1996–97 British Basketball League Season
The 1996–97 BBL season was known as the Budweiser League for sponsorship reasons. The league retained a total of 13 teams, playing 36 games each. The main change featured the return of Crystal Palace after several seasons of rejected applications. Palace replaced Doncaster Panthers following the liquidation of the South Yorkshire club. The League's two London-based teams dominated throughout the season, with the Leopards team claiming their first silverware in its franchise history after winning the Budweiser League and Sainsbury's Classic Cola Cup double. Their Capital foes, London Towers were equally successful throughout the campaign, clinching the 7 Up Trophy and pipping Leopards to the play-off title, with a one-point victory in the final at Wembley Arena against their rivals. Budweiser League Championship (Tier 1) Final standings Playoffs Quarter-finals (1) Leopards vs. (8) Leicester Riders (2) London Towers vs. (7) Newcastle Eagles (3) Sheffiel ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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British Basketball League
The British Basketball League (BBL) was a men's professional basketball sports league, 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 Franchising, 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 and a chairman was elected by the teams to oversee operations. The League offices were located in Leicester where the country's oldest team, the Leicester Riders, is also based. The BBL sat above the English National Basketball League (England), N ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Chester Jets
The Cheshire Phoenix are an English professional basketball team based in Ellesmere Port, Cheshire. Founded in 1984, they are members of the Super League Basketball and play their home games at the Cheshire Oaks Arena. From 1993 until 2015 the team was based in Chester, where they enjoyed their most success. Under previous ownership, the team was known as Cheshire Jets, but due to financial difficulties the franchise was withdrawn from the League in November 2012 and reformed as the Phoenix. The team's head coach is Ben Thomas. The Phoenix have won two BBL championships, one BBL playoffs, two BBL Cups, and six BBL Trophies. Home games of the Phoenix are played in the Cheshire Oaks Arena, which holds capacity for a maximum of 1,400 people. Franchise history Origin The team was first formed from the ruins of the Ellesmere Port team, the St Saviour's in 1984. The team was initially named after their sponsors 'Motocraft Centre Ellesmere Port'. However, after the loss of their spo ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Plymouth Raiders
Plymouth Raiders are a basketball team based in Plymouth, England, currently competing in Division 3 of the National Basketball League (England), National Basketball League. Founded in 1983 through a merger between two local basketball clubs, Raiders were a formidable force within the National Basketball League throughout the 1990s and early 2000s, winning no less than six national trophies between 1996 and 2004 including three National Basketball League Play-off titles, two Division 1 league titles and the English National Cup (basketball), National Cup in 2004. After years of dominating the second-tier National Basketball League (later rebranded to English Basketball League in 2003), the Raiders moved to the franchise-based professional British Basketball League (BBL) in 2004, playing amongst the United Kingdom's elite teams. Their only silverware (sport), silverware in the top-tier came in 2007, winning the BBL Trophy, though the team would reach three further BBL Trophy fin ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Ware Rebels
The Essex & Herts Leopards were an English semi-professional basketball club, based in Brentwood, Essex and St Albans, Hertfordshire. The Leopards competed in Division 1 of the English Basketball League. The team was established in 1997 as Ware Fire, but following the demise and eventual closure of the former British Basketball League franchise Essex Leopards in 2003, a supporters group known as 'Leopards Alive' merged with the Ware-based club and rebranded the team as Essex & Herts Leopards in 2004. Franchise history Basketball in Ware For much of the 1990s the town of Ware in Hertfordshire was home to National League (NBL) basketball following the arrival of the original Rebels franchise, who moved from Watford in 1991. The Rebels team consistently finished in the top three of NBL Division 1 and were crowned Champions in 1997, after finishing two points ahead of Plymouth Raiders with an overall record of 21 wins and 5 losses. Following their most successful season, the team ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Tony Windless
Tony Windless (born October 14, 1969) is an American retired professional basketball player with a notable career stretching over a decade in the British Basketball League. A big time player, over the years Tony has collected every honour in the game and is often touted as one of the greatest players to grace the British leagues. The 6ft5 small forward began his pro career in 1994 when he signed for the London Towers, after attending Georgia Southern University. His debut for Towers came on November 11 in a home game against Leicester Riders, and after many more successful appearances during the 1994–95 season, Windless was elected to the All-Star game and made the final BBL All-Star Team, the first of many more accolades. His three-season spell at the Towers would be his most successful throughout his career. The 1995–96 season saw the beginning of the trophy spree, when Windless helped the Towers to a 70–58 National Cup final victory against the Sheffield Sharks, on th ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Danny Lewis (basketball)
Danny Lewis (born June 21, 1970) is an American-English former basketball player. He played the point guard position. In 2001-02 he was named to the Israeli Basketball Premier League Quintet. Biography Lewis is from Kalamazoo, Michigan. He is a nephew of former NBA player Reggie Lewis, who played for the Boston Celtics."LTi 46ers verpflichten Danny Lewis," February 21, 2008. He also became a in 2000. Lewis is tall, and weighs . He attended and played basketball for [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Manchester Giants (1989–2001)
