Team Evolution

Rocco's Raiders was co-founded by Braden Saunders (Factor) and David Bartholomaeus (Zeus) in Brisbane in the summer off season in January 2002. Factor and Zeus, having just won the GBL in 2001 for the North Brisbane Wizards, by defeating Lang Park - or the Slime - in the final by 2 points, decided to start their own break-away team in an attempt to distribute the talent pool more evenly within the league. The Wizards were already quite stacked with quality players and there was easily room for another competitive team in the league. Additionally, Factor and Zeus both had networks external to the league through which they intended to source new players.

Immediately Factor began making enquiries with senior league representatives to make sure their entering a new team was feasible and before you knew it they had a tentative go-ahead to join the league. The fact that Factor and Zeus also played and co-captained the Brisbane Capitals in the ABA and had both grown up playing basketball within the Brisbane area made their entry to the league that much easier. Clearly a lot of things needed to be done, least of which was selecting a team name.

After much deliberation, Factor eventually got the nod from the president of the league and proceeded immediately to inform Zeus. A team name still hadn't been given much thought so when Factor asked Zeus if he had any ideas he wasn't really expecting much. However, in a reflex Zeus quipped , Easy mate...Rocco's Raiders! And as simple as that Rocco's was born – the actual origins of the name shrouded in mystery.

After informing the Wizards of their desire to go alone, Factor and Zeus set about assembling a team under the premise that it would involve minimal, if any, poaching from other clubs. Fellow Capital and good friend, Nathan Kevi Calder was the only other original member of Rocco's that transferred from an existing team (Lang Park) as a solid contingent of new and some not so new faces was formed, including ex-NBL veteran and renowned athlete, Roger Smith ( Smitty ). The Raiders although experiencing a slow start to the 2002 season, which in time became their trademark, ended the race to the postseason with a 13-0 run and cemented a last minute finals birth. With most people having ruled them out for the finals, they took many by surprise when in their inaugural season they peaked at the right end of the season going on to defeat the favourites , the Slime, in front of a several hundred strong Brisbane crowd.

Rocco's Raiders, or simply Rocco's as they are known, was founded inBrisbane, Australia, in early 2002. After back to back titles in 2002 and 2003 in the Greater Brisbane League (GBL) in Brisbane, certain founding members migrated to UK shores lending itself to the beginnings of a sister club in London in August 2004. This was in part due to the under-represented expatriate community on the local hoops scene.

The team went on to capture consecutive Middlesex Basketball League titles in 2004/05 and 2005/06 among other extracurricular successes.  Following a successful season in Division 1 in 2006/07, the team has secured a birth in the Premier Division of the London Metropolitan Basketball League in 2007/08.

While many of the original faces of Rocco's Londres have since moved on, the principles and ethics etched at the team's foundations remain. Meanwhile, the Brisbane team, having spent several years rebuilding, is now back on track with recent back to back GBL titles in 2006 and 2007.

Both teams enter 2007/08 with a new look but the same end in mind.