Basketball Bundesliga
Encyclopedia
The Basketball Bundesliga (English
: Federal Basketball League) — commonly abbreviated BBL — is the highest level league
of 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 17th and 18th are relegated to a lower league. The playoffs are played in "Best of five" format. The winning team of the final round are the German Champions
of that season.
Additionally to the league competition, all BBL teams compete for the German Cup (BBL-Cup). Teams playing in the second league (Pro A or Pro B) or in a lower Regionalliga are also eligible to participate. Always 3 knock-out rounds are played for the BBL-Cup. If more teams of the leagues below the BBL apply for participation than available places, 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 termed the BBL-TOP4. The gold winning team is the German Cup winner.
. 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 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 teams 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, 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 years duration, in return the BBL agreed to pay an annual "amateur support fee" of DM 600,000 (€ 306,775). Starting with the 2003/2004 season the top league was increased to 16 teams and in 2006/2007 it was further increased to its present size of 18 teams. For the following season 2007/2008 the structure of the second league was reshaped from is northern/southern divisions into a Pro A division and a Pro B division. These divisions remained under the administration by "AG 2. Bundesliga".
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
holds the record being the winner of 14 German 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.
English language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
: Federal Basketball League) — commonly abbreviated BBL — is the highest level league
Sports league
League is a term commonly used to describe a group of sports teams or individual athletes that compete against each other in a specific sport. At its simplest, it may be a local group of amateur athletes who form teams among themselves and compete on weekends; at its most complex, it can be an...
of club basketball
Basketball
Basketball is a team sport in which two teams of five players try to score points by throwing or "shooting" a ball through the top of a basketball hoop while following a set of rules...
in Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
. The league comprises 18 teams. A BBL season is split into a league stage and a playoff
Playoff
The playoffs, postseason, or finals of a sports league are a game or series of games played after the regular season by the top competitors, usually but not always with a single-elimination system, to determine the league champion or a similar accolade.In the U.S...
stage. At the end of the league stage the top eight teams qualify for the playoff stage and the teams positioned 17th and 18th are relegated to a lower league. The playoffs are played in "Best of five" format. The winning team of the final round are the German Champions
German champions (basketball)
Bayer Giants Leverkusen holds the record for having won 14 championships.-German champions :...
of that season.
Additionally to the league competition, all BBL teams compete for the German Cup (BBL-Cup). Teams playing in the second league (Pro A or Pro B) or in a lower Regionalliga are also eligible to participate. Always 3 knock-out rounds are played for the BBL-Cup. If more teams of the leagues below the BBL apply for participation than available places, additional qualification rounds are added for them. The final four
Final four
Final Four isa sports term that is commonly applied to the last four teams remaining in a playoff tournament, most notably NCAA Division I college basketball tournaments. The term usually refers to the four teams who compete in the two games of a single-elimination tournament's semi-final round...
remaining teams determine the rankings for bronze
Bronze medal
A bronze medal is a medal awarded to the third place finisher of contests such as the Olympic Games, Commonwealth Games, etc. The practice of awarding bronze third place medals began at the 1904 Olympic Games in St...
, silver
Silver medal
A silver medal is a medal awarded to the second place finisher of contests such as the Olympic Games, Commonwealth Games, and contests with similar formats....
and gold
Gold medal
A gold medal is typically the medal awarded for highest achievement in a non-military field. Its name derives from the use of at least a fraction of gold in form of plating or alloying in its manufacture...
medals in knock-out matches termed the BBL-TOP4. The gold winning team is the German Cup winner.
History
In Germany a national basketball championship was first organised in 1939 and was won by LSV Spandau. By 1944 almost all basketball activity was forced to an end due to the Second World WarWorld War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
. In 1947 MTSV Schwabing München became the first champion of post-war divided Germany. The creation of a split West-German
West Germany
West Germany is the common English, but not official, name for the Federal Republic of Germany or FRG in the period between its creation in May 1949 to German reunification on 3 October 1990....
federal-league consisting of one northern division and one southern division, each comprising 10 teams, was decided 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 teams 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, 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 years duration, in return the BBL agreed to pay an annual "amateur support fee" of DM 600,000 (€ 306,775). Starting with the 2003/2004 season the top league was increased to 16 teams and in 2006/2007 it was further increased to its present size of 18 teams. For the following season 2007/2008 the structure of the second league was reshaped from is northern/southern divisions into a Pro A division and a Pro B division. These divisions remained under the administration by "AG 2. Bundesliga".
Between 1994 and 2001 the highest level German basketball league was called "Veltins
Veltins
Brauerei C & A Veltins is a brewery in the west German city of Meschede-Grevenstein.Veltins ranks number 7 among Germany's best selling breweries....
Basketball Bundesliga" and from 2001 until 2003 the league was known as "s.Oliver
S.Oliver
s.Oliver is a family-owned German fashion company located in Rottendorf, Bavaria. The company offers apparel, shoes, accessories, jewellery, fragrances and eyewear.- Company history :...
