Ten years ago, Bath native Dean Williams was finishing his freshman year at Augustana University and dreaming of a professional basketball career.
After four years in Georgia, Williams embarked on a world tour, returning to his home country after playing in Iceland, France, Germany, Italy and Poland.
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Williams, 29, is one game away from completing his maiden season with the London Lions, having already secured a domestic quadruple.
“It’s fantastic,” Williams told BBC Sport.
“To be able to have such a great season in front of my friends and family, with great teammates, a great coaching staff — it’s an absolute joy.
“We’ve achieved three in a row so far so it’s been a very successful season and we’re hoping for a strong result on Sunday.”
The Lions won 26 of 32 regular-season games and won the Super League title by 12 points.
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In February this year, the Lions defeated the Newcastle Eagles 74-68 in the SLB Trophy final to win the first of three honors already achieved this season.
A month later, they defeated the Manchester Men’s Basketball Team 83-74 to win the SLB Cup and win more trophies.
While the league title is already sealed, the play-offs conclude at the O2 Arena on Sunday with the Lions taking on league runners-up Cheshire Phoenix in a bid to sweep the domestic trophies.
Travel from Bath to London via Augusta, Keflavik and Naples
For most people, the journey from Bath to London is just 115 miles along the M4.
But for Williams, it was a pilgrimage of more than 10,000 miles, completing his studies in the United States and returning to the UK via various stops in Europe.
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Like many aspiring UK basketball players, Williams had to make the tricky decision as a teenager to study across the Atlantic for four years in Augusta, a city steeped in sporting tradition and more associated with posh golf courses and green jackets.
But given the landscape of domestic basketball in the UK and the availability of college scholarships, Williams’ transfer is a necessity, not a dream.
“If it were up to me, I would play in England as long as possible,” Williams said.
“No one really wants to have to swarm out to the shops to make a living when they can do just fine at home.”
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But the benefit of returning permanently to the UK for his first season since leaving university means Williams is able to take part in day-to-day activities that he was unable to do while abroad for 10 years.
“You don’t have to miss all the birthdays, you don’t have to miss the weddings, you don’t have to miss the funerals, all these occasions that you miss,” Williams added.
“[Now]you can be there because you’re already at home. “
Despite being away from home for many years, Williams excelled in success across Europe.
The power forward was named the Icelandic top-flight foreign player of the year in his second year at Keflavik — and he left school as the Peach Belt Conference player of the year.
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In 2023, Williams won the Champions League in his only season with German side Telekom Baskets Bonn. He also played for Saint-Quentin, Oldenburg Basketball, Naples Basketball, MHP Riesen Ludwigsburg and most recently Anver Flocklavic.
“It’s difficult to get through college and if you’re a British player and you want to pursue basketball, you don’t think about the British league, [say]’This is where I want to go to try and build my legacy,'” he explained.
“You have to do it in reverse order. But I really hope and hope that in the future, people can look at it and think ‘the English League is a respectable league and this is where I can make a name for myself’.”
The changing landscape of British basketball
Williams says the prospect of representing Great Britain at major events in the future is “absolutely amazing” [Getty Images]
While it’s been a long journey to join the Lions, Williams has left his mark on a team coached by Tautevidas Sabonis, who himself comes from a dynasty with a rich basketball pedigree.
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Williams certainly made an impression in his first season in his hometown. Not only did Williams have the second-highest number of domestic appearances for the Lions this season, he was also named to the SLB Team of the Year and Defensive Team of the Year.
He also made his debut for Great Britain, winning his first two games earlier this year.
While looking forward to further success on Sunday and beyond, Williams hopes to improve the overall quality of British basketball so that aspiring young players don’t have to follow in his footsteps to achieve their dreams.
“I think it’s about continuing to inspire not only young people but also people who don’t see the long-term goals of UK basketball,” Williams explained.
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“Not just us as players but we as an organization are also trying to push the boundaries to prove that we are capable of doing great things on the international stage. And with that comes the growth of the sport in our country so that the younger generation can aspire to play the sport without them having to leave home.
“I’m not trying to be bold and say ‘we’re the best,’ but we’re trying to be the best. Not for us, but for everyone.”