1987–88 British Basketball League season
The 1987–1988 BBL season was the first season of the British Basketball League (known as the Carlsberg League for sponsorship reasons), a breakaway competition formed by teams from the English National League and the Scottish National League. The season featured a total of 15 teams, playing 28 games each.
Portsmouth, reigning champions of the English League claimed the regular season title with a dominating campaign led by the likes of Alan Cunningham and Colin Irish. They weren't able to repeat their success in the post-season Play-off's as third-seed Livingston, the reigning Scottish champions, caused a huge upset with an 81–72 win over Portsmouth in the Final.[1]
Carlsberg League
Final standings
| Team | Pts | Pld | W | L | Percentage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. Portsmouth F.C. | 52 | 28 | 26 | 2 | 0.928 |
| 2. Kingston | 48 | 28 | 24 | 4 | 0.857 |
| 3. Livingston | 44 | 28 | 22 | 6 | 0.785 |
| 4. Manchester United | 42 | 28 | 21 | 7 | 0.750 |
| 5. Calderdale Explorers | 40 | 28 | 20 | 8 | 0.714 |
| 6. Bracknell Tigers | 34 | 28 | 17 | 11 | 0.607 |
| 7. Birmingham Bullets | 28 | 28 | 14 | 14 | 0.500 |
| 8. Solent Stars | 28 | 28 | 14 | 14 | 0.500 |
| 9. Leicester City Riders | 28 | 28 | 14 | 14 | 0.500 |
| 10. Bolton & Bury Giants | 24 | 28 | 12 | 16 | 0.428 |
| 11. Hemel & Watford Royals | 18 | 28 | 9 | 19 | 0.321 |
| 12. Sunderland 76ers | 16 | 28 | 8 | 20 | 0.285 |
| 13. Derby Rams | 8 | 28 | 4 | 24 | 0.142 |
| 14. Oldham Celtics | 6 | 28 | 3 | 25 | 0.107 |
| 15. Crystal Palace | 4 | 28 | 2 | 26 | 0.071 |
| = League winners | |
| = Qualified for the Play-offs |
Play-offs
Quarter-finals
(1) Portsmouth vs. (8) Solent Stars
(2) Kingston vs. (7) Birmingham Bullets
(3) Livingston vs. (6) Bracknell Tigers
(4) Manchester United vs. (5) Calderdale Explorers
Semi-finals
Final
NatWest Trophy
Group stage
North Group 1
| Team | Pts | Pld | W | L | Percent |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. Calderdale Explorers | 10 | 6 | 5 | 1 | 0.833 |
| 2. Manchester United | 10 | 6 | 5 | 1 | 0.833 |
| 3. Bolton & Bury Giants | 4 | 6 | 2 | 4 | 0.333 |
| 4. Oldham Celtics | 0 | 6 | 0 | 6 | 0.000 |
North Group 2
| Team | Pts | Pld | W | L | Percent |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. Livingston | 12 | 6 | 6 | 0 | 1.000 |
| 2. Leicester City Riders | 6 | 6 | 3 | 3 | 0.500 |
| 3. Sunderland 76ers | 6 | 6 | 3 | 3 | 0.500 |
| 4. Derby Rams | 0 | 6 | 0 | 6 | 0.000 |
South Group 1
| Team | Pts | Pld | W | L | Percent |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. Kingston | 12 | 6 | 6 | 0 | 1.000 |
| 2. Hemel & Watford Royals | 4 | 6 | 2 | 4 | 0.333 |
| 3. Crystal Palace | 4 | 6 | 2 | 4 | 0.333 |
| 4. Birmingham Bullets | 4 | 6 | 2 | 4 | 0.333 |
South Group 2
| Team | Pts | Pld | W | L | Percent |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. Portsmouth | 8 | 4 | 4 | 0 | 1.000 |
| 2. Bracknell Tigers | 4 | 4 | 2 | 2 | 0.500 |
| 3. Solent Stars | 0 | 4 | 0 | 4 | 0.000 |
Semi-finals
Calderdale Explorers vs. Livingston
Kingston vs. Portsmouth
Final
Seasonal awards
- Most Valuable Player: Daryl Thomas (Hemel & Watford Royals)
- Coach of the Year: Gary Johnson (Calderdale Explorers)
- All-Star Team:
- Steve Bontrager (Kingston)
- Alan Cunningham (Portsmouth F.C.)
- Dan Davis (Kingston)
- Vic Flemming (Livingston)
- Marcus Gaither (Birmingham Bullets)
- Colin Irish (Portsmouth F.C.)
- Gary Johnson (Calderdale Explorers)
- Phil Smith (Solent Stars)
- Daryl Thomas (Hemel & Watford Royals)
- Clyde Vaughan (Leicester City Riders)
References
- ↑ BBL Media Guide 2003/04, page 15
| Preceded by National Basketball League |
BBL seasons 1987–88 |
Succeeded by 1988–89 season |
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