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1998–99 British Basketball League season

(Redirected from British Basketball League 1998-99)

The 1998–99 BBL season was the 12th season of the British Basketball League, known as the Budweiser Basketball League for sponsorship reasons, since its establishment in 1987. The regular season commenced on September 12, 1998, and ended on April 4, 1999, with a total of 13 teams competing, playing 36 games each. The post-season Play-offs began on April 9 and culminated in the end-of-season finale on May 2 at Wembley Arena.

1998–99 BBL season
LeagueBritish Basketball League
SportBasketball
Roll of Honour
BBL championsSheffield Sharks
Play Off's championsLondon Towers
National Cup championsSheffield Sharks
BBL Trophy championsManchester Giants
British Basketball League seasons

Start-up franchise Edinburgh Rocks became the League's newest member following their addition as the 14th franchise during the pre-season and the first Scottish team to appear in the top-flight since Glasgow Rangers' participation in the 1988–89 season. The League membership was reduced to 13 teams shortly after following the merger of the London Towers and Crystal Palace franchises, whilst another notable change was the uprooting of Watford Royals, who moved to the Bletchley Centre in Milton Keynes to become the Milton Keynes Lions.[1]

Sheffield Sharks were a dominant force throughout the season, winning the Sainsbury's Classic Cola Cup whilst storming the Budweiser League and taking the Championship to complete the "Double". The campaign came down to a memorable final game where Sharks claimed the title from rivals Manchester Giants with the last shot of the game, winning 85–87 to take the crown. Their successful run fell short in the play-offs however, managing only a third-placed finish thus allowing a new-look London Towers to claim the title. Manchester Giants also ended a decade-long drought of silverware with their win in the uni-ball Trophy.

No teams participated in European competition after Birmingham Bullets and Greater London Leopards both declined to compete in the Saporta Cup.

Notable occurrences

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  • Edinburgh Rocks were officially announced as the League's newest franchise on 4 June 1998 – though the Rocks nickname was revealed at a later date – with former NBA player Jim Brandon signed as the team's head coach.[2]
  • The London Towers and Crystal Palace teams merged their organisations during the close-season, with the new franchise continuing to use the London Towers branding and utilising the home venues of both clubs, Crystal Palace National Sports Centre and Wembley Arena for home games.[citation needed]
  • Watford Royals owner Vince Macaulay announced on 19 June that he was moving the franchise to Milton Keynes due to a lack of suitable venues for home games in Watford,[3] after plans for a new 3,000-capacity arena in Watford, to be built in partnership with Watford F.C., fell through.[4]
  • The Budweiser League game between Chester Jets and Derby Storm on 31 January 1999 was abandoned after 30 seconds due to a court invasion from both sets of players following a fight between Chester's Sean Hartley and Derby's England international Yorick Williams. Media reports claim it was the most serious incident in the history of competitive basketball in Britain.[5][6] Four players were initially ejected from the game, including Williams and Hartley, whilst Chester physio Alison Troughtman was taken to hospital, suffering from a suspected broken-jaw.[7] It was later announced that Williams was suspended for the remainder of the regular season, whilst Derby's Rico Alderson was banned until the following season.[8]
  • The Southern All-Stars were victorious in the annual All-Star Game against their Northern rivals, with a 156–158 win at Newcastle Arena on February 27. Edinburgh's Ted Berry was the game-high scorer with 29 points and was named as the games Most Valuable Player.[9]
  • Manchester Giants claimed their first piece of silverware in franchise history after defeating Derby in the uni-ball Trophy Final on 13 March. Giants won 90–69, and the 21-point gap between the two teams was the biggest winning margin in the event's history.[10]
  • Furthering their ongoing disciplinary issues, it was revealed in April that Derby Storm's American player Maurice Robinson was issued with a one-year suspension for failing to supply a complete urine sample during a Sports Council doping control test.[11]
  • The Budweiser League came down to a memorable final game between title-chasing rivals Sheffield Sharks and Manchester Giants in-front of more than 11,000 fans at the MEN Arena. With both teams tied on points at the top of the League table, and tied at 85–85 with just 3.5 seconds left in the game, Terrell Myers took the pass and his 18 ft buzzer-beating jump-shot claimed the title for Sheffield.[12]
  • London Towers were crowned as Budweiser League Play-off champions on 2 May, after defeating Thames Valley Tigers 82–71 at Wembley Arena. Towers' Malcolm Leak lead the game's scoring, posting 20 points.[13]
  • Nottingham-based businessman Craig Bown purchased the Birmingham Bullets franchise at the end of the season for a reported six-figure sum.[14]

