British Basketball League | Basketball Wiki | Fandom powered by Wikia The British Basketball League, often abbreviated to the BBL, is the premier men's professional basketball league in the United Kingdom. The BBL runs two knockout competitions alongside the league championship; the BBL Cup and the BBL Trophy. The BBL is not to be confused with the English Basketball League (EBL) or the Scottish Basketball League (SBL), which effectively form the second tier of British basketball. There is currently no promotion or relegation between the EBL, SBL and BBL because of the franchise system in use in the BBL, although Plymouth Raiders , Worcester Wolves and Durham Wildcats amongst others have all been elected from the EBL in recent years. The league currently consists of 12 teams with representation from both England and Scotland. The 2011 Champions were Mersey Tigers , while Guildford Heat were the league's most recent representatives in Europe, competing in the ULEB Cup during the 2007-08 season . Member franchises of the BBL jointly own the league, and a chairman is elected by the teams to oversee league operations. The current Chairman is Paul Blake , the Managing Director of Newcastle Eagles.

The head offices are located in Leicester, where the country's oldest team, the Leicester Riders is also based. Contents History 1980s: Elite establishment The British Basketball League burst onto the British hoops scene in 1987 as the game's foremost clubs opted for a franchise-based competition without promotion or relegation. Seeking to improve the sport's image through greater professionalism, the BBL fast became the benchmark for quality competition in the UK. In 1988 Portsmouth emerged from the pack to clinch the inaugural BBL Championship title but the following year saw the famous Kingston Kings side of the late 80s and early 90s win the first of three back-to-back league crowns. 1990s: Television, sponsors and crowds flood in The 1990s also saw an exciting growth in popularity and commercialism of the league. Television crews and exciting sponsors such as Peugeot, Lego, Playboy and Budweiser came flooding in, as did the crowds.

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 that stood for a basketball game until 2006 when the NBA started staging pre-season games at the O2. London Towers , Crystal Palace and the Greater London Leopards ushered in an era of capital success in the mid-1990s and in 1999 a Conference format was introduced, which was mirrored by the NBL the following season. For three seasons the cream of the north and the south followed an American-style system with London Towers invincible in the South. 2000s: The millennium slump A single-league BBL returned in 2002 and five different franchises have won the Championship title in the five years since. However the new millennium also saw a series of downfalls for the BBL. The collapse of ITV Digital cost the league dear, with many franchises struggling to recover from the lost revenue that the £21 million contract was providing.

Long established franchises such as the Giants , the Leopards , Derby Storm , Thames Valley Tigers and Birmingham Bullets have all dropped out in the years since, never to be seen again. The membership crisis brought about the addition of new franchises such as Guildford Heat (Formed by fans of the defunct Thames Valley Tigers) and elected teams from the lower-tier English Basketball League , like the Plymouth Raiders , both making a refreshing impact on the old boys, with the Heat qualifying for the post season playoffs in 2005-06 , their rookie season. During the same season Newcastle won 30 of their 40 regular season league fixtures to clinch the League 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 2005-2006 , the Eagles marching on to claim the BBL Cup , BBL Trophy and Playoff's - the complete set.

Guildford Heat, only in their second season in 2006-2007 , stole the headlines by storming to their first League title coupled with the BBL Cup , to mark a historic moment for the young club and its fans. Plymouth Raiders also put themselves on the map by overcoming their underdog tags to beat Newcastle on their own court in the BBL Trophy final, their first silverware as a BBL team. Newcastle managed to redeem themselves at the very end, after a poor season, by their standards, by claiming the Playoff title against rivals Scottish Rocks . The future League chairman and Newcastle Managing Director Paul Blake is marketing the game at home and abroad, and after successfully gaining representation in the ULEB Cup with Guildford Heat's appearance in 2007-08 the league is slowly recovering from a low ebb. There is a strong emphasis on recruiting and developing homegrown talent with a view to supporting Team GB 's London 2012 medal bid. With British NBA star Luol Deng committing to the team [1] and various other stars eligible to also play for Britain, including Ben Gordon , Pops Mensah-Bonsu , and Joel Freeland .

[2] Champions Competition format Regular season The regular season of the Championship, which runs from October to April, operates as a league format . Teams play each other on three occasions throughout the season, resulting in a thirty-three game campaign for each team, meeting each of their counterparts once at home, once away, and once home or away in the 12-team league structure. [3] Matches are played according to FIBA rules and games consist of four quarters of 10 minutes each. Two points are awarded for a win, [3] with the game going into overtime 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. In the league 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 and other American sports. Following the completion of the Championship regular season, the top eight placed teams advance into the post-season Play-offs which usually take place during April. [4] Play-offs The post-season Play-offs sees the top eight teams from the Championship regular season advance into a knockout competition starting with the Quarter-finals. Teams are seeded dependent on their final positioning within the regular season league 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 Quarter-finals and the succeeding Semi-finals are played over a two-game series (home & away) with the higher seed having choice of home advantage in the either the 1st or 2nd leg - aggregate scores will determine the victors. [3] [5] The culmination of the post-season is the grand final, which sees the two Semi-final winners play a one-game event to determine the eventual victors of the Play-offs.

