1997–98 British Basketball League season 1997–98 British Basketball League season The 1997–1998 BBL season was known as the Budweiser League for sponsorship reasons. The league featured the same 13 teams as the previous year, playing 36 games each. The only change saw the Hemel Royals renamed the Watford Royals. 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.
British Basketball League commercial development of basketball within Great Britain. In partnership with England Basketball, the BBL launched a women's league in 2014, branded as the Women's British Basketball League (WBBL). The British Basketball League was formed in 1987 as clubs opted for a franchise-based competition without promotion or relegation. In 1988 Portsmouth won the inaugural BBL Championship title but the following year saw Kingston win the first of three back-to-back league crowns. The 1990s also saw a growth in popularity and commercialism of the league. Games became televised and the league picked up sponsors such as Peugeot, Lego, Playboy and Budweiser, while