Budweiser League Championship (Tier 1)

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Final standings

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Pos Team Pld W L % Pts
1 Sheffield Sharks 36 31 5 0.861 62
2 Manchester Giants 36 30 6 0.833 60
3 London Towers 36 24 12 0.667 48
4 Thames Valley Tigers 36 22 14 0.611 44
5 Newcastle Eagles 36 21 15 0.583 42
6 Derby Storm 36 21 15 0.583 42
7 Birmingham Bullets 36 21 15 0.583 42
8 Greater London Leopards 36 19 17 0.527 38
9 Edinburgh Rocks 36 12 24 0.333 24
10 Milton Keynes Lions 36 10 26 0.278 20
11 Chester Jets 36 10 26 0.278 20
12 Leicester Riders 36 9 27 0.250 18
13 Worthing Bears 36 4 32 0.111 8
= League winners
= Qualified for the play-offs

Playoffs

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Quarter-finals

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(1) Sheffield Sharks vs. (8) Greater London Leopards

April 11, 1999
Greater London Leopards 83–76 Sheffield Sharks
Brentwood Centre, Brentwood
April 16, 1999
Sheffield Sharks 75–68 Greater London Leopards
Sheffield wins series, 2–1

(2) Manchester Giants vs. (7) Birmingham Bullets

April 17, 1999
Manchester Giants 90–77 Birmingham Bullets
Manchester wins series, 2–1

(3) London Towers vs. (5) Newcastle Eagles

April 15, 1999
London Towers 91–76 Newcastle Eagles
April 17, 1999
London Towers 87–68 Newcastle Eagles
London wins series, 2–1

(4) Thames Valley Tigers vs. (6) Derby Storm

April 14, 1999
Thames Valley Tigers 114–93 Derby Storm
Thames Valley wins series, 2–0

Semi-finals

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May 1, 1999
Sheffield Sharks 78–85 London Towers

Third-place game

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May 2, 1999
Sheffield Sharks 98–88 Manchester Giants

Final

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May 2, 1999
6.30pm GMT
London Towers 82–71 Thames Valley Tigers
Pts: Malcolm Leak 20, Jason Siemon, Danny Lewis (MVP), Martin Henlan, Randy Duck Pts: Bryan Balser 22, Mark Jackson, Stewart Clark, Lee Walker
Wembley Arena, London
Attendance: 9,000
Towers coachLino Frattin
Tigers coach Paul James

National League Division 1 (Tier 2)

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Final standings

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Pos Team Pld W L % Pts
1 Solent Stars * 26 21 5 0.808 42
2 Plymouth Raiders 26 21 5 0.808 42
3 Guildford Pumas 26 19 7 0.731 38
4 Teesside Mohawks 26 19 7 0.731 38
5 London Towers II 26 17 9 0.654 34
6 Mid-Sussex Magic 26 16 10 0.615 32
7 Cardiff Clippers 26 14 12 0.538 28
8 Coventry Crusaders 26 12 14 0.463 24
9 Westminster Warriors 26 9 17 0.346 18
10 Stevenage Rebels 26 9 17 0.346 18
11 Oxford Devils 26 9 17 0.346 18
12 Solihull Chiefs 26 7 19 0.269 14
13 Cardiff Phoenix 26 6 20 0.231 12
14 Brixton TopCats 26 2 24 0.077 4
= League winners
= Qualified for the play-offs