Traditionally held during the final weekend of April, the showpiece event is held at the National Indoor Arena in Birmingham. [5] Other competitions Main article: BBL Cup The BBL Cup is one of two peripheral competitions operated by the BBL during the regular season. The tournament emerged from a breakaway of the National Cup and was contested for the first time in 2003-04 , when Sheffield Sharks were the inaugural winners. It is a pure knockout competition comprising all 13 BBL clubs, with the final hosted at the prestigious National Indoor Arena in Birmingham , usually in early January. The current holders are the Everton Tigers , after their 103-49 victory rout over the Plymouth Raiders on January 18, 2009. It was a historic event for both teams appearing in their first BBL Cup Final, notable for Raiders finishing with the lowest points total ever recorded in a BBL Cup Final and also for losing by the biggest margin in those finals, with a gap of 54. BBL Trophy Main article: BBL Trophy The BBL Trophy started out as the Anglo-Scottish Cup in 1985 was initially a competition between teams from both the English and Scottish leagues.

It was rebranded as the League Trophy in 1987 following the reorganisation and amalgamation of the leagues. The tournament begins with a regional group format and comprises all 13 BBL clubs plus 3 teams from the EBL . The winners of each group go through to play each other in a two-legged Semi-final, with the two winners then going on to the Final, which is hosted by the winner of the previous years competition. European Competition There are three tiers of trans European competition, taking into account not only the performance of clubs within their national league, but also the arena sizes, attendance and television revenues. Starting with the 2012-13 season, to compete in the first tier Euroleague competition, clubs must play in arenas with capacities of at least 10,000 people. To compete in the second tier Eurocup competition, clubs must play in arenas with capacities of at least 5,000 people. To compete in the third tier EuroChallenge competition, clubs must play in arenas with capacities of at least 3,500 people. Also, clubs must be in good standing with FIBA Europe's club rules and regulations.

This means that clubs that have been punished in court for unpaid financial obligations to players and have refused to meet them cannot compete in any of the three continental competitions. As none of the BBL's clubs are based in arenas of this size, and what few games that are televised are broadcast on Sky Sports 3 - a channel which less than 1% of the population have in their home - the BBL does not meet the requirements to play in European competition. The ratings are amended every 3 years based on the league's performance in the previous five years. Meaning the BBL would need to increase stadium capacity (and corresponding attendance figures) as well as find a less esoteric broadcaster by 2015 for its teams to qualify for even the lowest level of European competion.

Teams See: List of defunct British Basketball League teams Future teams Birmingham (Name to be announced in Summer 2012 and to start playing from the 2012-13 Season) [ref ] Manchester (Yet to be confirmed, expected to start playing from the 2012-13 Season) Players Foreign imports League rules currently allow for each team to have a maximum of three "import" players - from outside of the European Union (EU) - whilst the remaining players on the roster must have citizenship of an EU country, either by birth or by naturalisation. [6] The current ruling was integrated at the beginning of the 2006-07 season , reverting from the previous law which allowed four imports along with naturalised players. Because of this previous rule, it was possible for a team to field an entirely American starting five, which was often the case. With the 2012 Olympics in mind, an attempt to develop home grown talent has taken incredible steps forward in British basketball in development of more British players.

Contributing to this cause, the BBL has implemented a new ruling which would have been in effect from the start of the 2007-08 season , whereby only two imported (non-EU) players are permitted in each roster. However, with an expansion of three more franchises for the 2007-08 season, the decision to permit only two non-EU players was revoked because of the lack of available home-grown talent currently available. Transfer regulations 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, which is on 28 February, or if during a leap year , the date is then 29 February. Notable former players Media coverage Internet Most British Basketball fans first port of call for the latest basketball information is the Internet with sites like the BBL's official website, plus MVP 24/7 , Britball and Inside the Game who provide fans with latest news and results including live commentary from key games.

Newspapers Basketball receives little national media coverage in the United Kingdom. Some national newspapers list results and occasionally provide short summaries of the league's news but more extensive coverage remains minimal. There was a small surge in interest during the 2005-06 season when many national newspapers such as The Sun reported that former NBA player Dennis Rodman had signed for Brighton Bears only weeks after being evicted from Celebrity Big Brother. [7] The press attention quickly faded after 'Rodmania' had died down following his three game appearance for the Southcoast franchise. Coverage in the towns and cities where BBL clubs are based is more extensive. Newspapers such as The Herald (Plymouth), Sheffield Star, The Glaswegian, Glasgow Herald, Daily Record, Leicester Mercury, Newcastle Chronicle and the Worcester News have dedicated basketball reporters who cover the local team. Radio BBC Radio Devon often provide live commentary of Plymouth Raiders games, both home and away, while various local radio stations around the country occasionally offer updates on their respective local teams. Television The League is broadcasted on Sky Sports throughout the 2010-2011 season , after a deal was announced in October 2010.

