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British Basketball League

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This article is about the basketball governing body. Not to be confused with their senior elite competition, the BBL Championship.

British Basketball League
Founded1987; 37 years ago (1987)
First season1987–88
Folded2023–24
Replaced bySuper League Basketball (SLB)
CountryUnited Kingdom Great Britain
FederationBritish Basketball
ConfederationEurope FIBA Europe
Number of teamsSee more
Level on pyramid1
Promotion tonone
Relegation tonone
Domestic cup(s)BBL Cup
BBL Trophy
SupercupBBL Cup Winners' Cup
International cup(s)EuroCup
Champions League
FIBA Europe Cup
Last championsLondon Lions
(3rd title)
(2023–24)
Most championshipsNewcastle Eagles
(7 titles)
TV partnersSky Sports
YouTube
WebsiteBBL.org.uk

The British Basketball League (BBL) was a men's professional basketball league in Great Britain. Since its establishment in 1987 the BBL represented the highest level of basketball competition within the United Kingdom. The organisation that operated the competition, Basketball League Limited, folded in July 2024 after the British Basketball Federation terminated its operating license. It was succeeded as the top-level men's basketball competition with Super League Basketball.

The BBL operated as a franchise model where each member team is located within a separate franchise area. Most recently (in 2023/24), the League featured 10 member franchises from England and Scotland who jointly own the organisation[1] and a chairman was elected by the teams to oversee operations. The League offices were located in Leicester[2] where the country's oldest team, the Leicester Riders, is also based.

The BBL sat above the English National Basketball League and the Scottish Basketball Championship, which effectively formed the second tier of basketball competition in Great Britain. Due to the franchise model there was no promotion or relegation between the lower leagues and the BBL, although several BBL member teams had previously competed in the National Basketball League.

In addition to the regular season Championship, the BBL also staged two knockout competitions; the BBL Trophy and the end-of-season BBL Playoffs. Previously the organisation also ran the BBL Cup and BBL Cup Winners' Cup competitions, though these were last contested in 2023 and 2009 respectively. In partnership with Basketball England the organisation launched a women's league in 2014, branded as the Women's British Basketball League (WBBL).[3]

History

[edit]
See: List of British Basketball League seasons

Origins and foundation

[edit]

Competitive national basketball in Great Britain has existed since 1936 when the Amateur Basket Ball Association (ABBA) founded the ABBA National Championship, a knockout competition featuring the regional champions from across England and Wales.[4] An equivalent competition for Scotland was formed by the Amateur Basketball Association of Scotland in 1947.[5] As fully amateur championships, the competitions were largely dominated by victorious teams from universities, YMCAs and Royal Air Force stations. A short-lived attempt at establishing a truly national league competition in the 1960s was met with some success; at its height the competition, known as the 'Rosebowl', featured 16 teams from across England, Scotland and Wales. In 1969, Scotland established its own national league with the ABBA following shortly after, with the formation of the National Basketball League (NBL) in 1972.

Over the next 15 years, basketball's popularity in Great Britain grew steadily and annual revenues for the ABBA – renamed as the English Basket Ball Association (EBBA) in 1975 – increased from £23,440 in 1972 to £303,500 in 1981.[6][7][8] With the increased commercial potential of basketball and the NBL evident, teams started to attract entrepreneurial owners and benefactors along with football clubs, such as Manchester United and Portsmouth, looking to replicate the multi-modal sporting club patented by European powerhouses such as Real Madrid and Barcelona.[9] In 1982, the NBL reached a broadcasting deal with newly launched television channel Channel 4, further increasing the visibility of the league to a national audience.[10] The NBL's upward commercial trajectory continued with the EBBA signing sponsorship agreements with major national companies such as Prudential Insurance, Bell's whisky and the Carlsberg Group, generating an estimated income of £1,196,000.[11] A joint venture company, Basketball Marketing Limited, was established in 1982[12] by the EBBA and team owners to market the league collectively to potential sponsors and share revenue from TV contracts; with the agreement that 40% of revenue was held by the EBBA and the remaining 60% shared between all member teams.[13][8]

In 1983, the Basketball Owners' Association (BOA) was established by owners of 9 different NBL teams to represent their interests[14] as internal conflict arose regarding the financial relationship between them and the EBBA. Kevin Routledge, a director at Leicester Riders, claimed at the time that "there was a feeling about men's clubs that insufficient emphasis was being given to them, particularly recognising that in terms of spectator, sponsorship and media appeal they were very much top of the heap."[15] The sentiment was echoed by Dave Elderkin, Manager of Sunderland 76ers, who noted that sponsorship revenue was divided between the EBBA's 650 member clubs, and though the Division 1 teams generated the most sponsorship they were only receiving a small fraction of the return; Sunderland were reportedly paid just £2,000 from central sponsorship earnings in 1986.[16]

By April 1986, still unsatisfied by the relationship with the EBBA, a contingent of team owners set forth to organise a breakaway competition, dubbed the British Basketball League.[17] The initiative was led by John Deacon, owner of Portsmouth, who had rallied support for the new league from fellow teams Bracknell Pirates, Crystal Palace, Edinburgh, Hemel Hempstead & Watford Royals, Kingston and Sunderland, with each team contributing a £5,000 entry fee. Not all teams were initially onboard with the new proposals however, as established names like Birmingham Bullets first rejected the move and opted to stay within the existing EBBA structure.[18] The EBBA established a Committee of Inquiry to conduct a review and establish the terms of the handover, and a new organisation – the Basketball League Limited – was formed by the team owners to oversee the operations of the new competition.[19]

