The 1979–80 Rotary Watches National Basketball League season was the eighth season of the National Basketball League formed in 1972.[1]
The league was sponsored by Rotary Watches for the second consecutive year and Crystal Palace won an unprecedented treble of League, Playoff's and National Cup. Crystal Palace were helped by Alton Byrd who would become the best known name in British basketball and won the season MVP award.[2]
Team Changes
Malcolm Chamberlain, the owner of the London Metros uprooted the team and relocated them from London to Kingston upon Thames and to the Tolworth Recreation Centre rebranding them as Kingston. With their added sponsorship they would be known as Kelly Girls International Kingston. Hemel Hempstead joined the league and would be known as Hemel Hempstead Ovaltine playing at Bletchley Leisure Centre. The Blackpool Pacemakers and Team Talbot, Guildford completed the newcomers to the league. The Milton Keynes All-Stars, Loughborough All-Stars, Exeter St Lukes TSB and Bracknell Bullets all dropped out.
