Ten teams took to the field this season, including two new franchises to the BBL,London United and theWorcester Wolves, who both moved up from theEnglish Basketball League during summer 2006.[1] The new additions were brought in after three teams withdrew from the League before the start of the season.Brighton Bears andLondon Towers both decided to "park" their respective franchises and take a one-year break[2][3][4] whilstBirmingham Bullets also decided to sit out due to a lack of suitable home venues available[5] and have since gone intoliquidation.[6]
Following on fromBrighton andBirmingham's decision to withdraw from the league,London Towers announced they were to be the third, and most high-profile team to sit out the upcoming season.[7]
A£2.5 million sponsorship deal was agreed on 22 September 2006, between the BBL and national broadcasterMKTV, including primetime TV coverage of 40 live games per season,[9] high-profile sponsorship and a National Community Development Programme.
Molten, the world's leading manufacturer of inflatable sports balls, signed a ball sponsorship with the BBL worth £150,000 prior to the season opening. The new GG7 ball was unveiled on 25 September as the official match ball for the next three seasons.
New league franchiseWorcester Wolves record their first ever BBL win on 7 October, an 82–79 home victory againstChester Jets.
TheBBL Cup final took place at theNational Indoor Arena, inBirmingham on 7 January 2007, and sawGuildford Heat claim their first Championship since foundation 18 months previous, with an 81–78 win againstScottish Rocks. The game was the first ever BBL match to be broadcast live over the internet, reaching a potentially worldwide audience.
Plymouth Raiders also won their first silverware since stepping-up to the BBL, with a 74–65 win in theBBL Trophy final against holdersNewcastle Eagles on 4 March. Held at Newcastle'sMetro Radio Arena, the game was the first to be broadcast live on national television in over four years, as part of the sponsorship agreement with MKTV.
Chester Jets owner and head coach Mike Burton announced prior to their season finale that he would be retiring from the franchise at the end of the season. Burton's announcement, after 19 years at the helm, put serious doubts of the clubs' future.[11]
Despite leading the League for most of the season, Guildford's one point 90–91 loss away to Scottish Rocks on 1 April, ensured that the title race went down to the wire, and only a final day 114–85 win at home to Chester Jets on 8 April guaranteed the 2007 League crown would belong to the Heat.
Newcastle, playing in front of their home fans at the Metro Radio Arena on 29 April, were victorious against a resilient Scottish Rocks in the climax to theBBL Finals Weekend and the BBL season, as they claimed their third consecutive Playoff Championship with a 95–82 win.
This season's edition of theBBL Cup saw the two lowest seeds from the previous season's League rankings face off with the BBL's two newest additions –London United andWorcester Wolves – in the first round. As expected, the experience ofMilton Keynes andPlymouth paid off and both teams advanced to the quarter-finals to join the rest of their league rivals in the last eight. In the clash of the round, eventual winnersGuildford Heat saw off the Plymouth Raiders in a tie dominated by the shooting ofChad McKnight, who posted 39 points for the Heat.
The Semi-finals saw the league's four strongest teams drawn against each other, but while Guildford easily dispatched the visitingSheffield Sharks, the Cup holdersNewcastle Eagles, were defeated by theScottish Rocks, where Rocks'Robert Yanders netted a game-high 23 points.
In only their second season since establishment, Guildford's success story continued when they scooped their first piece of silverware with an 82–79 victory in the Cup Final against the Rocks. Heat's star guardBrian Dux was named asMVP scoring 21 points on the way to victory.
Jazwyn Cowan (Chester Jets)
Andrew Alleyne (Leicester Riders)
Darius Defoe (Newcastle Eagles)
Hugo Sterk (Scottish Rocks)
Thorsten Leibenath (Scottish Rocks)
