An introduction to the British Basketball League
The British Basketball League commonly referred to as the BBL is the men’s professional basketball league in Great Britain, and it has ten teams in the league from across England and Scotland. The current champions are Leicester Riders who have previously won six titles. Founded in 1987 the league has seen huge growth and progression as the years have gone on.
There are many notable players born and raised in the British Basketball league who have made it to the NBA. Steve Bucknall who came through the Crystal Palace programme, moved to the US to play high school and college basketball before making 18 appearances for the Lakers. He later went on to return to the UK playing for Sunderland. Other noteworthy Brits who made a career in the NBA include Luol Deng who is the most successful British player, becoming an All-Star with the Bulls in 2021. This is a great example of how successful you can be playing basketball in the UK, and how the market for British talent is expanding alongside the growing league.
The London Lions are one of the most notable teams in the BBL. Currently sat in first place in the league, they will be looking to make 2023 the year in which they secure their second title after back-to-back losses in the finals. They are also the only team to play at the Copper Box Arena which played host to the 2012 Olympic Games Basketball. A historic arena which coincides with this London powerhouse of a team who have some of the biggest names in the league playing for them.
The British Basketball league also supports local areas, encouraging the uptake of basketball through coaching and development programmes which are benefiting local communities. They also have programmes to improve local facilities, to ensure young people or talent have the ability to access to the amenities they need. Such work can be seen through the BBL’s Project Swish – they provided over 3000 basketball nets in 2021 alone.
The BBL attracts overseas talent from across the world too, with the league continually growing, more and more noteworthy players are attracted to play in this competitive format. Budding players hope to utilise the British Basketball League to show their craft and springboard themselves into the NBA, as many matches in the league attract scouts from across the world. As a result, the BBL has become a great place to watch rising talent from America and Europe. In particular young talent fresh out of the College basketball system hoping to prove their talent in the big leagues.
With basketball on the rise in the UK, we are sure to see more home-grown talent in the BBL as well as sold out stadiums throughout the league, and we cannot wait to offer guests the opportunity to go and see the thrilling action first hand.
The British Basketball League is an excellent experience offering spectators the opportunity to watch an ever-expanding sport filled with non-stop end-to-end thrillers. Interested in hearing more? Fill out our register interest form today.