The contract sees the League televising one 'as live' game per week on Tuesday evenings throughout the course of the season and marks the return of BBL action on Sky Sports after a 9-year gap. [8] The history of television coverage of the BBL is extremely minimal and sparodic. During the 2007-08 season international broadcaster Setanta Sports saw one game a week shown live on Setanta Sports 2. [9] The coverage proved a ratings success and it was hoped that live televised games would continue during the 2008-09 season , however no deal was ever reached. In 2006, League officials signed a £2.5 million broadcasting rights agreement with MKTV to provide coverage of 40 live games per season. [10] However only two matches were screened and the deal eventually collapsed when the channel closed. Though the BBL Cup final had been broadcast live over the internet two months previously, by UKTV, this was the first time in five years that the BBL was screened live on television, since the collapse of ITV Digital in 2002.

Before then, the league also enjoyed coverage from Channel 4 in the 1980s and Sky Sports from 1995 to 2001, where audiences peaked at around 150,000. [11] Awards British Basketball League » BasketballBetting.co.uk British Basketball League 13 January 2017 Euroleague Tips – Panathinaikos Superfoods Athens v Anadolu Efes Istanbul This looks like being a very close […] 13 January 2017 Euroleague Tips – Real Madrid v Maccabi FOX Tel Aviv This is a game between two sides […] 13 January 2017 Euroleague Tips – Galatasaray Odeabank Istanbul v Zalgiris Kaunas This is shaping up to be a […] 13 January 2017 Euroleague Tips – CSKA Moscow v EA7 Emporio Armani Milan This has been the worst losing streak […] International+ LLLLL Please toggle your mobile phone into landscape mode to see additional content. The British Basketball League (BBL) was established in 1987, giving UK basketball fans a home grown league to follow.

The league had a major boom in the 1990s bringing in a lot of fans, some great players and a lot of big sponsors. There was a dip at the end of the millennium but since a regrouping in 2002 back to a single league format, the BBL has strengthened greatly. The Championship The championship is the mainstay of the BBL season and it sees all teams playing in a 33 game season. The matches in the BLL are played to the standard FIBA rules, with four quarters of 10 minutes being played. If the score is tied at the end of the game, overtime is used, in 5 minute periods until a winner can be decided. In the league campaign, two points are awarded for a win. The team with the most points at the end of the championship is crowned the BBL champions for the season and the top 8 teams progress to the post season play-offs. In the event of more than one team being equal on points, the head to head scores are taken as the tie breaker. If this is unable to separate teams, the points difference is taken between the teams involved.

Bet on British Basketball Games at Bovada Please toggle your mobile phone into landscape mode to see additional content. The Play-Offs The play-offs, which traditionally take place in April, is played out between the top ranked teams in the championship. The first knockout round is seeded as follows: 1st place v 8th place 2nd place v 7th place 3rd place v 6th place 4th place v 5th place The quarter and semi-finals are played out on a home and away basis and the higher placed can choose between playing at home first or second. The team with the highest aggregate score over the two legs progresses to the next round. The semi-final is also seeded which means that the highest ranked team plays the lowest ranked team remaining in the competition and the remaining two teams play off against each other. Again, the semi-finals are played out over home and away legs with the higher ranked seed getting the chance to play home or away first, depending on what they choose. The two semi-final winners play off in the final, a one-off game which traditionally takes place at Wembley Arena in London. The winner of the final is crowned play-off champions for the season.

Cup competitions In addition to the championship and the play-off, there are two cup knock-out tournaments for BBL teams. These are the BBL Cup and the BBL Trophy. The BBL Cup The BBL Cup tournament is as follows: The top four ranked teams in the league received a bye, meaning the bottom 8 teams in the league play-off in the 1st round. This round is decided by a draw and the games are played on a one-off basis. The four winners and the four teams who received a bye play-off in the quarter finals. This round is decided by a draw and the games are played on a one-off basis. The four winners of the quarter finals proceed to the semi-finals, which are played out over two legs. The two winners of the semi-finals proceed to the BBL Cup final, which is played out as a one-off match at a neutral venue. The BBL Trophy The BBL Trophy involves the teams from the BBL and invited teams to make up a total of 16 teams. This means that there are 16 sides involved in the first round. The games in this round are determined by a draw and they are played out in a one-off match.