The new organisation proposed commencing with a new 16-team league competition for the 1987–88 season, that would include the 13 existing teams of the NBL Division 1 along with two promoted teams from Division 2, plus Scottish champions Livingston and a possibility of future expansion into Scotland and Ireland.[16] Some reports also suggested Wales-based Rhondda were approached as a potential addition.[17] Additional proposals for the new league included prize money being awarded to competition winners, a new supplementary League Cup competition for member teams, and the removal of relegation between the new league and NBL Division 2 for the first two seasons, to encourage financial stability for its member teams; promotion would still be offered to the top two teams within Division 2, subject to financial and facility guarantees.[16][20] Furthermore, all member teams within the Basketball League Limited would be equal shareholders of the new organisation and be eligible to compete in European competitions, whilst the EBBA would retain disciplinary powers, appointment of match officials and remain completely in control of other competitions, such as the National Cup.[20]

Following the conclusion of the 1986–87 season, the EBBA signed a formal agreement with the Basketball League Limited, handing over full control and administration of the top national basketball competition to the new organisation. The agreement was signed at Old Trafford football stadium, home of Manchester United, whose basketball team would feature in the newly formed league. Signing the agreement to establish the new league was Keith Mitchell OBE and Mel Welch, President and Secretary of the EBBA respectively, along with John Deacon, Chairman of the Basketball League Limited, and John Barr, Treasurer of the new organisation.[21][22]

At official launch, the 16 confirmed teams to feature in the new league were announced as:[21]

The new league faced challenges from the off-set when Rhondda – the league's only Wales-based team – folded in August 1987, just weeks before the start of the new season. The sudden loss of a major sponsor meant the team were unable to finance the upcoming campaign, where they would compete against teams with budgets of up to £250,000.[23] London-based Brunel Crystal Palace also faced similar financial challenges during the off-season, searching for additional sponsors to cover their £100,000 outgoings.[24] Despite these setbacks, the fledging organisation did achieve some immediate commercial success; a new 3-year sponsorship agreement with the Carlsberg Group saw the new competition branded as the Carlsberg Basketball League, along with additional naming-rights deals for the postseason playoffs and the Tournament of Champions, both of which were also sponsored by Carlsberg.[25] The newly-established League Cup competition was branded as the NatWest Bank Trophy following a deal with National Westminster Bank.[26]

The EBBA's player import rules – where teams were restricted to having two foreign "import" players plus one "naturalised" British player – were carried over to the new competition. A small complication arose as the league also featured Scotland-based Livingston, and the ruling meant that English players would count as foreign players for teams based in Scotland.[27]

Early years and Kingston dominance (1987–1992)

[edit]

The first game of the new Carlsberg Basketball League and the 1987–88 season took place on 13 September 1987, when Scotland-based Livingston defeated Oldham Celtics, 98–81, at the Forum Arena in Livingston.[28] The former Scottish National League team went on to have a very successful season overall. Whilst Portsmouth were successful in retaining their national champions title in the inaugural league championship – continuing their success from the previous National Basketball League – they were soundly defeated by Livingston in both the Playoff Final (81–72) and NatWest Bank Trophy Final (96–91).

Early growth (1992–2002)

[edit]

The 1990s also saw a growth in popularity and commercialism within the league. Games were televised and the league picked up sponsors such as Peugeot, Lego, Playboy and Budweiser, while attendances at games also increased. The Manchester Giants opened the 1995–96 season in front of a record 14,251 fans at the Nynex Arena against the London Leopards, a record crowd for a basketball game in Great Britain. It stood until 2006, when the NBA started staging games at the O2 Arena in London.

London clubs dominated the league, with London Towers, Crystal Palace and the Greater London Leopards all sharing success in the mid-1990s. In 1999, a Conference format similar to the NBA was introduced, with clubs split North and South. The two Conference champions met in a Championship series to decide the champions for the next three years.

Tougher times (2002–2012)

[edit]

A single division format returned in 2002 and five different franchises won the Championship title in the five years after that. The new millennium, however, also saw a series of setbacks for the BBL. The collapse of ITV Digital cost the league financially, with many franchises struggling to recover from the lost revenue that the £21 million contract was providing. Long established franchises such as the Manchester Giants, Essex Leopards, Derby Storm, Thames Valley Tigers and Birmingham Bullets withdrew from the league, though new teams have been formed under the Giants and Leopards names. The membership crisis brought about the addition of new franchises such as Guildford Heat (formed by supporters of the defunct Thames Valley Tigers), and elected teams from the lower-tier English Basketball League, including the Plymouth Raiders. Both teams made a refreshing impact on the old boys, with the Heat qualifying for the Play-offs in their rookie season.

During the same season Newcastle won 30 of their 40 regular season league fixtures to clinch the Championship crown – the previous season saw the Eagles win 31 matches but lose out to Chester Jets in the final week, by just two points. That title was one of four pieces of silverware won during the dubbed "clean-sweep" season of 2005–06, the Eagles marching on to claim the BBL Cup, BBL Trophy and Playoff's – the complete set.

