BBL Cup final: Brothers Patrick and Jordan Whelan battling each other as Leicester Riders face Manchester Giants | Basketball News

Watch Patrick Whelan and Leicester Riders face off against brother Jordan and Manchester Giants in this Sunday’s BBL Cup final, live on Sky Sports (tip-off 3.30pm); London Lions also face Newcastle Knights in the Women’s BBL Cup final (12pm), with both matches on Sky Sports Arena

BBL Cup final: Leicester Riders vs Manchester Giants sees two brothers going head to head

Patrick Whelan always suspected that one day he and his brother Jordan would be facing off in high-stakes matches on the basketball court.

The games of one-on-one on their driveway at their childhood home in Culceth have given way to them now being on rival teams in the British Basketball League, and on Sunday they will be up against each other for one of the domestic game’s biggest prizes.

Patrick and his Leicester Riders team-mates face off against Jordan and the Manchester Giants for the right to lift the BBL Cup at Birmingham’s Utilita Arena, live on Sky Sports, and it promises to be a memorable day for the Whelan family whatever the outcome for their respective teams.

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Patrick and Jordan Whelan speak to Sky Sports News ahead of the BBL Cup final, as Leicester Riders take on Manchester Giants – with the brothers going head to head for the first time

“It’s a bit of a crazy one, but mine and Jordan’s sights have both been set high in basketball since we were kids,” Patrick told Sky Sports News.

“We both had big ambitions and never thought about being anything other than pro basketballers.

“I think it was almost inevitable we’d play each other, but who knew it would be live on Sky Sports in the final in front of thousands of people? I don’t think either of us could have written that.”

The Warrington-born siblings both came through the Manchester Magic youth system and while their careers have diverged since then in terms of the teams they have represented, they have followed a similar path.

Jordan, the eldest of the duo at 27, blazed the trail by going to play college basketball in the USA for MidAmerica Nazarene, followed by a spell playing at semi-professional level for two clubs in Germany.

The 6ft 4in guard is now in his second stint with the Giants, having returned to the UK with them in 2017 and also played single seasons for Worcester Wolves and London Lions.

Patrick, two years his junior, followed him across the pond to play for the William Jewel Cardinals in the college ranks and then spent three seasons featuring for Spanish club Real Murcia, returning to these shores with the Riders ahead of the 2021/22 BBL campaign.

Leicester have been the pacesetters in the BBL so far this season, sitting top of the pile with 12 wins from 12 in the league, with Manchester heading the chasing pack. This will be the first time the sides have clashed this season, though, and Jordan is not planning on holding back.

“I’m the big brother, so I’m always going to say I’ve got one up on Patrick, for sure,” Jordan told Sky Sports News.

“I’ll be maybe playing some little mind games with him on court, knocking him off balance and all the fun stuff.”

Yet while they may be divided in their pursuit of glory on Sunday, to the extent that one of their parents will be cheering on the Giants while the other does likewise for the Riders, there is one factor which unites them in basketball – the memory of their late brother.

Daniel Whelan was just 18 when he passed away after contracting meningitis and both of his younger siblings take inspiration from him every time they step out onto the court.

“I wear the number I wear in his memory – that’s the number I remember him playing in when he was younger,” 6ft 5in guard Patrick, who sports the No 12 for the Riders, said.

“Both of us, I’m sure he is in the back of our minds and I’m sure he is part of us, and he will be looking down on the occasion.

“He was a real soldier in that sense of overcoming obstacles and trying to get to the best he could be. That was definitely an inspiration and kept us on the right track when we were growing up.”

The Riders are aiming for their third BBL Cup triumph, having scored back-to-back wins in 2013 and 2014, while this marks the first time the Giants have reached the showpiece game since reforming for the 2012/13 BBL season.

Indeed, it is the club’s first cup final appearance since the original Manchester Giants team lost to Sheffield Sharks in the 2000 National Cup showpiece and Jordan is determined to ensure some long-awaited silverware for them, even if it is at the expense of his brother.

“We’ll be switched on,” Jordan said. “Our guys have a chip on our shoulder, it’s been 21 years since Manchester Giants have been in a cup final…and hopefully it’ll be a good ending to the story.”

Sky Sports will be showing live coverage of both the Women’s BBL Cup final and BBL Cup final on Sunday from 11.30am. Watch London Lions take on Newcastle Eagles (tip-off 12pm) followed by Leicester Riders against Manchester Giants (3.30pm) on Sky Sports Arena.