The 8 winners proceed to the quarter finals. The matches are determined by a draw and are played out as a one-off match. The 4 winners proceed to the semi-finals. The matches are determined by a draw and are played out on a home and away basis. The semi-final winners proceed to the final, which is held as a one off game at a neutral venue. The 2012-13 season The quarter-finals of the play-offs were played out as a home and away two-legged affair. Leicester Riders defeated London Lions Plymouth Raiders defeated Glasgow Rocks Newcastle Eagles defeated Sheffield Sharks Surrey Heat defeated Worcester Wolves In the semi-finals, Leicester Riders defeated the Plymouth Raiders over two legs while Newcastle Eagles defeated Surrey Heat over two logs. This meant that the play-offs final took place between the teams ranked 1st and 2nd from the championship. The final took place on the 28th of April at London Arena. Leicester Riders defeated Newcastle Eagles by 68-57, clinching the play-off title to go along with their championship win.

The BBL Cup The bottom 8 ranked teams in the BBL took part in the first round, which worked out as follows: Mersey Tigers – Surrey Heat – 51-103 Sheffield Sharks – Cheshire Jets – 90-59 Glasgow Rocks – Manchester Giants – 88-85 London Lions – Durham Wildcats – 79-76 This meant Surrey Heat, Sheffield Sharks, Glasgow Rocks and London Lions joined Newcastle Eagles, Plymouth Raiders, Leicester Riders and Worcester Wolves in the quarter-finals. The quarter-final results were: Sheffield Sharks – Glasgow Rocks – 72-71 Newcastle Eagles – Worcester Wolves – 107-85 London Lions – Leicester Riders – 74-90 Surrey Heat – Plymouth Raiders – 74-79 The semi-finals were played out over two legs. The first semi-final played out as: Plymouth Raiders – Newcastle Eagles – 90-107 Newcastle Eagles – Plymouth Raiders – 83-91 OT This meant that Newcastle Eagles triumphed 190-181 on aggregate.

The second semi-final played out as: Sheffield Sharks – Leicester Riders – 70-90 Leicester Riders – Sheffield Sharks – 75-45 This meant that Leicester Riders triumphed 116-115 on aggregate. The final of the 2012-13 BBL Cup was played on the 13th of January at the National Indoor Arena in Birmingham. Leicester Riders defeated Newcastle Eagles by 85 to 80. The BLL Trophy The 12 teams from the BBL were joined by Essex Leopards, Reading Rockets, Edinburgh Kings and Worthing Thunder.

The 1st round was: London Lion – Cheshire Phoenixs – 88-92 Worcester Wolves – Plymouth Raiders – 90-77 Durham Wildcats – Newcastle Eagles – 73-102 Essex Leopards – Leicester Riders – 63-105 Manchester Giants – Sheffield Sharks – 73-85 Edinburgh Kings – Glasgow Rocks – 61-72 Worthing Thunder – Mersey Tigers – 84-64 Reading Rockets – Surrey Heat – 68-86 The quarter finals played out as: Sheffield Sharks – Glasgow Rocks – 84-81 OT Surrey Heat – Leicester Riders – 66-82 Newcastle Eagles – Worcester Wolves – 88-94 Worthing Thunder – Cheshire Phoenix – 61-106 The semi-finals were played out over two legs. The first semi-final played out as: Cheshire Phoenix – Sheffield Sharks – 60-74 Sheffield Sharks – Cheshire Phoenix – 102-74 This meant that Sheffield Sharks triumphed 176-134 on aggregate.

The second semi-final played out as: Worcester Wolves – Leicester Riders – 73-82 Leicester Riders – Worcester Wolves – 66-68 This meant that Leicester Riders triumphed 148-141 on aggregate. The final of the 2012-13 BBL Trophy was played on the 9th of March at the Emirates Arena in Glasgow. Sheffield Sharks defeated Leicester Riders by 71 to 69. This loss meant that the Leicester Riders were unable to complete a clean sweep for the 2012-13 season. The 2013-14 BBL season The 12 teams in the 2013-14 BBL season are: Birmingham Knights sheffield sharks : definition of sheffield sharks and synonyms of sheffield sharks (English) Franchise history "Forging" history The franchise was established in 1991 when the team, then called the Sheffield Forgers in reference to the city's history as a major steel producer, were admitted to National Basketball League Division 2 .

After two seasons competing in the division, with an overall 26-16 record, the Forgers were crowned Champions in 1993 and promoted to NBL Division 1. The 1993-1994 season would prove to be another successful one for the Forgers having reached the National Trophy final where they beat Plymouth Raiders 62-60 on "home" territory at the Sheffield Arena . Their stay in the First Division did not last long, and although they finished in 4th position with a 10-8 record, the Forgers were admitted to the professional top-tier British Basketball League to replace the withdrawing Guildford Kings . Sharks swim with the "big boys" The successful franchise was purchased by the Chrysalis Group in 1994 and rebranded as Sheffield Sharks. On court, the team dominated the league in its rookie season, and with a 29-7 league record, marched on to take the BBL League Championship and National Cup with an incredible 89-66 victory in the final against Thames Valley Tigers .

