ads appeared in SLAM magazine and loads of other publications in Europe (such as Germany's FIVE Magazine). It was a good look for us. That summer they took me, Tayo and Pierre out there to join them at the NBA 5 v 5 Championship finals at their hometown of Munich. They really looked after us. k1x are huge in Munich...and they know how to party! Now, whenever k1x have news of new products or whatever they send it over and I help publicise it. I think they've almost given up on the UK market though as I don't think their stuff sold too well over here.

What are your favorite highlights from your time running streetball.co.uk?

Street All-Stars 1 and 2. The first Brighton 4 v 4 was sick....beating the Brighton Bears, then Tayo getting that monster dunk in the final. The trip to Germany last summer. My recent trip to Quai 54 in Paris was a major high for me. There are so many good memories it's impossible to list them all!

Of all the videos you have created over the years which one is your favorite?

Again, impossible to answer. Some of the old ones featuring Stu were crazy...no one had seen stuff like that, and I know that kids around the country were huddled around computers in college libraries going mad watching them. So many places banned SBUK because it was distracting kids from work!!!

In your opinion what is streetball.co.uk's bigest achievement?

I think the fact that we are still going strong after 6 and a bit years is the biggest achievement. It would have been so easy to chuck it in and concentrate on my news career. But I love basketball, and I feel a sense of duty to the thousands of SBUK fans out there who come back day in, day out.

Over the last seven years streetball.co.uk has remained at the forefront of the UK scene. Does it become difficult to continue reinventing the site and pioneering new ideas and events?

Not really. As I said, I'm a very creative person...and coming up with new ideas is something I do well. What is difficult is continuing the site when part of me is thinking I need to jack it in and concentrate on a "proper" job!

Do you have any regrets during your time running the site or is there anything you would now reconsider looking back over the last seven years?

There are definitely things I would do differently, but I'm not going to start going into them...

Who are the next big stars to watch out for coming from the UK?

Obviously Matthew Bryan could be big...his boy Justin Robinson could do well too. That Dan Clark kid is one to look out for too. To be honest, I haven't been following junior basketball that much lately

Do you find that people from the US give you less respect because your from the UK?

To a degree. But most Americans who visit the site respect what we're doing

How would you compare the Uk streetabll secene to the us streetball scene?

I think it's very hard to compare. The UK streetball scene has maybe a couple of hundred main people in it...in America you're talking thousands. There's no compassison really - the US scene is much bigger and better. That'd be like comparing US soccer to the Premiership.

What direction do you see the site heading in in the future?

Hopefully we'll be moving onto bigger and better things. I'm having talks with various companies about doing stuff for TV, providing content for mobile phones and other platforms plus all sorts of other stuff. We'll see.

Where do you think streetball.co.uk and Greg Tanner will be in ten years?

In 10 years I will be 38. Realistically, I can't still be running around with a video camera filming kids playing ball! Ten years is so far away I can't even begin to think about it. I don't even know what I'm going to be doing in 10 months!

Tell us what you have planned for streetball.co.uk for the rest of the year?

As I touched on earlier, we're going to be pushing for kids to sign up to England Basketball as part of a drive to boost official participation numbers. We could also be appearing on a TV or mobile phone screen near you. Stay tuned!

Id like to thank Greg for taking time to chat to us here at streetballireland.com, keep up the good work andbest of luck with all your events this summer. Dont forget to visit www.streetball.co.uk for all the hotest streetball action from the U.K.'s finest.