Basketball Bundesliga".
Bayer Giants Leverkusen
Bayer Giants Leverkusen
Bayer Giants Leverkusen is a professional basketball club, part of the Bayer Leverkusen sports club based in Leverkusen, Germany. Based on the number of titles, Leverkusen is the most successful team in the history of German Basketball. In 2009, the Bayer company cut down sponsorship and the club...
holds the record being the winner of 14 German championships. However since 1997 ALBA Berlin
ALBA Berlin
-Depth Chart:* Denotes injured player.-Championships:*German Championships: 8 *German Cups: 6 *Korać Cups: 1 -Notable players:- Season by season :-External links:...
has dominated the league, winning their 8th title in 2008. Twenty-one teams have won the championship since its inception.
Teams 2010-11
| Team | City/Area |
|---|---|
| Brose Baskets | Bamberg Bamberg Bamberg is a city in Bavaria, Germany. It is located in Upper Franconia on the river Regnitz, close to its confluence with the river Main. Bamberg is one of the few cities in Germany that was not destroyed by World War II bombings because of a nearby Artillery Factory that prevented planes from... |
| BBC Bayreuth BBC Bayreuth BBC Bayreuth is a German basketball club based in Bayreuth, Bavaria..The club won the 2009-10 Pro A Championship and will play Basketball Bundesliga in the 2010-11 season.- Season by season :... |
Bayreuth |
| ALBA Berlin ALBA Berlin -Depth Chart:* Denotes injured player.-Championships:*German Championships: 8 *German Cups: 6 *Korać Cups: 1 -Notable players:- Season by season :-External links:... |
Berlin Berlin Berlin is the capital city of Germany and is one of the 16 states of Germany. With a population of 3.45 million people, Berlin is Germany's largest city. It is the second most populous city proper and the seventh most populous urban area in the European Union... |
| Telekom Baskets Bonn Telekom Baskets Bonn Telekom Baskets Bonn is a professional basketball club that is based in Bonn, Germany. The club plays in the German Basketball League, which is the highest level pro basketball league in Germany. The club's sponsor is the German company Deutsche Telekom, a big telephone and internet company, which... |
Bonn Bonn Bonn is the 19th largest city in Germany. Located in the Cologne/Bonn Region, about 25 kilometres south of Cologne on the river Rhine in the State of North Rhine-Westphalia, it was the capital of West Germany from 1949 to 1990 and the official seat of government of united Germany from 1990 to 1999.... |
| New Yorker Phantoms Braunschweig | Braunschweig Braunschweig Braunschweig , is a city of 247,400 people, located in the federal-state of Lower Saxony, Germany. It is located north of the Harz mountains at the farthest navigable point of the Oker river, which connects to the North Sea via the rivers Aller and Weser.... |
| Eisbären Bremerhaven Eisbären Bremerhaven The team was born of the older team BSG Bremerhaven and is playing its sixth season in the Basketball Bundesliga .-Roster:- Depth Chart :-Other Staff:*Assistant Coach: Stephan Voelkel*Athletic Trainer: Michael Seedorf... |
Bremerhaven Bremerhaven Bremerhaven is a city at the seaport of the free city-state of Bremen, a state of the Federal Republic of Germany. It forms an enclave in the state of Lower Saxony and is located at the mouth of the River Weser on its eastern bank, opposite the town of Nordenham... |
| Giants Düsseldorf Giants Düsseldorf Gloria Giants Düsseldorf is a professional basketball club based in Düsseldorf, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. The team was formed in 2008, when the Bayer company decided to dramatically decrease its sponsorship for its Bayer Giants Leverkusen. As a result, the Bayer Giants went down to... |
Düsseldorf Düsseldorf Düsseldorf is the capital city of the German state of North Rhine-Westphalia and centre of the Rhine-Ruhr metropolitan region.Düsseldorf is an important international business and financial centre and renowned for its fashion and trade fairs. Located centrally within the European Megalopolis, the... |
| Deutsche Bank Skyliners | Frankfurt Frankfurt Frankfurt am Main , commonly known simply as Frankfurt, is the largest city in the German state of Hesse and the fifth-largest city in Germany, with a 2010 population of 688,249. The urban area had an estimated population of 2,300,000 in 2010... |
| LTi Giessen 46ers Giessen 46ers LTi Gießen 46ers is a basketball club based in Gießen, Germany that plays in the Basketball Bundesliga and the only team that never left the league since it was established in 1966. Their home arena is Sporthalle Gießen-Ost.... |
Gießen Gießen Gießen, also spelt Giessen is a town in the German federal state of Hesse, capital of both the district of Gießen and the administrative region of Gießen... |
