1997–98 British Basketball League season
| 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 1997–1998 BBL season was the 11th season of the British Basketball League (known as the Budweiser League for sponsorship reasons) since its establishment in 1987. The season featured a total of 13 teams competing, playing 36 games each.
Greater London Leopards clinched their second successive Budweiser League title only by virtue of an overtime win in their final game of the season against Sheffield Sharks. Leopards' 102–106 victory in Sheffield meant they finished level on points with title-rivals Birmingham Bullets, but were crowned Champions due to a better head-to-head record over the Midlands team. Birmingham gained some consolation by taking their second Play-off Championship in three years at Wembley Arena, beating off a tough challenge from Thames Valley Tigers, winning 78–75. Sheffield claimed their first uni-ball Trophy with an 82–79 win over London Towers at the National Exhibition Centre.
London Towers represented the Budweiser League in European competition, participating in the EuroCup.
Notable occurrences
- Greater London Leopards won the League title in the final game of the season on April 5, 1998, with an 102–106 overtime victory at Sheffield Sharks. Regulation time ended on 90–90, but Leopards' Eric Burks sunk 9 of their 16 overtime points to win the title for the second successive season.[1]
Budweiser League Championship
Final standings
| Team | Pts | Pld | W | L | Percentage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. Greater London Leopards | 58 | 36 | 29 | 7 | 0.806 |
| 2. Birmingham Bullets | 58 | 36 | 29 | 7 | 0.806 |
| 3. Newcastle Eagles | 50 | 36 | 25 | 11 | 0.694 |
| 4. Sheffield Sharks | 50 | 36 | 25 | 11 | 0.694 |
| 5. Thames Valley Tigers | 48 | 36 | 24 | 12 | 0.666 |
| 6. London Towers | 46 | 36 | 23 | 13 | 0.638 |
| 7. Derby Storm | 32 | 36 | 16 | 20 | 0.444 |
| 8. Manchester Giants | 30 | 36 | 15 | 21 | 0.416 |
| 9. Leicester Riders | 30 | 36 | 15 | 21 | 0.416 |
| 10. Chester Jets | 30 | 36 | 15 | 21 | 0.416 |
| 11. Crystal Palace | 16 | 36 | 8 | 28 | 0.222 |
| 12. Worthing Bears | 14 | 36 | 7 | 29 | 0.194 |
| 13. Watford Royals | 6 | 36 | 3 | 33 | 0.083 |
| = League winners | |
| = Qualified for the Play-offs |
The Play-offs
Quarter-finals
(1) Greater London Leopards vs. (8) Manchester Giants
April 14, 1998 |
| Manchester Giants | 86–93 | Greater London Leopards |
April 16, 1998 |
| Greater London Leopards | 98–107 | Manchester Giants |
April 19, 1998 |
| Greater London Leopards | 81–90 | Manchester Giants | ||
| Manchester wins series, 2–1 | ||||
(2) Birmingham Bullets vs. (7) Derby Storm
(3) Newcastle Eagles vs. (6) London Towers
(4) Sheffield Sharks vs. (5) Thames Valley Tigers
Semi-finals
Third-place game
Final
uni-ball Trophy
Group stage
Northern Group
| Team | Pts | Pld | W | L | Percent |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1.Newcastle Eagles | 6 | 5 | 3 | 2 | 0.600 |
| 2.Leicester Riders | 6 | 5 | 3 | 2 | 0.600 |
| 3.Manchester Giants | 6 | 5 | 3 | 2 | 0.600 |
| 4.Sheffield Sharks | 4 | 5 | 2 | 3 | 0.400 |
| 5.Chester Jets | 4 | 5 | 2 | 3 | 0.400 |
| 6.Derby Storm | 4 | 5 | 2 | 3 | 0.400 |
Southern Group
| Team | Pts | Pld | W | L | Percent |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1.Gtr. London Leopards | 10 | 5 | 5 | 0 | 1.000 |
| 2.Thames Valley Tigers | 6 | 5 | 3 | 2 | 0.600 |
| 3.Birmingham Bullets | 6 | 5 | 3 | 2 | 0.600 |
| 4.Watford Royals | 4 | 5 | 2 | 3 | 0.400 |
| 5.Crystal Palace | 4 | 5 | 2 | 3 | 0.400 |
| 6.Worthing Bears | 0 | 5 | 0 | 5 | 0.000 |
Sheffield finished ahead of Chester and Derby by having the best record in matches between the three teams and qualify as fourth placed finishers with the best record ahead of Watford on basket difference. London Towers received a bye into Quarter-finals.
Quarter-finals
Greater London Leopards vs. Thames Valley Tigers
January 21, 1998 |
| Thames Valley Tigers | 87–95 | Greater London Leopards | ||
| Greater London wins on aggregate, 178–166 | ||||
London Towers vs. Manchester Giants
Newcastle Eagles vs. Birmingham Bullets
Sheffield Sharks vs. Leicester Riders
Semi-finals
London Towers vs. Newcastle Eagles
Sheffield Sharks vs. Greater London Leopards
February 12, 1998 |
| Greater London Leopards | 90–82 | Sheffield Sharks | ||
| Sheffield wins on aggregate, 185–175 | ||||
Final
March 8, 1998 |
| Sheffield Sharks | 82–79 | London Towers | ||
| Pts: John Amaechi, 40 Rebs: John Amaechi, 16 |
Pts: Danny Lewis, 23 Rebs: Keith Robinson, 13 | |||
Dairylea Dunkers All-Star Game
March 22, 1998 7.05pm GMT |
| Northern All-Stars | 168–175 | Southern All-Stars | ||
| Pts: Leon McGee, 25 | Pts: John White, 32 | |||
Sheffield Arena, Sheffield |
|
| ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Statistics leaders
| Category | Player | Stat |
|---|---|---|
| Points per game |  Tony Dorsey (Birmingham Bullets) | 26.09 |
| Rebounds per game | Makeba Perry (Greater London Leopards) | 11.81 |
| Assists per game |  Cleave Lewis (Watford Royals) | 5.78 |
| Steals per game | Casey Arena (Thames Valley Tigers) | 3.11 |
| Blocks per game |  Brendan Graves (Derby Storm) | 2.77 |
Seasonal awards
- Most Valuable Player: Eric Burks (Greater London Leopards)
- Coach of the Year: Billy Mimms (Greater London Leopards)
- All-Star Team:
- Eric Burks (Greater London Leopards)
- John Amaechi (Sheffield Sharks)
- Ted Berry (Derby Storm)
- Tony Dorsey (Birmingham Bullets)
- Tony Holley (Thames Valley Tigers)
- Danny Lewis (London Towers)
- Nigel Lloyd (Birmingham Bullets)
- John McCord (Thames Valley Tigers)
- Leon McGee (Newcastle Eagles)
- John White (Greater London Leopards)
References
- ↑ Mark Woods (1998). "Leopards are the Champions". BritBall. Retrieved 2012-12-07.
| Preceded by 1996–97 season |
BBL seasons 1997–98 |
Succeeded by 1998–99 season |
| ||||||||||||||||||||||