Basketball Bundesliga

The Basketball Bundesliga (BBL) (English language: Federal Basketball League), for sponsorship reasons named easyCredit BBL, is the highest level league of professional club basketball in Germany. The league comprises 18 teams. A BBL season is split into a league stage and a playoff stage. At the end of the league stage, the top eight teams qualify for the playoff stage, and the teams positioned in the 17th and 18th places are relegated to a lower-tier league. The playoffs are played in a "Best of five" format. The winning team of the final round are crowned the German Champions of that season.

Basketball Bundesliga
Founded1966; 58 years ago (1966)
First season1966–67
CountryGermany
FederationGermany Federation
ConfederationFIBA Europe
Number of teams18
Relegation toProA
Domestic cup(s)BBL-Pokal
SupercupBBL Champions Cup
International cup(s)EuroLeague
EuroCup
Champions League
Europe Cup
Current championsRatiopharm Ulm
(1st title)
Most championshipsBayer Giants Leverkusen
(14 titles)
Most appearancesAlex King (638)
All-time top scorerMike Jackel (10,783)
TV partnersTelekom Entertain
Fanseat (select foreign markets)[1]
Websiteeasycredit-bbl.de
2023–24 Basketball Bundesliga

In addition to the league competition, all BBL teams compete for the German Basketball Cup.[2] Teams playing in the second league (ProA or ProB), or in a lower level Regionalliga, are also eligible to participate in the BBL-Cup.[3] There are always 3 knock-out rounds that are played for the BBL-Cup. If more teams from the leagues below the BBL level apply for participation, then available places, and additional qualification rounds are added for them. The final four remaining teams determine the rankings for bronze, silver, and gold medals, in knock-out matches that are termed the BBL-TOP4. The gold winning team is the German Basketball Cup winner.

The Basketball Bundesliga is run by the Basketball Bundesliga GmbH. 74% of BBL GmbH is owned by the AG BBL e.V. (which is composed of the clubs), and 26% by the German Basketball Federation (DBB).[4][5]

History

The Basketball Bundesliga trophy

In Germany, a national domestic basketball championship was first organised in 1939, and it was won by LSV Spandau. By 1944, almost all basketball activity in the country was forced to an end, due to the Second World War. In 1947, MTSV Schwabing München became the first champion of post-war divided Germany.

The creation of a split West German federal-league, consisting of one northern division and one southern division, each comprising 10 teams, was decided on by the German Basketball Federation (DBB) in 1964. On October 1, 1966, the first season of the so-called Basketball Bundesliga started. Starting with the 1971–72 season, the size of each division was reduced to 8 teams.

With the 1975–76 season, the league structure was changed into a ten team first league (1. Basketball Bundesliga), and a 20 team second league (2. Basketball Bundesliga). Only the second league was split into a northern and a southern division, of 10 teams each. In 1985, the top league was enlarged to a size of 12 teams, and two years later, each division of the second league was also enlarged to 12 teams.

In 1988, the championship mode "Best of five" was applied for the first time. Starting with the 1995–96 season, the first league consisted of 14 teams. The Basketball Bundesliga GmbH (BBL) was founded in October 1996.

The federal leagues received their own administration within the framework of the German Basketball Federation in 1997. Since then, the second league divisions have been administered by the "AG 2. Bundesliga", while the BBL has been responsible for the first league. Two years later, a contract was signed between the BBL and the German Basketball Federation, in which the federation transferred its marketing/events rights to the BBL, for a 10-year duration, and in return, the BBL agreed to pay an annual "amateur support fee" of DM 600,000 ( 306,775).

Starting with the 2003–04 season, the top league was increased to 16 teams, and in 2006–07, it was further increased to its present size of 18 teams. For the following 2007–08 season, the structure of the second league was reshaped from its northern/southern divisions, into a ProA division, and a ProB division. These divisions remained under the administration by "AG 2. Bundesliga".

Game 5 of the BBL Finals in 2022

Between 1994 and 2001, the highest level German basketball league was called "Veltins Basketball Bundesliga", and from 2001, until 2003, the league was known as "s.Oliver Basketball Bundesliga". Bayer Giants Leverkusen hold the league titles won record, being the winner of 14 German Basketball Championships. However, since 1997, Alba Berlin has dominated the league, winning their 8th title in 2008. Twenty-one teams have won the championship, since its inception.