However the Tigers got their revenge over the Sharks with a nail-biting 74-69 win in the BBL Trophy final. The Sharks also missed out on the Play-off final following a 72-84 loss to Worthing Bears in the Final Four, despite this the Sheffield team still enjoyed a phenomenal debut season. Taking a bite at Europe In 1995, the 1995 McDonald's Championship came to London and the Sharks were entered as the host team, mixing with the elite of world basketball including the NBA's Houston Rockets , Spanish League giants Real Madrid and Bologna of the Italian League amongst others. Sheffield finished the series 0-2, following defeats to Real Madrid and Maccabi Tel Aviv . Sharks' adventure continued into Europe in the following season (1995–96) when they competed in the prestigious Euroleague . After knocking out Luxembourg -based team Residence Helmsange in the Qualifying round, the Sharks were then eliminated in the First Round by Real Madrid after a 57-67 defeat in Sheffield and a 75-78 defeat in Madrid .

As a result of losing, Sheffield were then placed in the Third Round of the less glamorous European Cup , where they were subsequently knocked out by Belgian League club Oostende Basket , thus ending their European adventure. On the domestic scene, the Sharks could not repeat the highs of their previous season, finishing as Runners-up in the League Championship (30-6) to London Towers , and losing the final of the National Cup 58-70 also to the dominating Towers. Their Play-off dreams were also shattered in the Semi-final's by eventual winners Birmingham Bullets , whom they lost to 68-82. Golden era The Sharks again reached the BBL Cup final in 1996 and 1997, finishing second then third in the Championship, and their next piece of silverware was the 1998 BBL Trophy. They claimed their second BBL Cup and Championship double in 1999, with Terrell Myers picked as League MVP, before successfully defending the Cup in 2000 after reaching their fifth Cup final in six years. It was during the most successful period of the clubs’ history that owners Chrysalis Group decided to sell off their majority stake.

[1] [2] After running into off-court financial difficulties and on the brink of a wind-up order from the BBL, the franchise was acquired by Montgomery Leisure Services Ltd in 2001, [3] the same year that a first Play-off final appearance was secured in after topping the Championship. However it was Leicester Riders who triumphed 84-75, and the Sharks were beaten again in the play-off final the following year, 93-82 by Cheshire Jets . The Sharks claimed their third Championship in five years in 2003 and although they failed to reach the play-off final, they got there the following year after a second-placed league finish. It was the Sharks' third play-off final in four years and a case of third time lucky as they beat Cheshire 86-74 to claim their only play-off success to date. The franchise today The BBL Cup was also secured in 2004, but the last five years have been lean ones for the Sharks as the Newcastle Eagles and Guildford Heat have become the BBL's most dominant forces.

Yet while the Sharks have failed to reach a final in the last five years, they haven't finished lower than sixth in the Championship and remain a force to be reckoned with in the BBL. Home arenas Winners Notes: Until 1993 Division Three operated as the third tier league, behind Division Two and Division One (the BBL). In 1993 the NBL restructured Division Two as Division One, operating as the second tier league. From 1999-2002 the BBL operated a Conference system. Sheffield competed in the Northern Conference.

Trophies NBL Division 2 Winners: 1992/93 1 BBL Winners: 1994/95, 1998/99, & 2002/03 3 BBL Northern Conference Winners: 2000/01 1 BBL Runners Up: 1995/96, 2003/04, & 2009/10 3 BBL Northern Conference Runners Up: 1999/00, & 2001/02 2 Playoffs NBL Division 2 Play Off Winners: 1992/93 1 BBL Play Off Winners: 2003/04 1 BBL Play Off Runners Up: 2000/01, 2001/02, 2010/11 3 Cup National Cup Winners: 1994/95, 1998/99, & 1999/00 3 BBL Cup Winners: 2003/04, 20

09/10 & 2010/11 3 National Cup Runners Up: 1995/96, & 1996/97 2 Players Current roster The following information is established according to the official websites of the team ( ) and Britain's top professional league, the BBL ( ).

Note: Flags indicate national team as has been defined by FIBA . Players may hold more than one nationality. Sheffield Sharks roster Nate Reinking is not concerned by Byron Mullens selection battle - BBC Sport BBC Sport Nate Reinking is not concerned by Byron Mullens selection battle By Jessica Creighton Read more about sharing. Nate Reinking Great Britain basketball guard Nate Reinking is not concerned about NBA star Byron Mullens potentially being added to the Olympic squad. British Basketball are awaiting a decision from the sport's governing body on whether Mullens will have naturalised or non-naturalised status. Only one naturalised player is allowed - currently Reinking for Britain. HEAD TO HEAD Pro 2 years "There's going to be people come out of the woodwork with passports, but I can't worry about that," Reinking said. United States-born Reinking, 38, currently combining studying for a Masters and playing full-time with the Sheffield Sharks in the British Basketball League, is one of only two players to have been with the British team since it was overhauled in readiness for the Olympics in 2006.