Resurgence, the 777 years, and current situation (2012–2024)

[edit]

The intervening years saw the perennial success of the Newcastle Eagles, the reemergence of the Leicester Riders as a dominant force in the domestic game, and the rise and fall of teams based in London, Birmingham, Liverpool, Essex, Durham and Worthing. Long term franchise Milton Keynes relocated to London, to become a 2012 Olympics legacy tenant at the Copper Box Arena, and a new incarnation of the famous Manchester Giants name re-entered the league in the same year.

The 2015 Playoffs Final took place at The O2 Arena, London, following a string of sell-out attendances at Wembley Arena between 2012 and 2014.[29] The event saw a record breaking crowd of 14,700.[30]

As of the 2016–17 BBL season Italian sportswear manufacturer Kappa have been the exclusive kit supplier for all teams, replacing a previous deal with Spalding.[31]

The past decade has seen sustained growth across the league, with the biggest advances in facilities. Some clubs have now built their own venues, including Newcastle, Leicester, Sheffield and Caledonia, and Manchester, Cheshire and Surrey and have moved into much improved facilities, while Plymouth, and the most recent election from the EBL, the Bristol Flyers, have announced plans for their own arenas. The 2018–19 season saw, for the first time in 11 years, British participation in European competition when Leicester competed in the Basketball Champions League and FIBA Europe Cup.

On 2 December 2021 the Miami-based investment firm 777 Partners bought 45.5% of the shares of the league. The company invested £7 million in the league, that also saw an organisational reform which included the appointment of a CEO.[32]

On 14 June 2024 British Basketball, the national governing body for basketball in the UK, terminated the league's licence,[33] meaning that the UK men's professional league would no longer be run by the current operating company behind the BBL. British Basketball cited financial concerns as a principal driver of the decision, and promised that interim measures would be put in place to ensure that a 2024/25 season takes place.

Teams

[edit]

Teams (final season)

[edit]
Team Location Arena Capacity Founded Joined
Bristol Flyers England Bristol SGS College Arena 750 2006 2014
Caledonia Gladiators Scotland East Kilbride Playsport Arena 1,800 1998*
Cheshire Phoenix England Ellesmere Port Cheshire Oaks Arena 1,400 1984 1991
Leicester Riders England Leicester Mattioli Arena 2,400 1967 1987
London Lions England London (Stratford) Copper Box Arena 6,000 1977* 1987
Manchester Giants England Manchester National Basketball Centre 2,000 2012
Newcastle Eagles England Newcastle upon Tyne Vertu Motors Arena 2,800 1976* 1987
Plymouth City Patriots England Plymouth Plymouth Pavilions 1,500 2021
Sheffield Sharks England Sheffield Canon Medical Arena 2,500 1991 1994
Surrey Scorchers England Guildford Surrey Sports Park 1,000 2005
class=notpageimage|
Locations of the 2023–24 BBL teams
Notes
  1. An asterisk (*) denotes a franchise move. See the respective team articles for more information.
  2. The Hemel & Watford Royals, Leicester City Riders and Sunderland 76ers were all participants in the previous top-flight league, the NBL, when it changed administration to the BBL in 1987.
  3. The Cheshire Jets and Sheffield Sharks were both promoted from the NBL in 1991 and 1994 respectively.
  4. Bristol Flyers (2014) have acquired a franchise licence to compete in the BBL, having previously competed in the EBL.

Expansion teams

[edit]

The most recent round of expansion took place in 2014 when the League admitted two teams, Bristol Flyers and Leeds Carnegie, into the organisation; an ill-fated application from a third team, Edinburgh-based East Scotland Warriors, was rejected at the final stages to concerns over its financial backing.[34] Plymouth City Patriots were admitted into the League for the 2021–22 season as a direct replacement for the Plymouth Raiders, who withdrew prior to the season starting.[35]

As of 2023, the League does not have any confirmed plans to introduce more teams in new cities or locations, however there are interested parties from Belfast, Birmingham, Cardiff, Dublin, Leeds and Liverpool looking at establishing a potential expansion franchise.[36] In 2022, media outlets also reported interest from a Birmingham-based consortium which included former NBA star and Hall of Famer, Hakeem Olajuwon,[37] as well as additional interest from the city of Edinburgh and NBL powerhouse Reading Rockets.[38][39] Of these interested cities, Birmingham, Edinburgh, Leeds and Liverpool have all, at some point in time, previously hosted a BBL team since 1987.

Former teams

[edit]
Main article: List of former British Basketball League teams

Corporate structure

[edit]

The league was an independent company owned by its member clubs and Miami-based investment firm 777 Partners, who bought 45.5% of the shares of the league, investing £7million, in December 2021. Each club, or franchise, now had an equal shareholding of 5.45%. The 8-person management board is made up of an independent chairperson, non-affiliated non-executives, Investor Directors and a minority representation of BBL Club Directors.[1] Sir Rodney Walker is the current elected chairperson.

On 14 June 2024 British Basketball, the national governing body for basketball in the UK, terminated the league's licence[33] citing financial concerns.

