Pat Burke, Conor Grace, Marty Conlon and Jay Larranaga
Pat Burke, Conor Grace, Marty Conlon and Jay Larranaga
WHAT IS HOOPS ACROSS THE OCEAN?
From NBA players to college stars, Ireland has benefitted from Irish American players playing for the National team for over forty years.
Hoops Across the Ocean looks at the journey and motivations of players like Jay Larranaga, Pat Burke and Marty Conlon as they strived to help elevate Irish basketball.
Ireland's recruitment helped the basketball team rise from absolute minnows of European basketball into a competitive force. That pursuit of excellence didn't come without complications though as, at times, the domestic players and game were marginalised.
Hoops Across the Ocean tracks the rise and fall of the Irish men's and women's teams as they followed different paths while trying to make a name for themselves in international basketball.
This book is a must-read for anyone interested in the real-life decisions that impact sports development as smaller countries try and grow and achieve.
"Conor has gone even deeper than I ever thought possible and uncovered what lay on the other side of the rectangular wooden stage I watched these American players play on. The lives and times, the impact of these people and this game on our country can only be understood through a book as beautiful as this.
Jarlath Regan = An Irishman Abroad Podcast Host
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Conor Meany has spent his entire life in Irish basketball as both a player and fan. Having represented Ireland himself, Hoops Across the Ocean is a passion project for him as he explores Irish international basketball and what has both helped and hindered its development in Ireland.
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