Lijah Perkins
Encyclopedia
Lijah Perkins in Birmingham
, United Kingdom
is a professional basketball player, currently signed to Worthing Thunder
, playing as a Power forward or Centre.
in 1995, making his professional debut against the Sheffield Sharks
on September 9, 1995. He has since then gone on to play for no fewer than 7 British teams and over 9 European teams in his career as well as earn 6 appearances for the England national team
.
Perkins enjoyed most of his success with the famous Bullets team of the mid-nineties. In 1996 he picked up his first award as BBL Play-off winner, helping the Bullets to defeat London Towers
78-72 in front of a packed Wembley Arena
crowd. Perkins and the Bullets were to regain the Play-off title two years later in 1998 with a close 78-75 victory over Thames Valley Tigers
, capping off another successful season where the team finished as Runners-up in the League Championship. Perkins left the UK that year to pursue dreams of a career in Europe, finding himself in the Icelandic league where he was the league leader of Blocked Shots for 1998-1999.
After stints at several other European clubs, the Small/Power forward returned home to sign for National Basketball League
side Teesside Mohawks, one of the frontrunners of the lower leagues. Success returned again for Perkins, and inside his first season with the club he had already won the National Trophy, Conference Championship and Play-off final with an incredible double-overtime 127-117 victory against Solent Stars
.
Though his time at the Mohawks was a resounding success, Perkins soon moved on during the following season and returned to Europe and Finland
where his achievements continued. Playing for Forssan Koripojat, he helped the team to second-place in the First Division finishing with impressive stats 19 points and 11 rebounds per-game, and picking up both the league's award for Player of the Year, Forward of the Year and Bosman of the Year. He was named in the All-Star 1st Team & All-Bosman Team for the 2004-05 Season.
His stats caught the attention of Brighton Bears
coach Nick Nurse
who promptly signed up Perkins, leading the way for another return home and back into the BBL. His stint did not last long however and he was soon transferred to London Towers, where within a few months of being at the club, he helped the team to the Final of the 2006 BBL Cup
, eventually losing to Newcastle Eagles
, 83-69.
Following the closure of the Towers that summer, Perkins was again on the lookout for a team and moved on to the Scottish Rocks
for a brief period before travelling through Switzerland, Spain and France and eventually ending up back in London under the command of Steve Bucknall
at BBL rookies London Capital
, where he signed on a temporary basis. After a the end of shambollic first season for London, Perkins opted to sign for another rookie team Worthing Thunder, who had just joined the BBL from the English Basketball League
. After retiring from the game of basketball in November 2008, Perkins has decided to revitalise his career and get back to playing and has journeyed back to Europe to France once again.
Birmingham
Birmingham is a city and metropolitan borough in the West Midlands of England. It is the most populous British city outside the capital London, with a population of 1,036,900 , and lies at the heart of the West Midlands conurbation, the second most populous urban area in the United Kingdom with a...
, United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
is a professional basketball player, currently signed to Worthing Thunder
Worthing Thunder
Worthing Thunder is a basketball team from Worthing, England. Founded in 1999, until recently they competed in the top-tier British Basketball League, having previously having dominated the lower leagues in recent years, winning back-to-back English Basketball League Division One titles in 2006 and...
, playing as a Power forward or Centre.
Biography
Known as somewhat of a journeyman in British basketball, Perkins started his career playing for his hometown team Birmingham BulletsBirmingham Bullets
The Birmingham Bullets is a basketball team from Birmingham, who competed in the British Basketball League . The club resigned from the BBL league in the summer of 2006 and soon after went into liquidation, and currently no-longer exist as a basketball franchise.-The future of Birmingham...
in 1995, making his professional debut against the Sheffield Sharks
Sheffield Sharks
Sheffield Sharks, officially named One Health Sheffield Sharks due to sponsorship, is a professional basketball team from the city of Sheffield, England. Sharks currently play in the British Basketball League and play their home fixtures at English Institute of Sport - Sheffield...
on September 9, 1995. He has since then gone on to play for no fewer than 7 British teams and over 9 European teams in his career as well as earn 6 appearances for the England national team
England national basketball team
The England national basketball team represents England in international basketball competitions. The team is organized by England Basketball, the sport's governing body in England...