Seven-foot centre Mullens, who plays for NBA side the Charlotte Bobcats, has only recently confirmed his eligibility to play for Great Britain after announcing that he held a British passport. "At the end of the day it's a business," Reinking said. "I've been in this game a long time and you've got to be professional. "I don't feel I have to prove anything. I've been with the team since day one, they know what I can do and what I bring to the squad." A decision on Mullens's status is expected next month before the start of the Olympic training camp, which begins on 11 June in Houston USA. The camp will provide a chance for both men to stake their claim for inclusion in head coach Chris Finch's final team, to be announced in July. He and Mullens may have to fight it out, but Great Britain performance director Chris Spice said the team "are very used to people coming in". "The great thing about our squad is we tend to find new talent each year," he said. "The great strength we've got is that the team pretty much buckle up and get on with it. "It will be down to the coaching staff to look at the balance of the squad and who brings what to the team.

"As with any selection issue, if you bring in a quality player then there's people that may miss out. That's something all teams have to deal with." British Basketball recently announced a 21-strong preliminary squad, which Spice believes is their strongest ever. "We've got better depth in the team than ever before," he added. "Everyone thinks we're the quiet sleeper of the [Olympic] tournament that could cause an upset." Share this page British Basketball League - The Full Wiki The Full Wiki Note: Many of our articles have direct quotes from sources you can cite, within the Wikipedia article! This article doesn't yet, but we're working on it! See more info or our list of citable articles . Related top topics Top rankings for British Basketball League 8th From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia "BBL" redirects here. For other uses, see BBL (disambiguation) . British Basketball League BBL logo, featuring the Molten G7 matchball Sport BBL.org.uk The British Basketball League, often abbreviated to the BBL, is the top-tier professional basketball league in the United Kingdom .

The BBL runs two knockout competitions alongside the league championship; the BBL Cup and the BBL Trophy , as well as the pre-season face-off, the Cup Winners' Cup . The BBL is not to be confused with the English Basketball League (EBL) or the Scottish Basketball League (SBL), which effectively form the second tier of British basketball. There is currently no promotion or relegation between the EBL, SBL and BBL because of the franchise system in use in the BBL, although Plymouth Raiders , Worcester Wolves , London Capital and Worthing Thunder have all been elected from the EBL in recent years. The league currently consists of 13 teams with representation from both England and Scotland . In its two decade history the league has been won by 12 different franchises. The 2009 League Champions were Newcastle Eagles , while Guildford Heat were the league's most recent representatives in Europe, competing in the ULEB Cup during the 2007-08 season . Member franchises of the BBL jointly own the league, and a chairman is elected by the teams to oversee BBL operations. The current Chairman is Paul Blake , the Managing Director of Newcastle Eagles.

The head offices are located in Leicester , where the country's oldest team, the Leicester Riders is also based. Contents Advertisements 1980s: Elite establishment The British Basketball League burst onto the British hoops scene in 1987 as the game's foremost clubs opted for a franchise-based competition without promotion or relegation . Seeking to improve the sport's image through greater professionalism, the BBL fast became the benchmark for quality competition in the UK . And with the development and evolution of the BBL Cup and BBL Trophy , there is now ample opportunity for Britain's 10 elite basketball clubs to match ambition with silverware. In recent years, Newcastle Eagles have been the biggest winner of the game's major prizes after clinching six consecutive major trophies. In 1988 Portsmouth emerged from the pack to clinch the inaugural BBL Championship title but the following year saw the famous Kingston Kings side of the late 80s and early 90s win the first of three back-to-back league crowns. 1990s: Television, sponsors and crowds flood in The 1990s also saw an exciting growth in popularity and commercialism of the league.

Television crews and exciting sponsors such as Peugeot , Lego , Playboy and Budweiser came flooding in, as did the crowds. The Manchester Giants opened the 1995-96 season in front of a record 14,251 fans at the NYNEX Arena against the London Leopards - still the largest crowd to ever watch a basketball match in Britain. London Towers , Crystal Palace and the Greater London Leopards ushered in an era of capital success in the mid-1990s and in 1999 a Conference format was introduced, which was mirrored by the NBL the following season. For three seasons the cream of the north and the south followed an American-style system with London Towers invincible in the South. 2000s: The millennium slump A single-league BBL returned in 2002 and five different franchises have won the Championship title in the five years since. However the new millennium also saw a series of downfalls for the BBL. The collapse of ITV Digital cost the league dear, with many franchises struggling to recover from the lost revenue that the £21 million contract was providing.

