The Freedom Basketball League aims to change professional sports in America . The Freedom Basketball League, (“FBL”) is a professional basketball league integrated with a high level learning academy; the FBL Academy designed specifically for elite high school age athletes 16-19. The FBL has been created as a single entity structure with all teams, player/coaching contracts, media rights, and sponsorships owned by the Freedom Basketball League LLC. The FBL will produce a four team basketball league based in the US composed of 44 elite, highly ranked and supremely talented players competing for an FBL Championship. The FBL Academy is planned to provide a roadmap for these elite athletes to succeed through a program of coaching, education, mentorship and community service. The FBL has researched the best practices of successful US and international professional sports leagues to produce a compelling pro sports concept able to address the incredible demand for live sports content from a young, affluent and growing sports fan base worldwide.
Basketball is the second most popular sport in the world behind only soccer and attracts a young, affluent and growing demographic. In the US the NBA and NCAA are “sibling rivals” in the basketball industry and compete for fans, talent and media dollars. They have created a yawning gap between the amateur and professional basketball business that can be filled by the Freedom Basketball League. In addition there is a need and demand to produce a better model for training, educating and mentoring talented young men where they can maximize their potential as athletes and maturing young people.
Michael Atkinson – Founder and majority owner of the FBL Mr. Atkinson has a 30 year career in coaching basketball and teaching high school chemistry. He began his coaching career on Long Island as an assistant at Division III SUNY Stony Brook where he spent five seasons. In 1991 he became the Head Basketball Coach at Suffolk Community College, and the following year was invited to join the staff of Head Coach Rick Pitino at the University of Kentucky. In 1992 Mr. Atkinson returned to Sachem High School as head basketball coach. He is the only coach in Section XI history to be Coach of the Year for both boys and girls. Mr. Atkinson has hired staff for his camps as well as coaches for his program. He has evaluated elite talent at Nike Elite Camps Reebok ABCD Camp, NBA Summer League and Reebok Rocky Mountain Revue. Over the last 30 years Mr. Atkinson has developed and maintained contacts in the NBA, NCAA, AAU and high school basketball.