.
Perkins enjoyed most of his success with the famous Bullets team of the mid-nineties. In 1996 he picked up his first award as BBL Play-off winner, helping the Bullets to defeat London Towers
London Towers
London Towers was a professional basketball team based in London, England. They were one of the most successful and recognised British sports teams of the 1990s, collecting many titles in the British Basketball League as well as regularly competing in European competitions such as the Euroleague...
78-72 in front of a packed Wembley Arena
Wembley Arena
Wembley Arena is an indoor arena, at Wembley, in the London Borough of Brent. The building is opposite Wembley Stadium.-History:...
crowd. Perkins and the Bullets were to regain the Play-off title two years later in 1998 with a close 78-75 victory over Thames Valley Tigers
Thames Valley Tigers
Thames Valley Tigers was a British basketball team competing in the British Basketball League until 2005, when funding was ceased and the franchise folded. Based in Bracknell, Berkshire, the team's fans setup a new team to replace the Tigers and just a month later the Guildford Heat was born...
, capping off another successful season where the team finished as Runners-up in the League Championship. Perkins left the UK that year to pursue dreams of a career in Europe, finding himself in the Icelandic league where he was the league leader of Blocked Shots for 1998-1999.
After stints at several other European clubs, the Small/Power forward returned home to sign for National Basketball League
National Basketball League (United Kingdom)
The National Basketball League, or NBL for short, is a British basketball league. The league started in 1972 and continued through to 2003 renamed the English Basketball League.-1972-1993:...
side Teesside Mohawks, one of the frontrunners of the lower leagues. Success returned again for Perkins, and inside his first season with the club he had already won the National Trophy, Conference Championship and Play-off final with an incredible double-overtime 127-117 victory against Solent Stars
Solent Stars
The Solent Stars is a basketball team from Southampton, who until 2007 competed in the English Basketball League, Division 1. From 1987-1990 they competed in the British Basketball League, and were one of the founder teams....
.
Though his time at the Mohawks was a resounding success, Perkins soon moved on during the following season and returned to Europe and Finland
Finland
Finland , officially the Republic of Finland, is a Nordic country situated in the Fennoscandian region of Northern Europe. It is bordered by Sweden in the west, Norway in the north and Russia in the east, while Estonia lies to its south across the Gulf of Finland.Around 5.4 million people reside...
where his achievements continued. Playing for Forssan Koripojat, he helped the team to second-place in the First Division finishing with impressive stats 19 points and 11 rebounds per-game, and picking up both the league's award for Player of the Year, Forward of the Year and Bosman of the Year. He was named in the All-Star 1st Team & All-Bosman Team for the 2004-05 Season.
His stats caught the attention of Brighton Bears
Brighton Bears
Brighton Bears was a British basketball team based in Brighton, Sussex. From 1984 to 1999 the club was known as the Worthing Bears and was based in the town of Worthing, 12 miles west of Brighton. The Bears played in the top-flight British Basketball League until 2006 when the franchise folded...
coach Nick Nurse
Nick Nurse
Nick Nurse is an American basketball coach who is the head coach for the Rio Grande Valley Vipers of the NBA Development League ....
who promptly signed up Perkins, leading the way for another return home and back into the BBL. His stint did not last long however and he was soon transferred to London Towers, where within a few months of being at the club, he helped the team to the Final of the 2006 BBL Cup
BBL Cup
The BBL Cup is one of two peripheral competitions operated by the British Basketball League during the regular season, the other being the BBL Trophy...
, eventually losing to Newcastle Eagles
Newcastle Eagles
Newcastle Eagles is a British Basketball League team from Newcastle upon Tyne. Since 2010 they have played all home games at the 3,000 capacity Sport Central arena at Northumbria University in the city...
, 83-69.