Long established franchises such as the Giants , the Leopards , Derby Storm , Thames Valley Tigers and Birmingham Bullets have all dropped out in the years since, never to be seen again. The membership crisis brought about the addition of new franchises such as Guildford Heat (Formed by fans of the defunct Thames Valley Tigers) and elected teams from the lower-tier English Basketball League , like the Plymouth Raiders , both making a refreshing impact on the old boys, with the Heat qualifying for the post season playoffs in 2005-06 , their rookie season. During the same season Newcastle won 30 of their 40 regular season league fixtures to clinch the League 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 2005-2006 , the Eagles marching on to claim the BBL Cup , BBL Trophy and Playoff's - the complete set.

Guildford Heat, only in their second season in 2006-2007 , stole the headlines by storming to their first League title coupled with the BBL Cup , to mark a historic moment for the young club and its fans. Plymouth Raiders also put themselves on the map by overcoming their underdog tags to beat Newcastle on their own court in the BBL Trophy final, their first silverware as a BBL team. Newcastle managed to redeem themselves at the very end, after a poor season, by their standards, by claiming the Playoff title against rivals Scottish Rocks . The future With 13 elite clubs for the 2009-2010 season - including expansion franchise Essex Pirates - the BBL is deeper and more competitive than ever. League chairman and Newcastle Managing Director Paul Blake is marketing the game at home and abroad, and after successfully gaining representation in the ULEB Cup with Guildford Heat's appearance in 2007-08 the league is slowly recovering from a low ebb. There is a strong emphasis on recruiting and developing homegrown talent with a view to supporting Team GB 's London 2012 medal bid.

With British NBA star Luol Deng committing to the team [1] and various other stars eligible to also play for Britain, including Ben Gordon , Pops Mensah-Bonsu , and Joel Freeland . [2] Champions BBL Championship Regular season The regular season, which runs from September to April, operates as a league format. Clubs play each other on three occasions throughout the season, resulting in a thirty-six game campaign for each team, meeting each of their counterparts once at home, once away, and once home or away in the 12-team league structure. Matches are played according to FIBA rules and games consist of four quarters of 10 minutes each. Two points are awarded for a win, with the game going into overtime 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. In the league season, team schedules are not identical and neither are matchdays, with games scheduled mainly around Arena 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 (possible a home and away game) on consecutive days, something that is not commonplace in British sports, although often seen in the National Basketball Association and other American sports. Following the completion of the Championship regular season, the top eight placed teams will advance into the post-season Championship Playoffs, which take place during April, concluding with the Finals Weekend . Play-offs The post-season Play-offs sees the top eight teams from the regular season advance into a one-game knockout series. The team finishing in first place will play the lowest seeded eighth team (match 1), as will second place against seventh (match 2), third against sixth (match 3)and finally the fourth and fifth placed teams facing each other in match 4. The top seeded team in each game will have home court advantage, with the four winners then going onto to compete in the Semi-finals. Both semi-finals matches are played on the Saturday of the Finals Weekend , held during the May bank holiday weekend at the National Indoor Arena , in Birmingham .

The two winners of the semi-finals will then face each other in the Play-off final on the Sunday, with the winners being crowned Play-off champions. BBL Cup Main article: BBL Cup The BBL Cup is one of three peripheral competitions operated by the BBL during the regular season. The tournament emerged from a breakaway of the National Cup and was contested for the first time in 2003-04 , when Sheffield Sharks were the inaugural winners. It is a pure knockout competition comprising all 13 BBL clubs, with the final hosted at the prestigious National Indoor Arena in Birmingham , usually in early January. The current holders are the Everton Tigers , after their 103-49 victory rout over the Plymouth Raiders on January 18, 2009. It was a historic event for both teams appearing in their first BBL Cup Final, notable for Raiders finishing with the lowest points total ever recorded in a BBL Cup Final and also for losing by the biggest margin in those finals, with a gap of 54.

BBL Cup Winners' Cup Main article: BBL Cup Winners' Cup The BBL Cup Winners' Cup is a pre-season tournament competed over two legs, one home and one away, between the winners of BBL Cup and BBL Trophy from the previous season. Each leg is staged prior to the beginning of the regular season and is considered the curtain-raiser for the new BBL campaign, the winner being the team with the better points total on the aggregate score. Concepted in 2007, the competition was first fought for by Guildford Heat (BBL Cup winners 2006-07 ) and Plymouth Raiders (BBL Trophy winners 2006-07 ), and saw the Heat defeat the Raiders to claim the inaugural Cup 176-168 on aggregate. The second edition saw Trophy winners Heat competing to retain their crown against the 2008 BBL Cup winners Milton Keynes Lions . The first leg, played in Milton Keynes on September 14, saw the visitors claim a slender advantage to win 89-91.

