It’s double good news for basketball fans, with the first ever Hoops Aid tournament, and the start of the London Lions’ basketball season, both taking place at the Copper Box Arena.

The Hoops Aid event will take place on Sunday 15th September 2013 and see celebrities, sporting personalities, Olympic and Paralympic athletes and professional basketball players come together to play basketball and raise money for the charity Sports Traider.

It is anticipated that Hoops Aid will become a regular fixture, taking place every two years, on the alternative year to Soccer Aid and Sport Aid.  However, Hoops Aid will differ from Soccer Aid in that it will feature disability sport by means of an exhibition wheelchair basketball match involving ‘Battle Back’ the inspirational injured soldiers’ charity.

Hoops Aid will quickly be followed by the London Lions’ first home basketball game on 27 September, against the Manchester Giants. The Copper Box Arena is the new home base for the London Lions, who are the first legacy team to take residence on Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park. This means that Londoners will have many seasons of top class national and international basketball matches taking place on their doorstep, with the 2013-14 season running until April 2014.