Following the closure of the Towers that summer, Perkins was again on the lookout for a team and moved on to the Scottish Rocks
Scottish Rocks
The Glasgow Rocks is a basketball team which competes in the British Basketball League. Formerly known as Scottish Rocks and also Edinburgh Rocks, they are one of the leading franchises in the top-tier league, and the only team to be based outside of England, playing at the Kelvin Hall...
for a brief period before travelling through Switzerland, Spain and France and eventually ending up back in London under the command of Steve Bucknall
Steve Bucknall
Steven Lee Bucknall is a retired English professional basketball player, and former head coach of British Basketball League expansion franchise London Capital....
at BBL rookies London Capital
London Capital
London Capital, officially called PAWS London Capital in reference to their partnership with PAWS Foundation, is a basketball team based in London, England...
, where he signed on a temporary basis. After a the end of shambollic first season for London, Perkins opted to sign for another rookie team Worthing Thunder, who had just joined the BBL from the English Basketball League
English Basketball League
The English Basketball League is a semi-professional and amateur basketball league in England. It forms the second-tier of competition below the professional British Basketball League....
. After retiring from the game of basketball in November 2008, Perkins has decided to revitalise his career and get back to playing and has journeyed back to Europe to France once again.
Playing history
- 2010-2011
Caen Basket Calvados - 2008 Worthing ThunderWorthing ThunderWorthing Thunder is a basketball team from Worthing, England. Founded in 1999, until recently they competed in the top-tier British Basketball League, having previously having dominated the lower leagues in recent years, winning back-to-back English Basketball League Division One titles in 2006 and...
- 2007-2008 London CapitalLondon CapitalLondon Capital, officially called PAWS London Capital in reference to their partnership with PAWS Foundation, is a basketball team based in London, England...
- 2007 Etoile d'Or St-Leonard
- 2006-2007
Grupo Salmerón Guadix - 2006
Union Neuchâtel - 2006 Scottish RocksScottish RocksThe Glasgow Rocks is a basketball team which competes in the British Basketball League. Formerly known as Scottish Rocks and also Edinburgh Rocks, they are one of the leading franchises in the top-tier league, and the only team to be based outside of England, playing at the Kelvin Hall...
- 2005-2006 London TowersLondon TowersLondon Towers was a professional basketball team based in London, England. They were one of the most successful and recognised British sports teams of the 1990s, collecting many titles in the British Basketball League as well as regularly competing in European competitions such as the Euroleague...
- 2005 Brighton BearsBrighton BearsBrighton Bears was a British basketball team based in Brighton, Sussex. From 1984 to 1999 the club was known as the Worthing Bears and was based in the town of Worthing, 12 miles west of Brighton. The Bears played in the top-flight British Basketball League until 2006 when the franchise folded...
- 2004-2005
Forssan Koripojat - 2003-2004 Coruna
- 2001-2003 Teesside Mohawks
- 2001
Werkendam - 2000-2001
Hasselt - 1999-2000
KR Basket - 1998-1999 Thorlakshofn
- 1995-1998 Birmingham BulletsBirmingham BulletsThe Birmingham Bullets is a basketball team from Birmingham, who competed in the British Basketball League . The club resigned from the BBL league in the summer of 2006 and soon after went into liquidation, and currently no-longer exist as a basketball franchise.-The future of Birmingham...
See also
- British Basketball LeagueBritish Basketball LeagueThe British Basketball League, often abbreviated to the BBL, is the premier men's professional basketball league in the United Kingdom. The BBL runs two knockout competitions alongside the league championship; the BBL Cup and the BBL Trophy....
- London CapitalLondon CapitalLondon Capital, officially called PAWS London Capital in reference to their partnership with PAWS Foundation, is a basketball team based in London, England...
- Teesside Mohawks
- Worthing ThunderWorthing ThunderWorthing Thunder is a basketball team from Worthing, England. Founded in 1999, until recently they competed in the top-tier British Basketball League, having previously having dominated the lower leagues in recent years, winning back-to-back English Basketball League Division One titles in 2006 and...