BBL: Bristol Flyers captain Greg Streete has title belief
Last updated on .From the section Basketball
Bristol Flyers are good enough to win the title in their first season in the BBL, says captain Greg Streete.
The former National Division One side were accepted into the top-flight after securing financial backing from Bristol City owner Stephen Lansdown.
They start their maiden BBL campaign on Saturday at home to Plymouth Raiders before travelling to Glasgow on Sunday.
"The fact that we're the new team means nothing. We're here to win," guard Streete, 26, told BBC Points West.
"We're going to train and turn up every week like we can win the competition.
"I really want us to compete. I want us to be respected in the league and all my team-mates do as well."
| BBL teams 2014-15 | |
|---|---|
| Bristol Flyers (New to the league) | Manchester Giants |
| Cheshire Jets | Newcastle Eagles |
| Durham Wildcats | Plymouth Raiders |
| Glasgow Rocks | Sheffield Sharks |
| Leeds Force (New to the league) | Surrey United |
| Leicester Riders | Worcester Wolves (reigning Play-off champions) |
| London Lions | |
Established in 2006, the Flyers secured promotion to Division One in 2007 and were crowned champions four years later.
They finished seventh in the table last season to reach the play-off quarter-finals, where they lost to Essex.
"We've worked so hard over the years to put our stamp on English basketball. For us to be moving up to the BBL, it's a recognition of our talent and hard work over the years," continued Streete.
"When we were in Division Three, working our way up, I never thought we'd end up in the BBL.
"It's rewarding to think that all those guys coming into the team have worked for it and now it's coming full circle."
Head coach Andreas Kapoulas has worked to improve his squad by bringing in American duo Doug Herring Jnr and Alif Bland.
Forward Bland, who is 24 and stands at 6ft 9ins, played in the BBL last season with Cheshire Jets and is confident Bristol can make their mark in the league.
"With this being our first year, we have to make a presence. We don't just want to be saying 'we're in the BBL', we want to take it all the way," he said.
"We have the players, the coaching staff, the athleticism. We just have to put in the work."
The BBC Sport website will be covering the BBL Championship this season with exclusive news and quotes from around the league after each round of fixtures.
