# 1979–80 National Basketball League season

The 1979–80 Rotary Watches National Basketball League season was the eighth season of the National Basketball League.
The league was sponsored by Rotary Watches for the second consecutive year and Crystal Palace won an unprecedented treble of League, Playoffs and National Cup. Crystal Palace were helped by Alton Byrd, who would become the best known name in British basketball and pick up the season MVP award.

## Team changes

Malcolm Chamberlain, the owner of the London Metros uprooted the team, relocating from London to Kingston upon Thames and the Tolworth Recreation Centre, rebranding as Kingston. With their added sponsorship they would be known as Kelly Girls International Kingston. Guildford Pirates, the NBL Division 2 champions, joined the league and following a sponsorship deal would be Team Talbot, Guildford. Runners-up Hemel Hempstead also joined the league and would be known as Hemel Hempstead Ovaltine playing at Bletchley Leisure Centre. The Blackpool Pacemakers completed the newcomers to the league. The Milton Keynes All-Stars, Loughborough All-Stars, Exeter St Lukes TSB and Bracknell Bullets all dropped out.

## National League standings
### Division One

| Pos | Team | P | W | L | F | A | Pts |
| 1 | Crystal Palace Chevrons | 18 | 18 | 0 | 1936 | 1498 | 36 |
| 2 | Doncaster Ziebart Panthers | 18 | 14 | 4 | 1751 | 1673 | 28 |
| 3 | Coventry Team Fiat | 18 | 14 | 4 | 1788 | 1644 | 28 |
| 4 | Hemel Hempstead Ovaltine | 18 | 12 | 6 | 1686 | 1634 | 24 |
| 5 | Kelly Girls International Kingston | 18 | 10 | 8 | 1836 | 1702 | 20 |
| 6 | Sunderland Sunblest | 18 | 9 | 9 | 1672 | 1683 | 18 |
| 7 | Stockport Belgrade | 18 | 5 | 13 | 1763 | 1874 | 9 |
| 8 | Manchester ATS Giants | 18 | 3 | 15 | 1533 | 1754 | 6 |
| 9 | Blackpool Pacemakers | 18 | 3 | 15 | 1612 | 1839 | 6 |
| 10 | Team Talbot, Guildford Pirates | 18 | 2 | 16 | 1592 | 1873 | 4 |

### Division Two

| Pos | Team | P | W | L | F | A | Pts |
| 1 | Nottingham | 14 | 11 | 3 | 1269 | 1155 | 22 |
| 2 | Camden & Hampstead | 14 | 11 | 3 | 1449 | 1327 | 22 |
| 3 | Leeds Larsen Lions | 14 | 11 | 3 | 1346 | 1218 | 22 |
| 4 | Brighton | 14 | 8 | 6 | 1332 | 1290 | 16 |
| 5 | Exeter St Lukes | 14 | 7 | 7 | 1311 | 1287 | 14 |
| 6 | Team Hemeling Birmingham | 14 | 3 | 11 | 1334 | 1467 | 6 |
| 7 | Plymouth Panasonic | 14 | 3 | 11 | 1261 | 1396 | 6 |
| 8 | Brunel Ducks | 14 | 2 | 12 | 1253 | 1435 | 4 |

## Rotary Watches playoffs
### Semi-finals

| venue & date | Team 1 | Team 2 | Score |
| March 14, Wembley Arena | Doncaster Ziebart Panthers | Coventry Team Fiat | 84-100 |
| March 14, Wembley Arena | Crystal Palace Chevrons | Hemel Hempstead Ovaltine | 98-75 |

### Third Place

| venue & date | Team 1 | Team 2 | Score |
| March 15, Wembley Arena | Doncaster Ziebart Panthers | Hemel Hempstead Ovaltine | 84-75 |

### Final

* 15 March
| Crystal Palace Chevrons | 93–85 | Coventry Team Fiat |
| Pts: Mark Saiers 26 | | Pts: Greg White (MVP) 38 |
* Wembley Arena

## Butlins National Cup Final

* 25 January 1980
| Crystal Palace Chevrons | 97–67 | Doncaster Ziebart Panthers |
| Pts: Peter Jeremich 21, Mark Saiers 17 | | |
* Concord Sports Centre, Sheffield Attendance: 1,500