Champions by virtue of head-to-head record*

Playoffs

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Quarter-finals

Plymouth Raiders 111–101 Cardiff Clippers
Guildford Pumas 90–79 Mid-Sussex Magic

Semi-finals

Plymouth Raiders 93–75 Guildford Pumas

Final

National League Division 2 (Tier 3)

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Final standings

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Pos Team Pld W L % Pts
1 Birmingham Bullets II 26 22 4 0.846 44
2 Taunton Tigers 26 21 5 0.808 42
3 City of Manchester Attitude 26 18 8 0.693 36
4 Reading Rockets 26 17 9 0.654 34
5 Liverpool Atac 26 16 10 0.615 32
6 Chessington Wildcats 26 16 10 0.615 32
7 Northampton 89ers 26 15 11 0.577 30
8 Wandsworth Bulls 26 12 14 0.463 24
9 Flintshire Flyers 26 12 14 0.463 24
10 Slough Chargers 26 8 18 0.308 16
11 Swindon Sonics 26 7 19 0.269 14
12 Bournemouth Dolphins 26 7 19 0.269 14
13 Portsmouth Pirates 26 5 21 0.192 10
14 Thames Valley Tigers II 26 5 21 0.192 10
= League winners
= Qualified for the play-offs

Playoffs

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Quarter-finals

Birmingham Bullets B 89–73 Wandsworth Bulls
Taunton Tigers 100–80 Northampton 89ers
Manchester Attitude 90–72 Chessington Wildcats
Reading Rockets 79–91 Liverpool Atac

Semi-finals

Taunton Tigers 80–59 Manchester Attitude
Birmingham Bullets B 76–71 Liverpool Atac

Final

Birmingham Bullets B 79–99 Taunton Tigers

National League Division 3 (Tier 4)

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Final standings

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Pos Team Pld W L % Pts
1 Kingston upon Hull Icebergs 20 18 2 0.900 36
2 North London Lords 20 17 3 0.850 34
3 NW London Wolverines 20 12 8 0.600 24
4 Barking & Dag. Erkenwald 20 12 8 0.600 24
5 Mansfield Express 20 11 9 0.550 22
6 Ware Fire 20 11 9 0.550 22
7 Derbyshire Arrows 20 9 11 0.450 18
8 Cambridge 20 8 12 0.400 16
9 Stoke Stealers 20 6 14 0.300 12
10 Sutton 20 4 16 0.200 8
11 Doncaster Eagles 20 2 18 0.100 4
= League winners
= Qualified for the play-offs

Playoffs

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Quarter-finals

NW London Wolverines 85–64 Ware Fire
North London Lords 82–71 Derbyshire Arrows
Hull Icebergs 80–72 Cambridge
Barking & Dagenham Erkenwald 85–76 Mansfield Express

Semi-finals

Hull Icebergs 90–88 Barking & Dagenham Erkenwald
North London Lords 96–90 NW London Wolverines

Final

Hull Icebergs 58–75 North London Lords

Sainsbury's Classic Cola National Cup

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Last 16

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Team 1 Team 2 Score
Teesside Mohawks Sheffield Sharks 83-91
Derby Storm Worthing Bears 103-82
Manchester Giants Edinburgh Rocks 90-70
Thames Valley Tigers London Towers 95-83
Plymouth Raiders Greater London Leopards 68-100
Stevenage Rebels Birmingham Bullets 63-106
Leicester Riders Chester Jets 89-92
Newcastle Eagles Milton Keynes Lions 77-69

Quarter-finals

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Team 1 Team 2 Score
Sheffield Sharks Derby Storm 87-76
Manchester Giants Thames Valley Tigers 87-100
Greater London Leopards Birmingham Bullets 90-88
Chester Jets Newcastle Eagles 72-93

Semi-finals

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Team 1 Team 2 Score
Sheffield Sharks Thames Valley Tigers 78-66
Greater London Leopards Newcastle Eagles 98-95 OT

