Category: League Direction
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SLB Cup Final Preview
The Great Britain Men’s long list for the most recent FIBA World Cup qualifiers included 20 names. Five were from London Lions. Two were from Manchester Basketball. Only one other Super League Basketball player made the squad — Bristol Flyers guard Jonathan Brown. London and Manchester have both spent the season competing in Europe with…
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When National Rankings Decide Domestic Value
Governing Body Endorsements (GBE) were impossible to ignore last summer. Visas, eligibility, and league recognition became flashpoints that shaped roster construction and even the start of the season. What has received far less attention is how the GBE criteria quietly shape recruitment choices long before a player ever steps on court. This article explains how…
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Making the SLB Table Mean More
European basketball isn’t a rarity in the SLB. Four clubs have been competing in two different European competitions this season. Club Competition London Lions EuroCup Bristol Flyers ENBL Manchester Basketball ENBL Newcastle Eagles ENBL The important point is not who those clubs are, but how they got there. European participation is decided by club choice…
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Funds Can’t Play Basketball
The day after the NBA brought a regular-season game to the O2, a different room in London hosted a different kind of audience. 250 invite-only guests gathered at the Raffles Hotel for private briefings on the NBA’s plans for Europe. In one sense, the event worked. Not because a league was announced, or because clubs…
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A Subtle Shift in the SLB Calendar
Buried in this season’s regulations is a small change to how games are scheduled. Under 17.9 in the SLB operating rules, teams will no longer be required to play two domestic fixtures on consecutive days — commonly referred to as back-to-back games. Last season, back-to-backs were one of the clearest pressure points in the calendar…
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What To Do With the London Lions?
The London Lions have built a team that fits neither competition. In the SLB they’re steady; in EuroCup they’re struggling to stay afloat. The same roster that never looked like losing against Bristol can’t stay in a game against Budućnost. Through the opening weeks, London have beaten every SLB opponent comfortably, posting the league’s highest…