Chairs

[edit]

Competitions

[edit]

BBL Championship

[edit]
Main article: BBL Championship

The BBL Championship is the flagship competition of the British Basketball League and features all member teams playing a double round robin (home and away) league season,[40] from September through to April.[41] Matches are played according to FIBA rules and games consist of four-quarters of 10 minutes each. Two points are awarded for a win,[40] with overtime used if the score is tied at the final buzzer – unlimited numbers of 5-minute overtime periods are played until one team is ahead when a period ends. At the end of the regular season, the team with the most points is crowned as winners of the BBL Championship, and thus British Champions. If points are equal between two or more teams then head-to-head results between said teams are used to determine the winners. In the case of a tie between multiple teams where this does not break the tie, the winners are then determined by the points difference in the games between said teams.[42] Following the completion of the Championship regular season, the top eight ranked teams advance into the post-season Playoffs which usually take place during April.[43]

In the regular season, team schedules are not identical and neither are matchdays, with games scheduled mainly around venue availability. Because of this teams may find themselves playing a series of four or five home games consecutively followed by a straight set of away games. As the regular season is also particularly short many games are played over weekends as 'doubleheaders', whereby a team will play games (possibly a home and away game) on consecutive days, something that is not commonplace in British sports, although often seen in the National Basketball Association[citation needed] and other North American sports.

Playoffs

[edit]

The post-season Playoffs usually takes place in April, featuring the top eight ranked teams from the Championship regular season compete in a knockout tournament. Teams are seeded depending on their final positioning in the Championship standings, so first-place faces eighth-place, second versus seventh-place, third against sixth-place and finally fourth plays the fifth-placed team. Both the Quarterfinals and the succeeding Semifinals are played over a three-game series, with the higher seed getting two home games either side of the lower seeds home game. The team that wins two of the three games advances to the next round.[40][42] As with the Quarterfinals, teams in the Semifinals are also seeded, with the highest-ranking team drawn against the lowest-ranking team in one Semifinal and the two remaining teams drawn together in the other Semifinal. The culmination of the post-season is the grand Final, held at The O2 Arena in London, which sees the two Semi-final winners play a one-game event to determine the Playoff Champions.

BBL Cup

[edit]
Main article: BBL Cup

The BBL Cup emerged from a breakaway of the English Basketball Association-organised National Cup and was contested for the first time in the 2003–04 season, when Sheffield Sharks were the inaugural winners. Since the 2019–20 season, the competition has a group stage followed by a knockout stage. The group stage consists of the teams being split into north and south groups and within each playing a double round-robin system. The top 4 teams from each group are then seeded with 1st of each group playing 4th in the other and 3rd in each group playing 2nd in the other. The winner of the Aggregate score going through to the semi-final. The winner of the aggregate score of each match in the semi-final then goes through to the BBL Cup Final.[44] The Cup final is played at the Arena Birmingham in Birmingham, usually in early January.[45]

BBL Trophy

[edit]
Main article: BBL Trophy

The BBL Trophy traces its origins back to a previous competition known as the Anglo-Scottish Cup – and subsequently the British Master's Cup – which was founded in 1984 and was initially a competition between teams from both the English and Scottish leagues. Following the launch of the new British Basketball League administration in 1987 – who assumed control over the National Basketball League from the English Basketball Association – the British Master's Cup was scrapped and replaced with the newly formed League Trophy.[46] The Trophy competition has historically had a round-robin group stage format used for the first round, however the current competition is a knockout tournament with pairings drawn completely at random – there are no seeds, and a draw takes place after the majority of fixtures have been played in each round. As well as including all BBL member clubs, invited teams from the English Basketball League, and occasionally the Scottish Basketball League, often take part in the Trophy.[47] The Final is usually played in March at a neutral venue.[48]

European Competition

[edit]

In 2018, the Leicester Riders competed in Europe's third tier of continental basketball, the Basketball Champions League, losing in the first qualification round on aggregate to the Bakken Bears.[49] They became the first British team to compete in European competition since the Guildford Heat featured in the ULEB Cup during the 2007–08 season.

Following their elimination from the Basketball Champions League, the Leicester Riders played in the 2018–19 FIBA Europe Cup, Europe's fourth tier.[50][51]

To be eligible for entry into the Basketball Champions League or the FIBA Europe Cup, teams must play in arenas with a capacity of at least 2,000 people.[52]

Players

[edit]

Import players

[edit]

British Basketball League rules currently allow for each team to have a maximum of three "import" players – from outside of the European Union (EU) and require a work permit to play – whilst the remaining players on the roster must have citizenship of an EU country, either by birth or by naturalisation.[53] The current ruling was integrated at the beginning of the 2006–07 season, reverting from the previous law which allowed for up to four non-EU players on a roster, along with naturalised players.

New rules introduced for the 2012–13 season allow teams to field a maximum of five non-British players per game (including up to three work permitted players), further demonstrating the League's commitment towards developing British players.[54]

Salary cap

[edit]

Prior to the 2022–23 season, a "Team Payments Cap" limited teams to spend no more than £250,000 on player salaries per season with the aim of keeping overall costs down for the teams whilst also ensuring competitive balance. The Team Payments Cap was dropped in August 2022 as it was stated to hamper the growth of BBL teams playing in European competitions.[55]

Transfer regulations

[edit]

According to BBL rules, teams must field no more than six import (non-EU) players in any one season, though only three are allowed to be registered to a roster at any one time. Signings are allowed to be made throughout the pre-season and during the regular season until the league's transfer deadline on 28 February, or if during a leap year, the date is 29 February.

