The votes have been cast, the results are in and now we can reveal, as voted for by the masses, who makes up the greatest Sheffield Sharks starting five!

Everyone has had their say, former players such as Mike Payne and Adrian Anderson, backroom staff like Barry Munks, Philip Brown and John Lake, sponsors past and present in the form of Graham Moore and Derek Bickerstaff and leading commentators like Daniel Routledge and our very own Mike Shaft; they have all fuelled the debate during the months when we are without the beautiful game.

In association with One Health Sharks Sheffield through their official website, we gave you the fans the chance to pick your all-time greatest five from a stellar list of twenty one. Today, we reveal who you chose and gain reaction from two of those selected.

So without further ado, the five legends are as follows…

Nate Reinking 14.12%

Todd Cauthorn 11.86%

Terrell Myers 11.3%

Iain McKinney 8.47%

Lynard Stewart 6.78%

Places on the bench were taken by Roger Huggins, Mike Cook, Pete Scantlebury and Travis Conlan, which gives an indication as to how good some of these starting five are!

The recently-installed Great Britain Assistant Coach led the way, having shot the lights out for the club throughout his seven seasons in South Yorkshire. Myers joins him in the backcourt, with just the four appearances in the All-Star team during his four seasons in the BBL as well as a Trophy, a Championship, a Cup and a Player of the Year Award! And of course, who could forget ‘that shot’? Forward Lynard Stewart clearly made an impression in his three seasons in Sheffield as his considerable presence also makes the team. That leaves two…

Still a regular attendee at Sharks games and Assistant Principal at the Sheffield College, local lad Iain McKinney makes the list with the fourth highest share of the vote. We caught up with Iain to find out his reaction to the news.

‘What an honour to be named in the greatest ever starting five! With the talent that’s been on show for the Sharks over the years, I’m sure that those voting had one eye on longevity, work ethic and commitment to the club as well as ability on the court. I was so fortunate to have the opportunity to play well over 500 games for the club and had some fantastic teammates over the years. I always felt that my own view on how team sport should be played was mirrored by the Sharks organisation throughout my time with the team and this led to lots of hard work but also lots of success. It’s great that the other starters were all players I played with and although my children aren’t convinced that I was the best player ever to play for the club this will persuade them that I was one of the most successful.’

Well, for the benefit of Iain’s children, here is the proof! Always a pleasure to see Iain at a Sharks game and great to see him confirmed as one of the Sharks legends.

Speaking of which, there is surely no Sharks player revered greater than TC himself, Todd Cauthorn. Taking a break from his busy schedule with England Basketball, Todd had this to say of his selection in the Greatest Sharks starting five.

“Being selected by the Sharks fans into the ‘Greatest Sharks Starting Five’ is a huge honour for me. During my years with Sheffield we had many great teams and players and to be chosen as one of the best is the highest accolade.

“The teams that brought Sheffield to prominence that I was a part of were known for defence, effort and hustle and these characteristics were probably what I was known for more than any offensive prowess. In every team we had, every player tried to make each other better and the great coaches I played for like Jim Brandon, Chris Finch and Peter Scantlebury were able to use player’s strengths well and get the most out of everyone on the team.

“I definitely benefited from that as an individual and each Sheffield Sharks team I played for had an arsenal of weapons that made it difficult for opponents to prepare for. I feel fortunate to have played and been a part of the Sharks organisation for so long and having ended up living in Sheffield; I can say that being a part of the basketball fabric, now as a junior coach in the city, is something that I will always be grateful for. A huge thank you to everyone who voted and good luck to the team this season.”

Many people claim to have given blood for the cause, but Todd is one of the few who actually has the evidence to back it up!

So there you have it. A superb starting five of Sharks legends and a very interesting way to pass the time during Summer while waiting for the new season to begin. Who will be in the next generation of Sharks legends? Check out the team on September 27th at the EIS when the visitors are Cheshire Phoenix and you just might find out!