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Sheffield Sharks
League	SLB,TBT
Established	1991; 34 years ago (1991)
History	Sheffield Forgers (1991–1994) Sheffield Sharks (1994–present)
Arena	Canon Medical Arena
Capacity	2,500
Location	Sheffield,South Yorkshire
Team colours	Navy blue, yellow, silver grey, white
Main sponsor	B. Braun
Head coach	Atiba Lyons
Championships	1SLB Cup 4BBL Championship 2BBL Playoffs 3BBL Cup 2BBL Trophy
Website	Official website

TheSheffield Sharks, currently known asB.Braun Sheffield Sharks for sponsorship reasons, are a professionalbasketball team from the city ofSheffield,England. The Sharks compete in theSuper League Basketball and play their home matches atPark Community Arena, which opened in 2023. They are one of the most successful teams in the history of British basketball and dominated domestic competitions throughout the 1990s and early 2000s.

The club was established in 1991 when the team, then called theSheffield Forgers in reference to the city's history as a majorsteel producer, were admitted toNational Basketball League Division 2. After two seasons competing in the division, with an overall 26–16 record, the Forgers were crowned Champions in 1993 and promoted to NBL Division 1.

The 1993–1994 season would prove to be another successful one for the Forgers having reached the National Trophy final where they beatPlymouth Raiders 62–60 on "home" territory at theSheffield Arena. Their stay in the First Division did not last long, and although they finished in 4th position with a 10–8 record, the Forgers were admitted to the professional top-tierBritish Basketball League as a new franchise to replace the withdrawingGuildford Kings.

The club was purchased by theChrysalis Group in 1994 and rebranded asSheffield Sharks. On court, the team dominated the league in its rookie season, and with a 29–7 league record, marched on to take the BBL League Championship and National Cup with an incredible 89–66 victory in the final againstThames Valley Tigers. However the Tigers got their revenge over the Sharks with a nail-biting 74–69 win in theBBL Trophy final. The Sharks also missed out on the playoff final following a 72–84 loss toWorthing Bears in the Final Four, despite this the Sheffield team still enjoyed a phenomenal debut season.

In 1995, the1995 McDonald's Championship came toLondon and the Sharks were entered as the host team, mixing with the elite of world basketball including theNBA'sHouston Rockets,Spanish League giantsReal Madrid andBologna of theItalian League amongst others. Sheffield finished the series 0–2, following defeats to Real Madrid andMaccabi Tel Aviv.

Sharks' adventure continued into Europe in the following season (1995–96) when they competed in the prestigiousEuroleague. After knocking outLuxembourg-based teamResidence Helmsange in the qualifying round, the Sharks were then eliminated in the first round by Real Madrid after a 57–67 defeat inSheffield and a 75–78 defeat inMadrid. As a result of losing, Sheffield were then placed in the Third Round of the less glamorousEuropean Cup, where they were subsequently knocked out byBelgian League clubOostende Basket, thus ending their European adventure.

On the domestic scene, the Sharks could not repeat the highs of their previous season, finishing as Runners-up in the League Championship (30–6) toLondon Towers, and losing the final of the National Cup 58–70 also to the dominating Towers. Their playoff dreams were also shattered in the semifinals by eventual winnersBirmingham Bullets, whom they lost to 68–82.

The Sharks again reached the BBL Cup final in 1996 and 1997, finishing second then third in the championship, and their next piece of silverware was the 1998 BBL Trophy. They claimed their secondBBL Cup and championship double in 1999, withTerrell Myers picked as League MVP, before successfully defending the Cup in 2000 after reaching their fifth Cup final in six years. It was during the most successful period of the clubs’ history that owners Chrysalis Group decided to sell off their majority stake.^[1][2] After running into off-court financial difficulties and on the brink of a wind-up order from the BBL, the franchise was acquired by Montgomery Leisure Services Ltd in 2001,^[3] the same year that a first Play-off final appearance was secured in after topping the championship. However it wasLeicester Riders who triumphed 84–75, and the Sharks were beaten again in the play-off final the following year, 93–82 byCheshire Jets. The Sharks claimed their third Championship in five years in 2003 and although they failed to reach the play-off final, they got there the following year after a second-placed league finish. It was the Sharks' third playoff final in four years and a case of third time lucky as they beat Cheshire 86–74.

