“He never saw me at my best but he was a massive influence. For him, to see the product of his hard work and dedication with a few of his lads playing in the London Olympics would have been fitting. We even used to play sometimes at the old Eastway gym, which was just a mile or so from the Olympic Park. I’m going to make sure his wife and children are guests at a couple of the games. He wasn’t just a coach to us, he was a father figure. He didn’t just teach us basketball, he gave us homework and taught us discipline and how to be men at a young age.”