A talent filled, fun league, the British Basketball League has survived several downs and seems to be growing in strength. 3 teams folded in three seasons seeing powerful Manchester Giants, lowly Derby Storm and traditional London Leopards fade into oblivion. BBL league offices were streamlined and personnel changed. Although the recent past has been dark, positives are just around the corner. New Commissioner Vince McCauley hopes to strengthen the League and attract sponsorship with an eye on possible expansion. This season Plymouth Raiders have jumped from EBL up to BBL showing positive potential to other clubs looking to move up. Well known London Towers are the most successful organization in the league with Brighton Bears and Sheffield Sharks extremely competitive. The era of British basketball in arenas passed some years ago and now most teams play home games in Leisure centers throughout the country. Unlike most major European basketball leagues that play one game a week on weekends, the BBL plays an NBA like schedule with games sprinkled throughout the calendar on any day of the week. Practice facilities are also an issue with most teams as well as number or players available for practice. Homegrown talent is always improving, but the lack of outstanding English players in the league hurts the level. The best English players often leave to play on the continent in Europe. As a result, British rules allow 3 American import players along with a naturalized player on rosters --- this produces an uptempo NBA style wide open game. Officiating in the league is generally poor and must improve. England's lifestyle is extremely comfortable for American players making the BBL and 2nd division EBL a desired place to work. Most Americans have some youth coaching responsibility while playing in England. Every team runs a different program, but players should expect some school coaching program as part of their job. Youth basketball and developmental systems are a big issue for the future of English basketball. Poor existing programs have resulted in little interest in the game. Clearly, England Basketball has a lot of work to do improving the infrastructure of the game in Britian. Many players use the British league as a springboard for success making a name for themselves before moving into mainland Europe --- some even stay in England long enough to earn a British passport through naturalization. For comfort away from the USA, it is hard to beat England.
IRELAND
Basketball in Ireland has taken criticism over the years, but the league and level have improved dramatically in recent seasons. As Irish players continue to improve, so will the league. Teams in the Irish Superleague can play with 2 American imports and one Bosman import for their roster. Youth basketball has better structure and programming than England, but the culture is similar in that basketball remains underdeveloped. 12 teams are split into 2 6 team conferences (north and south). Some teams will practice 3 times per week while others struggle to get 10 for full court drills --- although not common, these are the issues that have plagued Irish basketball in the past resulting in the criticism from the past.