Since 2009, Brose Bamberg dominated the competition and won the title in four straight seasons (2009-2013).

Sponsorship

In 2016, the BBL joined forces with Tipbet, a Malta-based betting company.[6] This made Tipbet the Official Betting and Premium Sponsor of the league; the sponsorship agreement results in advertising activities throughout the arenas and online, and runs until 2018.[7]

Arena rules

Currently, all Bundesliga clubs must play in arenas that seat at least 3,000 people.

Logos, names, and sponsorship names

  • 1966–20090Basketball Bundesliga
  • 2009–20160Beko BBL
  • 2016–20210easyCredit BBL[8]

Clubs

Members of the 2022–23 Basketball Bundesliga.

TeamCityArenaCapacity
Brose BambergBambergBrose Arena
6,150
Medi BayreuthBayreuthOberfrankenhalle
4,000
Alba BerlinBerlinMercedes-Benz Arena
14,500
Telekom Baskets BonnBonnTelekom Dome
6,000
Löwen BraunschweigBraunschweigVolkswagen Halle
6,600
Niners ChemnitzChemnitzChemnitz Arena
5,200
Crailsheim MerlinsCrailsheimArena Hohenlohe
3,000
Skyliners FrankfurtFrankfurtFraport Arena
5,002
BG GöttingenGöttingenSparkassen Arena
3,447
Hamburg TowersHamburgEdel-optics.de Arena
3,400
MLP Academics HeidelbergHeidelbergSNP Dome
5,000
MHP Riesen LudwigsburgLudwigsburgMHP-Arena
5,300
Syntainics MBCWeißenfelsStadthalle Weißenfels
3,000
Bayern MunichMunichBMW Park
6,700
Baskets OldenburgOldenburgGroße EWE Arena
6,069
Rostock SeawolvesRostockStadthalle Rostock
4,550
ratiopharm UlmUlmratiopharm arena
6,000
Würzburg BasketsWürzburgtectake Arena
3,140

Title holders

Titles by club

ChampionTitlesWinning years
Bayer 04 Leverkusen
14
1969–70, 1970–71, 1971–72, 1975–76, 1978–79, 1984–85, 1985–86, 1989–90, 1990–91, 1991–92, 1992–93, 1993–94, 1994–95, 1995–96
Alba Berlin
11
1996–97, 1997–98, 1998–99, 1999–00, 2000–01, 2001–02, 2002–03, 2007–08, 2019–20, 2020–21, 2021–22
USC Heidelberg
9
1956–57, 1957–58, 1958–59, 1959–60, 1960–61, 1961–62, 1965–66, 1972–73, 1976–77
Brose Bamberg
9
2004–05, 2006–07, 2009–10, 2010–11, 2011–12, 2012–13, 2014–15, 2015–16, 2016–17
Gießen 46ers
5
1964–65, 1966–67, 1967–68, 1974–75, 1977–78
Bayern Munich
5
1953–54, 1954–55, 2013–14, 2017–18, 2018–19
Turnerbund Heidelberg
4
1947–48, 1950–51, 1951–52, 1952–53
Saturn Köln
4
1980–81, 1981–82, 1986–87, 1987–88
ASC 1846 Göttingen
3
1979–80, 1982–83, 1983–84
MTSV Schwabing
2
1946–47, 1948–49
Alemannia Aachen
2
1962–63, 1963–64
LSV Spandau
1
1938–39
Stuttgart-Degerloch
1
1949–50
ATV Düsseldorf
1
1955–56
Osnabrück
1
1968–69
SSV Hagen
1
1973–74
Steiner Bayreuth
1
1988–89
Skyliners Frankfurt
1
2003–04
RheinStars Köln
1
2005–06
EWE Baskets Oldenburg
1
2008–09
Ratiopharm Ulm
1
2022–23