The Manchester Giants were a British professional basketball team based in Manchester, England. The franchise was established in 2011, and admitted to the top-tier British Basketball League in 2012. The team's formation was led by a consortium headed by Graham Herstell. History Plans for a new Manchester-based British Basketball League franchise were first reported in spring 2011, initially with the city's English Basketball League outfit, Manchester Magic (headed by former NBA star John Amaechi), mooted as a possible candidate. However, after no formal bid was made, Graham Herstell put together a consortium to start a new professional basketball franchise and revive the Giants brand. A formal application to join the top-tier British Basketball League was made in January 2012, which was accepted and officially announced on 19 June, joining fellow new franchise East London Royals for the 2012–13 season. It was also announced that the new team would use the 900-seat capa ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Leopards (basketball)
The leopard (''Panthera pardus'') is one of the five extant cat species in the genus ''Panthera''. It has a pale yellowish to dark golden fur with dark spots grouped in rosettes. Its body is slender and muscular reaching a length of with a long tail and a shoulder height of . Males typically weigh , and females . The leopard was first described in 1758, and several subspecies were proposed in the 19th and 20th centuries. Today, eight subspecies are recognised in its wide range in Africa and Asia. It initially evolved in Africa during the Early Pleistocene, before migrating into Eurasia around the Early–Middle Pleistocene transition. Leopards were formerly present across Europe, but became extinct in the region at around the end of the Late Pleistocene-early Holocene. The leopard is adapted to a variety of habitats ranging from rainforest to steppe, including arid and montane areas. It is an opportunistic predator, hunting mostly ungulates and primates. It relies on its ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Hemel & Watford Royals
London Lions are a British professional basketball team based in Stratford, East London, England, and compete in the Super League Basketball (SLB). The team was originally founded in 1977 as the Hemel Hempstead Lakers. Following an ownership take over by Vince Macaulay in 1993, the club subsequently relocated to Watford, and then Milton Keynes, where they were known as Milton Keynes Lions. It was in Milton Keynes that the team won its first silverware in 2008, the BBL Cup. The Lions relocated to London in 2012 and play its home games at the Copper Box Arena in the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park, as well as occasional EuroCup matches at Wembley Arena. The Lions were purchased by 777 Partners in 2020, ending Macaulay's 27-year tenure of ownership. After the threat of bankruptcy following the end of the 2023–24 season, the club was rescued for the 2024–25 season under the ownership of Tesonet, minority shareholders of BC Žalgiris. History Hemel Hempstead Lakers The club i ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Worthing Bears
Brighton Bears were a British basketball team based in Brighton, Sussex. From 1984 to 1999 the club was known as the Worthing Bears and was based in the town of Worthing, 12 miles west of Brighton. The Bears played in the top-flight British Basketball League (BBL) until 2006 when the franchise folded. The final season was notable for the signing of former NBA star Dennis Rodman, who played three games for the Bears. The league's franchise for the Brighton-area, originally put on hold, was intended to be occupied by the Brighton Cougars from the 2008–09 season but the Cougars bid was rejected, with the league favouring rival candidate Worthing Thunder Worthing Thunder is a British professional basketball, based in Worthing, West Sussex, England. They compete in the National Basketball League (England), National Basketball League (NBL) and has played their home games at the Worthing Leisure Ce .... Season-by-season records Notes: *From 1999 to 2002, the BBL operated a ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Thames Valley Tigers
Thames Valley Tigers was a British professional basketball team that competed in the British Basketball League (BBL) until 2005, when funding was ceased and the franchise folded. Based in Bracknell, Berkshire, the team's fans set up a new team to replace the Tigers and a month later the Guildford Heat was born. Playing in the nearby town of Guildford, at the Spectrum complex, the team started the 2005–06 British Basketball League season with many of the former Tigers players. Franchise history The franchise originally started out as the Southern Pirates, playing out of the city of Portsmouth, however they were soon moved inland in 1975 to the town of Guildford, following their coach, Brian Naysmith who had been appointed Director of Sport at the University of Surrey. The name Southern Pirates was retained at first before being renamed Guildford Pirates. In the 1978–79 season Guildford Pirates were champions of the Second Division of the National Basketball League and acc ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Derby Storm
Derby Storm was a former British Basketball League (BBL) franchise from the city of Derby, Derbyshire. The team decided to sit out the 2002–03 season after failing to find a suitable venue for home games. Despite early efforts for a new arena, the franchise never returned to playing action. Founded in 1984 as the Derby Turbos later changed to Derby Rams in 1985. (which NBA head coach Nick Nurse was a player/coach), the team was a founder member of the franchise-based professional BBL when it was set up in 1987. Another name change took place in 1991, becoming the Derby Bucks, and in 1993 the franchise withdrew from the BBL due to financial problems, but was "rescued" and allowed to re-enter before the new season began. Future Toronto Raptors coach and NBA championship winner Nick Nurse coached here in 1990. The team became known as the Derby Storm in 1995 and was the first British basketball Basketball is a team sport in which two teams, most commonly of five players ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |