Following the success of the Football Academy set up by Malcolm Williams in 1996, the College's Sport, Leisure and Tourism team designed the basketball programme.
The basketball academy has grown and experienced unprecedented success on court and in developing players aged between 16 and 20 (men and women) from all over London, as well as enhancing their life chances through qualifications gained whilst studying at Hackney College.
Players such as Darius Defoe, Perry Lawson, Serhat Urkut Jeff Danchie and Jean Wakanena have graduated to play professionally for Newcastle Eagles and Plymouth Raiders in the British Basketball League.
Academy players train for 2 hours every week-day and play matches on Wednesday afternoons and Friday evenings in a variety of competitions.
These players form the HCCA B Team and have won the South East Student Sports Association (SESSA) Cups and Premier League for 4 of the last 7 years.
In July 2009, HCCA became the only inner-London academy (and one of only 12 nationally, expanding to 20 in 2010) accredited by England Basketball to deliver the AASE programme to talented players from September 2009 onwards.
Four HCCA players were selected to represent Great Britain U 20 Men in the European Youth Championships in Romania (August 2008).
Well publicised financial difficulties experienced by London Met University in 2010 saw the National League programme disbanded later the same year.
In October 2006 SPACe sports hall was named in honour of Malcolm Williams, recognition of the work he carried out at Hackney Community College.