So lets talk about culture.
For me, an easy explanation. Basketball particularly at junior levels is very insular and inflexible when it comes to team selection. This is not necessarily the fault of the clubs or associations but more to do with the way the sport of organised.
For example, a cricketer can joint a club and start playing with a lower level team - say the 3rd XI or 4th XI. However, they train with players from all levels. If they perform well they can be promoted to play with a higher level team (eg. go from 4th XI to 2nd XI) DURING THE SAME SEASON! This promotes club culture because clubs are Squad focused rather than Team focused. Players can be quickly recognised by everyone playing at the club and be rewarded for their efforts in a timely manner.
If Basketball operated more like cricket where there was a focus on Squads rather than teams, I think we would see significant improvement the culture based ethos. All the players would know they are representing an association rather than a particular team. The team they play in each week would depend on their form and how they train. As it currently stands, a player selected for a particular team remains in that team for an entire season regardless of their form.
I've seen situations where players in the 2s or even 3s deserved to get a shot in the 1s but don't get it because the competition does not allow for that. This stifles player development and leads to a "We Don't Care" attitude on the part of the player and their support group. Not the sort of environment you want to have to engender culture.
In cricket, I see players at all levels actively support each other. There is always great interest in how each of the teams performs each week.
I don't see this in Basketball. Each team focuses on their own results. Once their game is over the can't leave the stadium quickly enough. Teams from the same association, even in the same age groups, will often ignore each other at stadiums during training sessions or game nights. So much for club culture.
