There’s no place like home: Interview with Manchester Giant Nathan Schall

Nathan Schall is now a Giant, via some Magic, Lions (no Tigers or Bears – oh my) and a rescue mission from a band of merry mohawk Jets.

Something that as a child he probably dreamt of doing at some point down his basketball brick road.

With the Manchester Giants franchise disappearing for over a decade though, it is only now that he has been able to fulfil that dream.

However, Schall isn’t letting that go to his head too much. not yet anyway: “Signing for Giants is a massive thing, and having a couple of pre-season friendlies is great, but I do think it will be when we play our first BBL game against the Lions that it will start to feel real!”

The situation for him, and his morning view out of his bedroom window, could easily have been very different. As he revealed Newcastle Eagles were open for him to go to the North East instead.

“I messaged them a while ago,” says Schall, “but Fab [Flournoy] was in the States though. When he got back however he called me.

“We [Jets] played them in the semi-finals of the playoffs last year, and it was those games that he had really got to see me play.

“The offer was good, but I felt Manchester was the best choice for me; for this season anyway.”

Possibly the hardest choice for the young man; champions of all comers or his reignited hometown side.

He went on to say: “It was a tough decision because the programme they run at Newcastle is second to none, with the professionalism and the good environment to develop, but here in Manchester, I could see, as the set-up took shape, that it could be a big contender in the BBL.

The opportunity to have made his way back to Manchester, he believes, was after being picked up by the Cheshire Jets mid-way through last season: “I think the move from MK Lions to the Jets played a huge part in my season, mainly because I was out on the court a lot more. At the Jets, we had a 6-man rotation, so because of this, it was essential that we all worked well together and that everyone made a contribution, so for me, it meant having to step up, which showed in one or two games.

The Mohawk-era of the Jets saw a turn of form that had clubs across the country on red alert to capture players, and once the uncertainty came of whether they could carry on or not as a side, players made their exits, including Schall, who was faced with a number of teams to choose from: “I wouldn’t go so far as to saying fighting for my signature, but the mid-season move definitely played a big factor in certain people realising I had what it takes to play at this level.”

“With everything seemingly sorted at the Jets, they contacted me too, but I had to tell them I was signed with the Giants already.”

So with that, a new start, but how are things panning out so far with the Giants ahead of the upcoming season: “We started pre-season a bit late, but it’s going well. There are a lot of benefits though to having a team made of players who know each other well. It’s a different style of play, as everyone has to do their bit without having to rely on any of the American guys who come in, usually with more experience and higher levels of intensity, as go to guys.”

The final parting words for Cheshire fans, who embark on a somewhat interesting new stage of their club too, with new ownership: “The Jets fans, in my opinion, were awesome all season and really got behind the team. The support was felt on and off the court, so a huge thanks to them.”

And what will Manchester supporters have to look forward to?

“For the future Giants fans, what I think I can say is that we hope to give you the same level of excitement and entertainment as the last Giants team did. But for me, the big thing has been seeing the following of the loyal Giants fans that have been quick to  get back behind the team and show their support again, so a big thanks to them. They are going to be a big part of this club, and this is just the beginning!”