In the 2009–2010 season, Sheffield won the BBL Cup for the first time in six years beating the Cheshire Jets 89–86. During the 2010–2011 season, they successfully defended their cup victory by beating the Mersey Tigers 93–66 and also made it to the final of the playoffs but were beaten out by Mersey Tigers 79–74. In the 2012–2013 season, the Sharks won the BBL Trophy for the first time in 15 years beating the Leicester Riders 71–69. In the 2015–2016 season, Sheffield made it to the Play Off final for the first time in five years. This time however, for the first time in 12 years the Sharks in the final of the playoffs on 8 May 2016, beatLeicester Riders 84–77.^[4] The 2024-2025 super League basketball (slb) cup was won by the Sheffield sharks against the surrey 79ers.

Sheffield Arena (1994–2004)

Ponds Forge International Sports Centre (2004–2006)

English Institute of Sport, Sheffield (2006–2019)

Ponds Forge International Sports Centre (2019–2023)

Canon Medical Arena (2023–present)

Notes:

• Until 1993 Division Three operated as the third tier league, behind Division Two and Division One (the BBL).
• In 1993 the NBL restructured Division Two as Division One, operating as the second tier league.
• From 1999–2002 the BBL operated a Conference system. Sheffield competed in the Northern Conference.

• BBL Winners: (3) 1994/95, 1998/99, 2002/03
• BBL Runners Up: (4) 1995/96, 2003/04, 2009/10, 2013/14
• BBL Northern Conference Winners: (1) 2000/01
• BBL Northern Conference Runners Up: (2) 1999/00, 2001/02
• NBL Division 2 Winners: (1) 1992/93

• BBL Play Off Winners: (2) 2003/04, 2015/16
• BBL Play Off Runners Up: (3) 2000/01, 2001/02, 2010/11
• NBL Division 2 Play Off Winners: (1) 1992/93

• SLB Cup Winners: (1) 2024/25
• BBL Cup Winners: (3) 2003/04, 2009/10, 2010/11
• National Cup Winners: (3) 1994/95, 1998/99, 1999/00

• BBL Trophy Winners: (3) 1993/1994, 1997/1998, 2012/13
• BBL Trophy Runners Up: (2) 1994/95, 2017/18

Sheffield Sharks roster
Players	Coaches
Pos. No. Nat. Name Ht. Wt. SG 0 Jeffries, Drake 1.95 m (6 ft 5 in) 84 kg (185 lb) G 1 McGill, Rickey 1.88 m (6 ft 2 in) 84 kg (185 lb) G 2 Nixon, Prentiss 1.87 m (6 ft 2 in) 85 kg (187 lb) G 3 Chatman, Rodney 1.84 m (6 ft 0 in) 81 kg (179 lb) F/C 5 Clay, Donovan 2.03 m (6 ft 8 in) 104 kg (229 lb) F 6 West, Reyad 1.93 m (6 ft 4 in) G 7 Matthews, E. C. 1.96 m (6 ft 5 in) 91 kg (201 lb) F/C 8 Anderson, Jamell 2.03 m (6 ft 8 in) 97 kg (214 lb) G/F 9 Ratinho, Jordan 1.95 m (6 ft 5 in) 95 kg (209 lb) G 11 Glasgow Jr., Rodney (C) 1.80 m (5 ft 11 in) 77 kg (170 lb) C 15 Ochereobia, Mike 2.03 m (6 ft 8 in) 118 kg (260 lb) G 20 Reese V, James 1.93 m (6 ft 4 in) 77 kg (170 lb) F/C 34 Groves, Jacob 2.06 m (6 ft 9 in) 98 kg (216 lb)	Head coach Atiba Lyons Assistant coach(es) Marko Backovic David Martinez Owen Norfolk Legend (C) Team captain Injured

• Yuri Matischen
• Sarah Backovic
• Atiba Lyons
• Vaughn Millette

• Basketball in England
• British Basketball League
• Euroleague
• National Basketball League
• Sheffield Arena

• Official website
• Sheffield Sharks onFacebook

• Sheffield Sharks
• Basketball teams established in 1991
• 1991 establishments in England
• Sports clubs and teams in Sheffield
• Basketball teams in England
• British Basketball League teams
• Super League Basketball teams

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