The second leg on September 19, was almost as close and finished 68-60 to the home-court Heat, resulting in a 10-point aggregate victory for the Guildford Heat, who retained the Cup. The Cup Winners' Cup wasn't competed for during the 2009-2010 season . BBL Trophy Main article: BBL Trophy The BBL Trophy started out as the Anglo-Scottish Cup in 1985 was initially a competition between teams from both the English and Scottish leagues. It was rebranded as the League Trophy in 1987 following the reorganisation and amalgamation of the leagues. The tournament begins with a regional group format and comprises all 13 BBL clubs plus 3 teams from the EBL . The winners of each group go through to play each other in a two-legged Semi-final, with the two winners then going on to the Final, which is hosted by the winner of the previous years competition. Teams Players Foreign imports League rules currently allow for each team to have a maximum of three import players, from outside of the European Union (EU), while the rest of the roster must have British citizenship , either by birth or by naturalisation.

The current ruling was integrated at the beginning of the 2006-07 season , reverting from the previous law which allowed four imports along with naturalised players. Because of this previous rule, it was possible for a team to field an entirely American starting five, which was often the case. With the 2012 Olympics in mind, an attempt to develop home grown talent has taken incredible steps forward in British basketball in development of more British players. Contributing to this cause, the BBL has implemented a new ruling which would have been in effect from the start of the 2007-08 season , whereby only two imported (non-EU) players are permitted in each roster. However, with an expansion of three more franchises for the 2007-08 season, the decision to permit only two non-EU players was revoked because of the lack of available home-grown talent currently available. Transfer regulations 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, which is on 28 February, or if during a leap year , the date is then 29 February. Notable former players Media coverage Internet The internet has, in recent years, been the only real source of news for British basketball, with Inside The Game being the first port of call for most diehard BBL fans. Other sites include 'What's Bev' online fanzine Badaball.com is the leading news, feature and opinion based site around, produced by the fans, for the fans, under the leadership of leading basketball journalist Paul Nilsen, reporter for the Newcastle Chronicle . Many other flagship websites have come and gone over the years, most notably UKTVSlam!, operated by the UKTV group, whiched folded during the summer of 2007. The website provided the most detailed coverage of basketball available in Britain, and often featured live matches from the BBL and Euroleague available to watch online for a small subscription fee.

For information and results based data, PawPrint operated by EBL statician Pete Jacques, is a valued source particular for those interested in the lower leagues of the English Basketball League and the history of British basketball. Newspapers Basketball receives little national media coverage in the United Kingdom. Some national newspapers list results and occasionally provide short summaries of the league's news but more extensive coverage remains minimal. There was a small surge in interest during the 2005-06 season when many national newspapers such as The Sun reported that former NBA player Dennis Rodman had signed for Brighton Bears only weeks after being evicted from Celebrity Big Brother . [3] The press attention quickly faded after 'Rodmania' had died down following his three game appearance for the Southcoast franchise. Coverage in the towns and cities where BBL clubs are based is more extensive. Newspapers such as The Herald (Plymouth) , Sheffield Star , Glasgow Herald , Daily Record , Leicester Mercury , Newcastle Chronicle and the Worcester News have dedicated basketball reporters who cover the local team.

Radio Radio coverage of the league is a little more sparse but coverage is available via the successful Eagles Web Radio and Heat Web Radio which, run by fans of Newcastle Eagles and Guildford Heat respectively, broadcast live game commentary over the internet where the said teams are involved in. BBC Radio Devon often provide live commentary of Plymouth Raiders games, both home and away, while various local radio stations around the country occasionally offer updates on their respective local teams. Television A television deal was struck mid-way through the 2007-08 season with international broadcaster Setanta Sports which began with the 2008 Trophy Final, and saw one game a week shown live on Setanta Sports 2 . [4] The coverage proved a ratings success and it was hoped that live televised games would continue during the 2008-09 season , however no deal was ever reached with Setanta Sports, or their rivals Sky Sports . The history of television coverage of the BBL is extremely minimal. In 2006, league officials signed a £2.5 million broadcasting rights agreement with MKTV to provide coverage of 40 live games per season. [5] However only two matches were screened and the deal eventually collapsed when the channel closed.

Though the BBL Cup final had been broadcast live over the internet two months previously, by UKTV , this was the first time in five years that the BBL was screened live on television, since the collapse of ITV Digital in 2002. Before then, the league also enjoyed coverage from Channel 4 in the 1980s and Sky Sports from 1995 to 2001, where audiences peaked at around 150,000. [6] Awards

Question: The Sharks are a British Basketball team currently playing in the British Basketball League. In which city are they based?
Answer: Sheffield