1996–97 British Basketball League season
The 1996–1997 BBL season was the 10th 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, playing 36 games each.
The League's two London-based teams dominated throughout the season, with the Leopards team claiming their first silverware in its franchise history after winning the Budweiser League and Sainsbury's Classic Cola Cup double. Their Capital foes, London Towers were equally successful throughout the campaign, clinching the 7 Up Trophy and pipping Leopards to the Play-off title, with a one-point victory in the final at Wembley Arena against their rivals.
London Towers represented the Budweiser League in European competition, participating in the EuroCup before being eliminated by Russian team Autodorozhnik Saratov in the 2nd Round.[1]
Budweiser League Championship
Final standings
| Team | Pts | Pld | W | L | Percentage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. Leopards | 56 | 36 | 28 | 8 | 0.777 |
| 2. London Towers | 52 | 36 | 26 | 10 | 0.722 |
| 3. Sheffield Sharks | 52 | 36 | 26 | 10 | 0.722 |
| 4. Birmingham Bullets | 52 | 36 | 26 | 10 | 0.722 |
| 5. Chester Jets | 48 | 36 | 24 | 12 | 0.666 |
| 6. Manchester Giants | 44 | 36 | 22 | 14 | 0.611 |
| 7. Newcastle Eagles | 42 | 36 | 21 | 15 | 0.583 |
| 8. Leicester Riders | 30 | 36 | 15 | 21 | 0.416 |
| 9. Derby Storm | 28 | 36 | 14 | 22 | 0.388 |
| 10. Thames Valley Tigers | 30 | 36 | 14 | 22 | 0.388 |
| 11. Worthing Bears | 24 | 36 | 12 | 24 | 0.333 |
| 12. Crystal Palace | 10 | 36 | 5 | 31 | 0.138 |
| 13. Hemel & Watford Royals | 4 | 36 | 2 | 34 | 0.055 |
| = League winners | |
| = Qualified for the Play-offs |
The Play-offs
Quarter-finals
(1) Leopards vs. (8) Leicester Riders
(2) London Towers vs. (7) Newcastle Eagles
(3) Sheffield Sharks vs. (6) Manchester Giants
(4) Birmingham Bullets vs. (5) Chester Jets
Semi-finals
Final
7 Up Trophy
Group stage
Northern Group
| Team | Pts | Pld | W | L | Percent |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1.Sheffield Sharks | 10 | 5 | 5 | 0 | 1.000 |
| 2.Chester Jets | 8 | 5 | 4 | 1 | 0.800 |
| 3.Leicester Riders | 4 | 5 | 2 | 3 | 0.400 |
| 4.Manchester Giants | 4 | 5 | 2 | 3 | 0.400 |
| 5.Derby Storm | 2 | 5 | 1 | 4 | 0.200 |
| 6.Newcastle Eagles | 2 | 5 | 1 | 4 | 0.200 |
Southern Group
| Team | Pts | Pld | W | L | Percent |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1.Leopards | 10 | 5 | 5 | 0 | 1.000 |
| 2.Thames Valley Tigers | 6 | 5 | 3 | 2 | 0.600 |
| 3.Worthing Bears | 6 | 5 | 3 | 2 | 0.600 |
| 4.Birmingham Bullets | 6 | 5 | 3 | 2 | 0.600 |
| 5.Crystal Palace | 2 | 5 | 1 | 4 | 0.400 |
| 6.Hemel & Watford Royals | 0 | 5 | 0 | 5 | 0.000 |
Leicester finished ahead of Manchester by having the best head-to-head record between the teams, whilst Birmingham qualify as fourth-placed finishers with the best record. London received a bye into Quarter-finals.
Quarter-finals
Birmingham Bullets vs. Leicester Riders
Leopards vs. London Towers
Thames Valley Tigers vs. Chester Jets
Worthing Bears vs. Sheffield Sharks
Semi-finals
Chester Jets vs. Leicester Riders
Sheffield Sharks vs. London Towers
Final
Seasonal awards
- Most Valuable Player: John White (Leopards)
- Coach of the Year: Mike Burton (Chester Jets)
- All-Star Team:
- John White (Leopards)
- Ralph Blalock (Newcastle Eagles)
- Eric Burks (Leopards)
- Tony Dorsey (Birmingham Bullets)
- James Hamilton (Worthing Bears)
- Roger Huggins (Sheffield Sharks)
- Danny Lewis (London Towers)
- Nigel Lloyd (Birmingham Bullets)
- Billy Singleton (Chester Jets)
- Voise Winters (Sheffield Sharks)
References
| Preceded by 1995–96 season |
BBL seasons 1996–97 |
Succeeded by 1997–98 season |
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