Notable players

[edit]

Note: Flags indicate national team eligibility at FIBA-sanctioned events. Players may hold other non-FIBA nationalities not displayed.

Criteria

To appear in this section a player must have either:

  • Set a club record or won an individual award while at the club
  • Played at least one official international match for their national team at any time
  • Played at least one official NBA match at any time.

Homegrown

Naturalised British

Rest of the World

Results

[edit]

Championship

[edit]

Present clubs

[edit]
Club Champions Runners-up Last league title
Newcastle Eagles 7 6 2014–15
Leicester Riders 6 4 2021–22
Sheffield Sharks 4 5 2002–03
London Lions 3 2 2023–24
Cheshire Phoenix[i] 2 2 2004–05
Surrey Scorchers[ii] 1 1 2006–07
Caledonia Gladiators[iii] 0 1 —
Bristol Flyers — — —
Manchester Giants — — —
Plymouth City Patriots — — —

Historical

[edit]
Season Champions Runners Up Third Place
1987–88 Portsmouth (1) Kingston Kings Murray Livingston
1988–89 Glasgow Rangers (1) Murray Livingston Bracknell Tigers
1989–90 Kingston Kings (1) Manchester Giants Sunderland 76ers
1990–91 Kingston Kings (2) Sunderland Saints Thames Valley Tigers
1991–92 Kingston Kings (3) Thames Valley Tigers Worthing Bears
1992–93 Worthing Bears (1) Thames Valley Tigers London Towers
1993–94 Thames Valley Tigers (1) Worthing Bears Manchester Giants
1994–95 Sheffield Sharks (1) Thames Valley Tigers London Towers
1995–96 London Towers (1) Sheffield Sharks Birmingham Bullets
1996–97 Leopards (1) London Towers Sheffield Sharks
1997–98 Leopards (2) Birmingham Bullets Newcastle Eagles
1998–99 Sheffield Sharks (2) Manchester Giants London Towers
Season North Champions North Runners Up South Champions South Runners Up
1999–00 Manchester Giants Sheffield Sharks London Towers Thames Valley Tigers
2000–01 Sheffield Sharks Chester Jets London Towers Greater London Leopards
2001–02 Chester Jets Sheffield Sharks London Towers Brighton Bears
Season Champions Runners Up Third Place
2002–03 Sheffield Sharks (3) Brighton Bears Chester Jets
2003–04 Brighton Bears (2) Sheffield Sharks London Towers
2004–05 Chester Jets (1) Newcastle Eagles London Towers
2005–06 Newcastle Eagles (1) Scottish Rocks Sheffield Sharks
2006–07 Guildford Heat (1) Sheffield Sharks Newcastle Eagles
2007–08 Newcastle Eagles (2) Guildford Heat Plymouth Raiders
2008–09 Newcastle Eagles (3) Mersey Tigers Leicester Riders
2009–10 Newcastle Eagles (4) Sheffield Sharks Glasgow Rocks
2010–11 Mersey Tigers (1) Newcastle Eagles Sheffield Sharks
2011–12 Newcastle Eagles (5) Leicester Riders Worcester Wolves
2012–13 Leicester Riders (1) Newcastle Eagles Glasgow Rocks
2013–14 Newcastle Eagles (6) Sheffield Sharks Worcester Wolves
2014–15 Newcastle Eagles (7) Leicester Riders Worcester Wolves
2015–16 Leicester Riders (2) Newcastle Eagles Sheffield Sharks
2016–17 Leicester Riders (3) Newcastle Eagles Glasgow Rocks
2017–18 Leicester Riders (4) London Lions Newcastle Eagles
2018–19 London Lions (1) Leicester Riders Newcastle Eagles
2019–20 Season cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic
2020–21 Leicester Riders (5) London Lions Plymouth Raiders
2021–22 Leicester Riders (6) Sheffield Sharks London Lions
2022–23 London Lions (2) Leicester Riders Bristol Flyers
2023–24 London Lions (3) Cheshire Phoenix Caledonia Gladiators