| BG Göttingen | Göttingen Göttingen Göttingen is a university town in Lower Saxony, Germany. It is the capital of the district of Göttingen. The Leine river runs through the town. In 2006 the population was 129,686.-General information:... |
| Phoenix Hagen Phoenix Hagen Phoenix Hagen GmbH is a German professional basketball club that is based in Hagen.-History:The club was founded in May 2004 in the wake of the insolvency of former top club Brandt Hagen. Brandt Hagen was forced to cease club operation in the Basketball Bundesliga immediately in December 2003... |
Hagen Hagen Hagen is the 39th-largest city in Germany, located in the federal state of North Rhine-Westphalia. It is located on the eastern edge of the Ruhr area, 15 km south of Dortmund, where the rivers Lenne, Volme and Ennepe meet the river Ruhr... |
| EnBW Ludwigsburg EnBW Ludwigsburg EnBW Ludwigsburg is a basketball club based in Ludwigsburg, Germany that plays in the Basketball Bundesliga. Their home arena is Arena Ludwigsburg starting in 2009, after moving from Rundsporthalle Ludwigsburg.- Season by season :-Roster 2010–2011:... |
Ludwigsburg Ludwigsburg Ludwigsburg is a city in Baden-Württemberg, Germany, about north of Stuttgart city centre, near the river Neckar. It is the largest and primary city of the Ludwigsburg urban district with about 87,000 inhabitants... |
| EWE Baskets Oldenburg EWE Baskets Oldenburg EWE Baskets Oldenburg is a professional basketball club that is based in the city of Oldenburg, Germany. The club plays in the Bundesliga and in the Eurocup. The club's name is derived from the team's main sponsor EWE AG, which is an electric utility company... |
Oldenburg Oldenburg Oldenburg is an independent city in Lower Saxony, Germany. It is situated in the western part of the state between the cities of Bremen and Groningen, Netherlands, at the Hunte river. It has a population of 160,279 which makes it the fourth biggest city in Lower Saxony after Hanover, Braunschweig... |
| Artland Dragons Artland Dragons Artland Dragons is a basketball club based in Quakenbrück, Germany that plays in the Basketball Bundesliga. Their home arena is Artland Arena, which has room for 3000 spectators.-History:... |
Quakenbrück Quakenbrück Quakenbrück is a town in the district of Osnabrück, in Lower Saxony, Germany. It is situated on the river Hase. It is part of the Samtgemeinde of Artland.... |
| TBB Trier TBB Trier TBB Trier is a basketball club based in Trier, Germany that was founded in 1990, and has played in the Basketball Bundesliga since the club's inception. Their home arena is Trier Arena. They once were part of the sports club TV Germania Trier and became independent after promotion to the... |
Trier Trier Trier, historically called in English Treves is a city in Germany on the banks of the Moselle. It is the oldest city in Germany, founded in or before 16 BC.... |
| Walter Tigers Tübingen | Tübingen Tübingen Tübingen is a traditional university town in central Baden-Württemberg, Germany. It is situated south of the state capital, Stuttgart, on a ridge between the Neckar and Ammer rivers.-Geography:... |
| Ratiopharm Ulm Ratiopharm Ulm -Notable players: Christian Ast 3 seasons: '96-'99 Konrad Wysocki 3 seasons: '06-'08 Olivier Bourgain 2 seasons: '99-'01 Jeff Kent 1 season: '00-'01 Alon Stein 1 season: '02-'03 Kyle Bailey 1 season: '07-'08 Jeff Gibbs 4 seasons: '05-'09 Abdul Shamsid-Deen 1 season: '99-'00 Romeo Travis 1 season:... |
Ulm Ulm Ulm is a city in the federal German state of Baden-Württemberg, situated on the River Danube. The city, whose population is estimated at 120,000 , forms an urban district of its own and is the administrative seat of the Alb-Donau district. Ulm, founded around 850, is rich in history and... |
| Mitteldeutscher BC Mitteldeutscher BC Mitteldeutscher Basketball Club is a German basketball club based in Weißenfels, Saxony-Anhalt. In 2004, the club won the FIBA Europe Cup against JDA Dijon... |
Weißenfels Weißenfels Weißenfels is the largest town of the Burgenlandkreis district, in southern Saxony-Anhalt, Germany. It is situated on the river Saale, approximately south of Halle.-History:... |
See also
- German championsGerman champions (basketball)Bayer Giants Leverkusen holds the record for having won 14 championships.-German champions :...
- Basketball Bundesliga 2010–11Basketball Bundesliga 2010–11The Basketball Bundesliga 2010–11 was the 45th season of the Basketball Bundesliga . Prior to the start of the season, a new logo for the league was presented, combined with the motto "Spürst Du das Dribbeln?"...
- Basketball Bundesliga 2009–10Basketball Bundesliga 2009–10The Basketball Bundesliga 2009–10 was the 44th season of the Basketball Bundesliga. Ten days before the start of the season, Beko was presented as the new main sponsor of the BBL. The sponsorship agreement was made for a period of six years and included a rebranding of the league name to Beko BBL...