Brian Mott has lived and breathed basketball for more than 50 years.
The Craigieburn Basketball Association member was this month honoured by Basketball Victoria for 50 years of service to the sport.
Mott, whose passion for basketball started in Bendigo as a child, has spent the past five decades as a player, coach, team manager, referee and mentor.
“I just love the sport – the way you move up and down the court and the skills involved,” the Craigieburn resident said.
“I am quite humbled and excited to have received the recognition.”
Over the years, Mott has been involved with basketball at Bendigo, North Fawkner and Coburg.
He started coaching at 15 years old, before becoming a referee.
He joined the Craigieburn Basketball Association in the late 1970s and has been a member ever since.
Mott said he has enjoyed watching the growth of the sport.
“I started playing in Bendigo because the YMCA had a basketball program. It was a relatively minor sport in those days,” he said.
“It had slow growth for the first 10 to 15 years I was involved in the sport, but since then it has been steady.”
Mott’s playing career spanned 50 years before knee injuries led to a focus on administration roles. He believes basketball remains popular because it is an inclusive sport.
“It is a sport where everybody has a role and everybody feels part of the team. It is also a sport where people can be fairly creative and develop their own way of doing things,” he said.