Playoff Finals

[edit]
Season Winner Score Runners-up Venue Most Valuable Player
1987–88 Livingston 81–72 Portsmouth Wembley Arena United Kingdom Graeme Hill
1988–89 Glasgow Rangers 89–86 Livingston National Exhibition Centre United States Alan Cunningham
1989–90 Kingston 87–82 Sunderland 76ers National Exhibition Centre United States Alan Cunningham
1990–91 Kingston 94–72 Sunderland Saints National Exhibition Centre United States Alton Byrd
1991–92 Kingston 84–67 Thames Valley Tigers Wembley Arena United States Russ Saunders
1992–93 Worthing Bears 75–74 Thames Valley Tigers Wembley Arena United States Cleave Lewis
1993–94 Worthing Bears 71–65 Guildford Kings Wembley Arena United States Colin Irish
1994–95 Worthing Bears 77–73 Manchester Giants Wembley Arena United States Alan Cunningham
1995–96 Birmingham Bullets 89–72 London Towers Wembley Arena United States Tony Dorsey
1996–97 London Towers 89–88 Leopards Wembley Arena United States Keith Robinson
1997–98 Birmingham Bullets 78–75 Thames Valley Tigers Wembley Arena United States Tony Dorsey
1998–99 London Towers 82–71 Thames Valley Tigers Wembley Arena United States Danny Lewis
1999–00 Manchester Giants 74–65 Birmingham Bullets Wembley Arena United States Tony Dorsey
2000–01 Leicester Riders 84–75 Chester Jets Wembley Arena United States Larry Johnson
2001–02 Chester Jets 93–82 Sheffield Sharks Wembley Arena United States John McCord
2002–03 Scottish Rocks 83–76 Brighton Bears National Indoor Arena Trinidad and Tobago Shawn Myers
2003–04 Sheffield Sharks 86–74 Chester Jets National Indoor Arena United States Lynard Stewart
2004–05 Newcastle Eagles 78–75 Chester Jets National Indoor Arena United Kingdom Drew Sullivan
2005–06 Newcastle Eagles 83–68 Scottish Rocks National Indoor Arena United States Fabulous Flournoy
2006–07 Newcastle Eagles 95–82 Scottish Rocks Metro Radio Arena United Kingdom Olu Babalola
2007–08 Guildford Heat 100–88 Milton Keynes Lions National Indoor Arena United States Daniel Gilbert
2008–09 Newcastle Eagles 87–84 Everton Tigers National Indoor Arena United States Trey Moore
2009–10 Everton Tigers 80–72 Glasgow Rocks National Indoor Arena United States Kevin Bell
2010–11 Mersey Tigers 79–74 Sheffield Sharks National Indoor Arena United Kingdom James Jones
2011–12 Newcastle Eagles 71–62 Leicester Riders National Indoor Arena United States Charles Smith
2012–13 Leicester Riders 68–57 Newcastle Eagles Wembley Arena United States Jay Cousinard
2013–14 Worcester Wolves 90–78 Newcastle Eagles Wembley Arena United States Zaire Taylor
2014–15 Newcastle Eagles 96–84 London Lions O2 Arena United States Rahmon Fletcher
2015–16 Sheffield Sharks 84–74 Leicester Riders O2 Arena Canada Mike Tuck
2016–17 Leicester Riders 84–63 Newcastle Eagles O2 Arena Sweden Pierre Hampton
2017–18 Leicester Riders 81–60 London Lions O2 Arena United States TrayVonn Wright
2018–19 Leicester Riders 93–61 London City Royals O2 Arena United States Timothy Williams
2020–21 Newcastle Eagles 68–66 London Lions Morningside Arena United States Cortez Edwards
2021–22 Leicester Riders 78–75 London Lions O2 Arena United States Geno Crandall
2022–23 London Lions 88–80 Leicester Riders O2 Arena United States Jordan Taylor
2023–24 London Lions 88–85 Cheshire Phoenix O2 Arena United States Sam Dekker

Honours board

[edit]
Rank Team Wins RU Wins RU Wins RU Wins RU Wins RU
BBL Championship BBL Playoffs BBL Cup BBL Trophy Total
1 Newcastle Eagles 7 6 7 5 7 4 7 4 28 19
2 Leicester Riders 6 4 6 3 4 5 3 4 19 16
3 Guildford Kings† 4 1 4 1 4 0 3 1 15 3
4 Sheffield Sharks 4 6 2 3 6 2 2 2 14 13
5 Cheshire Phoenix 2 2 1 3 2 2 6 3 11 10
6 London Towers† 4 1 2 1 1 1 3 2 10 5
7 London Lions 3 2 2 5 3 1 1 4 9 12
8 Brighton Bears† 2 3 3 1 3 1 0 3 8 8
9 Thames Valley Tigers† 1 4 0 4 2 3 4 0 7 11
10 Mersey Tigers† 1 1 2 1 1 1 1 0 5 3
11 Surrey Scorchers 1 1 1 0 1 0 1 2 4 3
12 Manchester Giants† 1 2 1 1 0 2 1 4 3 9
13 Essex Leopards† 2 1 0 1 2 0 0 0 3 4
14 Worcester Wolves† 0 0 1 0 1 1 1 0 3 1
15 Caledonia Gladiators 0 1 1 3 0 4 1 1 2 9
16 Livingston† 0 1 1 0 0 0 1 1 2 3
17 Birmingham Bullets† 0 1 2 1 0 1 0 0 2 3
18 Plymouth Raiders† 0 0 0 0 0 2 1 3 1 5
19 Portsmouth† 1 0 0 1 0 1 0 0 1 3
20 London City Royals† 0 0 0 1 0 0 1 0 1 1
21 Derby Storm† 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 1
22 Solent Kestrels 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 1
23 Bristol Flyers 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 1
24 Manchester Giants 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 1

*Note: † Defunct club.

*Note: This is a ranking of all BBL clubs titles won both throughout BBL history and including pre-BBL titles.

*Note: Manchester Giants refers to the first franchise with this name rather than the current franchise of the same name.

Soruce: Honours board


Media coverage

[edit]

Basketball receives little national press coverage in the United Kingdom, although coverage is more extensive from the local newspapers in cities where BBL clubs are based, with publications such as The Plymouth Herald, Manchester Evening News, Leicester Mercury and the Newcastle Chronicle all having dedicated basketball reporters who cover the respective local team. Some national newspapers list results and occasionally provide short summaries of the League's news, but more extensive coverage remains minimal.