Final

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uni-ball Trophy

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Group stage

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Group A

Team Pts Pld W L Percent
1.Sheffield Sharks 12 7 6 1 0.857
2.Derby Storm 10 7 5 2 0.714
3.Manchester Giants 10 7 5 2 0.714
4.Chester Jets 8 7 4 3 0.571
5.Leicester Riders 8 7 4 3 0.571
6.Milton Keynes Lions 2 7 1 6 0.142
7.Worthing Bears 0 7 0 7 0.000

Group B

Team Pts Pld W L Percent
1.London Towers 8 4 4 0 1.000
2.Birmingham Bullets 6 4 3 1 0.750
3.Newcastle Eagles 4 4 2 2 0.500
4.Greater London Leopards 2 4 1 3 0.250
5.Edinburgh Rocks 0 4 0 4 0.000

Quarter-finals

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January 27, 1999
Derby Storm 109–102 Newcastle Eagles

Semi-finals

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Derby Storm vs. Leicester Riders

February 10, 1999
Derby Storm 88–75 Leicester Riders
February 18, 1999
Leicester Riders 93–90 Derby Storm
Derby wins on aggregate, 178–168

Sheffield Sharks vs. Manchester Giants

February 17, 1999
Manchester Giants 93–88 Sheffield Sharks
Manchester wins on aggregate, 174–165

Final

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Dairylea Dunkers All-Star Game

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February 27, 1999
7.05pm GMT
Northern All-Stars 156–158 Southern All-Stars
Pts: Ted Berry, 29 Pts: Malcolm Leak/Jason Siemon, 24

Statistics leaders

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Category Player Stat
Points per game   John White (Manchester Giants) 26.09
Rebounds per game   Rico Alderson (Derby Storm) 11.84
Assists per game   Prentice McGruder (Chester Jets) 8.38
Steals per game   Casey Arena (Thames Valley Tigers) 3.34
Blocks per game   James Doyle (Leicester Riders) 2.56

Seasonal awards

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References

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  1. ^ "Royals reign in Watford is over". News Shopper. 1998. Retrieved 2012-12-03.
  2. ^ "Oddballs are here". The Herald. 1998. Retrieved 2012-12-03.
  3. ^ "Royals reign in Watford is over". News Shopper. 1998. Retrieved 2012-12-03.
  4. ^ "London Lions History". LondonLionsBasketball.co.uk. 2012. Archived from the original on 2012-11-18. Retrieved 2012-12-03.
  5. ^ Richard Taylor (February 1, 1999). "Fight ends game after 30 seconds". The Independent. London. Retrieved 2012-12-03.
  6. ^ Richard Taylor (February 1, 1999). "Mayhem on court". The Independent. London. Archived from the original on March 5, 2016. Retrieved 2012-12-03.
  7. ^ Richard Taylor (February 2, 1999). "Police probe assault on Chester's physio". The Independent. London. Retrieved 2012-12-03.
  8. ^ "News February 27". BritBall. 1999. Archived from the original on February 10, 2013. Retrieved 2012-12-03.
  9. ^ "South take 1999 All-Star Game". BritBall. 1999. Retrieved 2012-12-03.
  10. ^ Richard Taylor (March 15, 1999). "First title secured by Giants". The Independent. London. Retrieved 2012-12-03.
  11. ^ Richard Taylor (April 10, 1999). "Robinson faced with one year suspension". The Independent. London. Retrieved 2012-12-03.
  12. ^ Richard Taylor (April 3, 1999). "Myers in moment of magic". The Independent. London. Retrieved 2012-12-03.
  13. ^ "Towers are crowned at Wembley". BritBall. 1999. Retrieved 2012-12-03.
  14. ^ "Bown budgeting to make Bullets high-calibre weapon". Birmingham Post. 1999. Retrieved 2012-12-03.
  15. ^ "Nicholas Harling. "Towers' strength in defence keeps grip on trophy." Times [London, England] 3 Mar. 1997". The Times Digital Archive. Archived from the original on 2016-04-30.
Preceded by BBL seasons
1998–99 		Succeeded by
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