'Whale killer' Mensah-Bonsu believes Olympics important for British basketball's future

London, June 13(ANI): Pops Mensah-Bonsu, a British basketball player, has said the London Olympics would play an important for the future of basketball in Britain.

Mensah-Bonsu, who was born in Tottenham but earned a name for himself in America's National Basketball Association (NBA), is a part of the Team Great Britain's basketball team, and is currently playing in Turkey with Besiktas.

He is also known as the giant 'King Whale Killer', and Mensah-Bonsu says he always wanted to play football, but now he wants British kids to take basketball seriously.

"I am using the Olympics as an avenue to appeal to the younger -generation in Britain to show there is talent here and there's -another sport they can play," The Daily Star quoted Mensah-Bonsu, as saying.

"If we have success that will only help. If you look at some of the things that swimming and cycling did at the last Olympics you can see that it brings along the younger generations," he added.

"I was just a skinny kid from -Tottenham, walking around kicking a -football and dreaming of playing at White Hart Lane. Now I have made it to the top of my chosen sport," he said.

Mensah-Bonsu further added: "Success will help people know that there is another team sport that they can participate in and enjoy. The Olympics will be huge for the future of British basketball." (ANI)