1996–97 British Basketball League season a bye into Quarter-finals. Birmingham Bullets vs. Leicester Riders Leopards vs. London Towers Thames Valley Tigers vs. Chester Jets Worthing Bears vs. Sheffield Sharks Chester Jets vs. Leicester Riders Sheffield Sharks vs. London Towers 1996–97 British Basketball League season The 1996–1997 BBL season was known as the Budweiser League for sponsorship reasons. The league retained a total of 13 teams, playing 36 games each. The main change featured the long-awaited return of Crystal Palace after several seasons of rejected applications. Palace replaced Doncaster Panthers following the liquidation of the South Yorkshire club. The League's two London-based teams dominated throughout the
2008–09 British Basketball League season Group 4 Guildford Heat win 187-161 on aggregate and Newcastle Eagles win 176-159 on aggregate. 2008–09 British Basketball League season The 2008–2009 season was the 22nd campaign in the history of the British Basketball League (BBL), which commenced on September 14, 2008 with the Cup Winners' Cup. The regular season began a week later with 12 teams competing, though a line-up change saw the Birmingham Panthers withdraw and fold during close season and the inclusion of Worthing Thunder from the English Basketball League. Newcastle Eagles continued their dominance of Britain's basketball scene, scooping up the League title, the Play-off crown