The history of television coverage of the BBL has been sporadic. Previously the League enjoyed coverage from Channel 4 in the 1980s and Sky Sports from 1995 to 2001, where audiences peaked at around 150,000 viewers.[56] The League signed a three-year broadcast deal with the ill-fated digital TV company ITV Digital in 2001, and coverage suffered a sharp decline as the broadcaster struggled and eventually went out of business, resulting in a significant loss of income to member clubs.[57] Television coverage was then infrequent until the 2007–08 season, when international broadcaster Setanta Sports signed a deal to screen one live game a week.[58] In 2010, the League agreed a broadcast rights deal with Sky Sports, marking the return of BBL action on Sky Sports after a 9-year gap.[59] The League's own subscription-based online TV station, BBL TV, took over the broadcast of live games from 2013 to 2015, and during the 2013–14 season match highlights were also televised and featured on British Eurosport each week.[60]

In July 2016, the league signed a two-year broadcast deal with the BBC, featuring both British Basketball League and Women's British Basketball League games. The games would be broadcast on the BBC Sport website with the showpiece finals also being broadcast on the BBC Red Button.[61] Alongside the BBC deal, a six-year deal with Perform was signed[62] which saw every BBL game broadcast via LiveBasketball.TV,[63] and a deal followed a year later with UNILAD to broadcast one game a week live via Facebook.[64] FreeSports signed a deal with the league in January 2018 to broadcast games for the remainder of the season, starting with the BBL Cup Final between Worcester Wolves and Cheshire Phoenix.

In November 2020, coverage of the league returned to Sky Sports in a new two-year deal which sees Sky broadcasting 30 games per season, including BBL Trophy Final, BBL Cup Final and BBL Playoffs.[65] This has been extended to cover the 2022/23 season.

During the 2023–24 season of the BBL, NESN aired BBL matches in the US.[66]

Awards

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See also

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Notes

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  1. ^ as Cheshire Jets
  2. ^ as Guildford Heat
  3. ^ as Scottish Rocks