Finals

SeasonHome court advantageResultHome court disadvantage1st of Regular SeasonRecord
1986–87
Bayer 04 Leverkusen
0–2
Saturn KölnBayer 04 Leverkusen
18–2
1987–88
Bayer 04 Leverkusen
1–3
Saturn KölnBayer 04 Leverkusen
19–3
1988–89
Steiner Bayreuth
3–2
Bayer 04 LeverkusenSteiner Bayreuth
20–2
1989–90
Steiner Bayreuth
1–3
Bayer 04 LeverkusenSteiner Bayreuth
21–1
1990–91
Bayer 04 Leverkusen
3–2
BG CharlottenburgBayer 04 Leverkusen
30–2
1991–92
Bayer 04 Leverkusen
3–0
Alba BerlinBayer 04 Leverkusen
28–4
1992–93
Bayer 04 Leverkusen
3–1
TTL BambergBayer 04 Leverkusen
26–6
1993–94
Bayer 04 Leverkusen
3–0
Brandt HagenBayer 04 Leverkusen
28–4
1994–95
Bayer 04 Leverkusen
3–0
Alba BerlinBayer 04 Leverkusen
28–4
1995–96
Bayer 04 Leverkusen
3–1
Alba BerlinBayer 04 Leverkusen
24–2
1996–97
Alba Berlin
3–1
Telekom Baskets BonnAlba Berlin
24–2
1997–98
Alba Berlin
3–0
ratiopharm UlmAlba Berlin
21–3
1998–99
Alba Berlin
3–2
Telekom Baskets BonnAlba Berlin
22–4
1999–00
Alba Berlin
3–0
Bayer 04 LeverkusenAlba Berlin
24–2
2000–01
Alba Berlin
3–0
Telekom Baskets BonnAlba Berlin
25–1
2001–02
RheinEnergie Köln
0–3
Alba BerlinOpel Skyliners
20–6
2002–03
Alba Berlin
3–0
TSK BambergTelekom Baskets Bonn
19–7
2003–04
Opel Skyliners
3–2
GHP BambergAlba Berlin
20–8
2004–05
GHP Bamberg
3–2
Opel SkylinersAlba Berlin
22–8
2005–06
Alba Berlin
1–3
RheinEnergie KölnAlba Berlin
26–4
2006–07
Brose Baskets
3–1
Artland DragonsAlba Berlin
28–6
2007–08
Alba Berlin
3–1
Telekom Baskets BonnAlba Berlin
27–7
EWE Baskets Oldenburg
3–2
Telekom Baskets BonnAlba Berlin
26–8
Brose Baskets
3–2
Deutsche Bank SkylinersEWE Baskets Oldenburg
25–9
Brose Baskets
3–2
Alba BerlinBrose Baskets
32–2
Brose Baskets
3–0
ratiopharm UlmBrose Baskets
30–4
Brose Baskets
3–0
EWE Baskets OldenburgBrose Baskets
26–8
Bayern Munich
3–1
Alba BerlinBayern Munich
29–5
Brose Baskets
3–2
Bayern MunichBrose Baskets
29–5
Brose Baskets
3–0
ratiopharm UlmBrose Baskets
31–3
Brose Bamberg
3–0
EWE Baskets Oldenburgratiopharm Ulm
30–2
Bayern Munich
3–2
Alba BerlinBayern Munich
31–3
Bayern Munich
3–0
Alba BerlinBayern Munich
31–3
Alba Berlin
163–139[9]
Riesen LudwigsburgBayern Munich
19–2
Alba Berlin
3–1
Bayern MunichRiesen Ludwigsburg
30–4
Alba Berlin
3–1
Bayern MunichAlba Berlin
27–6
Telekom Baskets Bonn
1–3
ratiopharm UlmTelekom Baskets Bonn
32–2

Awards

Finals MVPs

SeasonFinals MVP
2004–05 Chris Williams
2005–06 Immanuel McElroy
2006–07 Casey Jacobsen
2007–08 Julius Jenkins
2008–09 Rickey Paulding
2009–10 Casey Jacobsen
2010–11 Kyle Hines
2011–12 P. J. Tucker
2012–13 Anton Gavel
2013–14 Malcolm Delaney
2014–15 Brad Wanamaker
2015–16 Darius Miller
2016–17 Fabien Causeur
2017–18 Danilo Barthel
2018–19 Nihad Đedović
2019–20 Marcos Knight
2020–21 Jayson Granger
2021–22 Johannes Thiemann
2022–23 Yago dos Santos

See also

References

Sources

External links