2002–03 British Basketball League season

BBL seasons

2013–14 • 2012–13 • 2011–12

2010–11 • 2009–10 • 2008–09

2007–08 • 2006–07 • 2005–06

2004–05 • 2003–04 • 2002–03

2001–02 • 2000–01 • 1999–00

1998–99 • 1997–98 • 1996–97

1995–96 • 1994–95 • 1993–94

1992–93 • 1991–92 • 1990–91

1989–90 • 1988–89 • 1987–88

The 2002-03 season was the 16th campaign in the history of the British Basketball League.

Contents 1 Teams 2 Notable occurrences 3 BBL Championship 3.1 Final standings 3.2 The Play-offs 3.2.1 Quarter-finals 3.2.2 Semi-finals 3.2.3 Final 4 BBL Trophy 4.1 Group Stage 4.2 Semi-finals 4.3 Final 5 Statistics leaders 6 References

Teams

Team	City/Area	Arena	Capacity	Last season
Birmingham Bullets	Birmingham	Aston Events Centre	2,000	5th (South)
Brighton Bears	Brighton	The Brighton Centre & Burgess Hill Triangle	3,600 1,800	2nd (South)
Chester Jets	Chester	Northgate Arena	1,300	1st (North)
Essex Leopards	Brentwood	Brentwood Centre	2,000	4th (South)
Leicester Riders	Loughborough	Loughborough University	1,000	5th (North)
London Towers	London	Crystal Palace NSC Arena	3,500	1st (South)
Milton Keynes Lions	Milton Keynes	Bletchley Centre	800	3rd (North)
Newcastle Eagles	Newcastle upon Tyne	Telewest Arena	6,500	3rd (North)
Scottish Rocks	Glasgow	Braehead Arena	4,000	4th (North)
Sheffield Sharks	Sheffield	Hallam FM Arena & Ponds Forge	8,500 1,600	2nd (North)
Thames Valley Tigers	Bracknell	John Nike Sports Centre	1,000	6th (South)

Notable occurrences

• Attracted by the opening of the brand-new 4,000-seat Braehead Arena in Glasgow, Edinburgh Rocks uprooted from their aging Meadowbank venue in Edinburgh and moved 45 miles west to Scotland's largest city Glasgow, and rebranded as the Scottish Rocks.^[1] The move received a mixed response from fans, whilst many said that the move would not work, the official supporters club backed the franchise's decision.^[2]
• Although based in Brentwood, Essex for the past two years, Greater London Leopards eventually rebranded the franchise as the Essex Leopards prior to the season starting.
• Due to a decreasing membership, the League abolished the Conference system it had emposed for the past three season's and returned the regular single-league table set-up, with the top-eight teams progressing to the Play-offs.

BBL Championship

Final standings

Team	Pts	Pld	W	L	Percentage
1. Sheffield Sharks	66	40	33	7	0.825
2. Brighton Bears	60	40	30	10	0.750
3. Chester Jets	56	40	28	12	0.700
4. Thames Valley Tigers	52	40	26	14	0.650
5. Newcastle Eagles	50	40	25	15	0.625
6. Scottish Rocks	44	40	22	18	0.550
7. London Towers	38	40	19	21	0.475
8. Milton Keynes Lions	24	40	12	28	0.300
9. Birmingham Bullets	22	40	11	29	0.275
10. Essex Leopards	22	40	11	29	0.275
11. Leicester Riders	6	40	3	37	0.075

	= League winners
	= Qualified for the Play-offs

The Play-offs

	Quarter-finals					Semi-finals					Final
	1	Sheffield Sharks	90 (OT)
	8	Milton Keynes Lions	83
						1	Sheffield Sharks	74
						6	Scottish Rocks	76
	3	Chester Jets	84
	6	Scottish Rocks	89
											6	Scottish Rocks	83
											2	Brighton Bears	76
	2	Brighton Bears	89
	7	London Towers	82
						'2	Brighton Bears	88
						5	Newcastle Eagles	83
	4	Thames Valley Tigers	85
	5	Newcastle Eagles	101

Quarter-finals

April 19, 2003

Sheffield Sharks

90–83

Milton Keynes Lions

OT

Ponds Forge, Sheffield

April 19, 2003

Chester Jets

84–89

Scottish Rocks

Northgate Arena, Chester

April 19, 2003

Thames Valley Tigers

85–101

Newcastle Eagles

John Nike Sports Centre, Bracknell

April 20, 2003

Brighton Bears

89–82

London Towers

The Brighton Centre, Brighton

Semi-finals

May 3, 2003

Brighton Bears

88–83

Newcastle Eagles

National Indoor Arena, Birmingham

May 3, 2003

Sheffield Sharks

74–76

Scottish Rocks

National Indoor Arena, Birmingham

Final

May 4, 2003 5.00pm GMT	Report	Brighton Bears	76–83	Scottish Rocks		National Indoor Arena, Birmingham
		Scoring by quarter: 23-18, 25-28, 20-20, 8-17
		Pts: Sterling Davis, 18		Pts: Shawn Myers, 26

BBL Trophy

This season's BBL Trophy featured all 11 BBL teams plus one invited teams from the English Basketball League, the Teeside Mohawks to bring the total number of teams divided evenly. The First Round saw all 12 teams split into four regionalised groups with the top finishing team advancing to the Semi-finals.

Group Stage

Northern Group 1 Team Pts Pld W L Percent 1.Chester Jets 6 4 3 1 0.750 2.Sheffield Sharks 6 4 3 1 0.750 3.Leicester Riders 0 4 0 4 0.000 Southern Group 1 Team Pts Pld W L Percent 1.Birmingham Bullets 6 4 3 1 0.750 2.Essex Leopards 4 4 2 2 0.500 3.Milton Keynes Lions 2 4 1 3 0.250

Northern Group 2 Team Pts Pld W L Percent 1.Newcastle Eagles 8 4 4 0 1.000 2.Scottish Rocks 4 4 2 2 0.500 3.Teeside Mohawks 0 4 0 4 0.000 Southern Group 2 Team Pts Pld W L Percent 1.London Towers 4 4 2 2 0.500 2.Thames Valley Tigers 4 4 2 2 0.500 3.Brighton Bears 4 4 2 2 0.500

Semi-finals

February 8, 2003

Chester Jets

97–89

Newcastle Eagles

Aston Events Centre, Birmingham

February 8, 2003

Birmingham Bullets

62–86

London Towers

Aston Events Centre, Birmingham

Final

March 15, 2003	Report	Chester Jets	84–82	London Towers		Hallam FM Arena, Sheffield
		Scoring by quarter: 30-26, 26-17, 13-22, 15-17
		Pts: Kenny Gregory, 24		Pts: Kendrick Warren, 21

Statistics leaders

Category	Player	Stat
Points per game	Kenny Gregory (Chester Jets)	24.7
Rebounds per game	David Fisher (Essex Leopards)	10.5
Assists per game	John Thomas (Chester Jets)	7.3

References

Preceded by 2001–02 BBL season

BBL seasons 2002–03

Succeeded by 2003–04 BBL season

2011–12 British Basketball League Cheshire Jets · Durham Wildcats · Glasgow Rocks · Guildford Heat · Leicester Riders Mersey Tigers · Milton Keynes Lions · Newcastle Eagles · Plymouth Raiders · Sheffield Sharks · Worcester Wolves