References

[edit]
  1. ^ a b "British Basketball League". BBL. 4 November 2016. Retrieved 8 November 2016.
  2. ^ "ULEB Union des Ligues Européenes de Basket-ball". Uleb.com. Archived from the original on 8 December 2013. Retrieved 8 November 2016.
  3. ^ "Women's British Basketball League launched". EnglandBasketball.co.uk. 2014. Archived from the original on 6 June 2014. Retrieved 5 June 2014.
  4. ^ Ryan Ferguson (1 May 2020). "Formation of basketballscotland". ryanferguson.co.uk. Retrieved 22 July 2024.
  5. ^ "Formation of basketballscotland". basketballscotland.co.uk. 2022. Retrieved 22 July 2024.
  6. ^ Amateur Basket Ball Association Annual Report, 1971-1972
  7. ^ English Basket Ball Association Annual Report, 1980-81, p.2
  8. ^ a b "The development of basketball in England: an analysis of the importance of funding since the start of the National Basketball League in 1972". Retrieved 22 July 2024.
  9. ^ "The inside story of United's 1980's basketball team". manutd.com. 23 June 2023. Retrieved 22 July 2024.
  10. ^ "Part One (1982–1992): "Suddenly The Refrigerator Was a Bigger Name Than Gary Lineker" : Off The Telly". Retrieved 23 January 2019.
  11. ^ John Bale; Joseph Maguire (1994). The Global Sports Arena: Athletic Talent Migration in an Interpendent World. Routledge. p. 237. ISBN 9780714641164. Retrieved 22 July 2024.
  12. ^ "New post for boss Hope". Coventry Evening Telegraph. Coventry. 27 October 1982. p. 21.
  13. ^ "Europe place in doubt". Leicester Mercury. Leicester. 23 July 1984. p. 32.
  14. ^ John Bale; Joseph Maguire (1994). The Global Sports Arena: Athletic Talent Migration in an Interpendent World. Routledge. p. 245. ISBN 9780714641164. Retrieved 22 July 2024.
  15. ^ "Leicester City Riders Match Day Programme vs. Gateshead (17 October 1987) and vs. Derby (21 October 1987)". 17 October 1987. Retrieved 22 July 2024.
  16. ^ a b c "Defiant 76ers boosted by new league". Sunday Sun (Newcastle). Sunderland. 15 February 1987. p. 46.
  17. ^ a b "It's a 'war'!". Rhondda Leader. Rhondda. 24 April 1986. p. 36.
  18. ^ "Bullets 'no' to breakaway". Birmingham Daily News. Birmingham. 23 April 1986. p. 18.
  19. ^ "Basketball clubs to take over". Leicester Mercury. Leicester. 27 June 1986. p. 52.
  20. ^ a b Russell Kempson (14 February 1987). "A whole new ball game". Reading Evening Post. Reading. p. 32.
  21. ^ a b "Basketball". Uxbridge & W. Drayton Gazette. London. 13 May 1987. p. 23.
  22. ^ "New league is finally sealed". Esher News & Mail. 6 May 1987. p. 10.
  23. ^ "No sponsor to take on basketball". Rhondda Leander. Rhondda. 6 August 1987. p. 22.
  24. ^ "Poser for Palace". Croydon Advertiser and East Surrey Reporter. Croydon. 21 August 1987. p. 21.
  25. ^ Evan Samuel (27 August 1987). "Riders travel". Leicester Daily Mercury. Leicester. p. 60.
  26. ^ Evan Samuel (20 January 1988). "Riders out to build home lead". Leicester Mercury. Leicester. p. 32.
  27. ^ "Rangers face foreigners row". Aberdeen Evening Express. Aberdeen. 5 May 1988. p. 16.
  28. ^ Simon Parker (17 September 1987). "Celtics put up a gallant fight". Oldham Advertiser. Oldham. p. 36.
  29. ^ "2015 British Basketball League Play-Off Final to take place at the O2 - BBL - British Basketball League". Archived from the original on 5 January 2018. Retrieved 9 December 2016.
  30. ^ "Record BBL crowd at the O2 attracts global interest - BBL - British Basketball League". Archived from the original on 5 January 2018. Retrieved 9 December 2016.
  31. ^ "Kappa poised to dominate basketball apparel in UK from 2016-17 - BBL - British Basketball League". Archived from the original on 2 March 2018. Retrieved 10 December 2016.
  32. ^ "BBL and 777 Partners agree £7 million investment deal". British Basketball League. 20 December 2021. Retrieved 9 August 2022.
  33. ^ a b "British Basketball Federation terminates league licence". GB Basketball. 14 June 2024. Retrieved 18 June 2024.
  34. ^ "Surrey to strengthen; Warriors out". MVP24-7. Retrieved 2 March 2024.
  35. ^ "Plymouth confirmed to compete in 2021-22 season". 30 July 2021.
  36. ^ "British Basketball League wants to 'set right foundation' for new teams to succeed". SportsProMedia. Retrieved 2 March 2024.
  37. ^ "Investment group looking to establish BBL franchise in Birmingham". HoopsFix. Retrieved 2 March 2024.
  38. ^ "Sheffield Sharks left flying the Yorkshire flag in BBL expansion plans". Yorkshire Post. Retrieved 2 March 2024.
  39. ^ "BBL Application Update". ReadingRockets.co.uk. Retrieved 2 March 2024.
  40. ^ a b c "British Basketball League". BBL. 10 July 2019. Retrieved 9 January 2020.
  41. ^ "British Basketball League". BBL. 4 November 2016. Retrieved 8 November 2016.
  42. ^ a b "British Basketball League". BBL. 10 July 2019. Retrieved 9 January 2020.
  43. ^ "British Basketball League". BBL. 4 November 2016. Retrieved 8 November 2016.
  44. ^ "BBL Cup". BBL.org.uk. 10 July 2019. Retrieved 9 January 2020.
  45. ^ "BBL Cup". BBL.org.uk. 2012. Retrieved 16 September 2012.
  46. ^ Page 29 British Basketball League 1996/97 Handbook
  47. ^ "BBL Cup, Trophy draws made". MVP24-7.com. 2012. Retrieved 16 September 2012.
  48. ^ "BBL Trophy". BBL.org.uk. 2012. Retrieved 18 September 2012.
  49. ^ "Leicester Riders Fall to Bakken Bears". Leicester Riders. 22 September 2018. Retrieved 9 October 2018.
  50. ^ "FIBA Europe Cup Games Confirmed & Tickets On Sale". Leicester Riders. 30 September 2018. Retrieved 9 October 2018.
  51. ^ "Eight Teams Join FIBA Europe Cup from Basketball Champions League". FIBA. 24 September 2018. Retrieved 9 October 2018.
  52. ^ "Powered by Google Docs". Archived from the original on 10 November 2012. Retrieved 10 November 2012.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)
  53. ^ Richard Spiller (2008). "Heat off to winning start". getSurrey.co.uk. Retrieved 8 November 2010.
  54. ^ "Frequently Asked Questions". BBL.org.uk. 2012. Retrieved 19 September 2012.
  55. ^ "British Basketball League removes Team Payments Cap". Eurohoops.net. 10 July 2022. Retrieved 9 August 2022.
  56. ^ Richard Taylor (8 September 1998). "How Murdoch has changed the face of British sport". The Independent. London. Retrieved 11 December 2009.
  57. ^ "Jets count cost of digital crash". Chester Chronicle. 23 January 2004.
  58. ^ Mark Woods (2008). "Basketball back on the box". Sunday Mail. Retrieved 17 February 2008.
  59. ^ "British Basketball League". BBL. 4 November 2016. Retrieved 8 November 2016.
  60. ^ "Sky falls in for BBL TV coverage". MVP247.com. Retrieved 23 September 2013.
  61. ^ "Thirty-two BBL and WBBL games to be broadcast live on BBC Sport | BBL". bbl.org.uk. Archived from the original on 4 January 2018. Retrieved 9 December 2016.
  62. ^ "BBL and Perform sign major media deal | BBL". bbl.org.uk. Archived from the original on 12 November 2017. Retrieved 9 December 2016.
  63. ^ "All BBL games now available via LiveBasketball.TV. | BBL". bbl.org.uk. Archived from the original on 12 November 2017. Retrieved 9 December 2016.
  64. ^ "BBL Announce Deal with UniLad for Weekly Facebook Stream". hoopsfix.com. 28 September 2017.
  65. ^ "British Basketball League returns to Sky Sports". bbl.org.uk. 13 November 2020. Retrieved 7 December 2020.
  66. ^ Williams, Callum (20 October 2023). "NESN to broadcast British Basketball League in the US". Insider Sports. Retrieved 29 January 2024.
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