The Basketball Bundesliga (BBL) (English language: Federal Basketball League), for sponsorship reasons named easyCredit BBL, is the highest level league of professional club basketball in Germany. The league comprises 18 teams. A BBL season is split into a league stage and a playoff stage. At the end of the league stage, the top eight teams qualify for the playoff stage, and the teams positioned in the 17th and 18th places are relegated to a lower-tier league. The playoffs are played in a "Best of five" format. The winning team of the final round are crowned the German Champions of that season.

In addition to the league competition, all BBL teams compete for the German Basketball Cup. Teams playing in the second league (ProA or ProB), or in a lower level Regionalliga, are also eligible to participate in the BBL-Cup. There are always 3 knock-out rounds that are played for the BBL-Cup. If more teams from the leagues below the BBL level apply for participation, then available places, and additional qualification rounds are added for them. The final four remaining teams determine the rankings for bronze, silver, and gold medals, in knock-out matches that are termed the BBL-TOP4. The gold winning team is the German Basketball Cup winner.

The Basketball Bundesliga is run by the Basketball Bundesliga GmbH. 74% of BBL GmbH is owned by the AG BBL e.V. (which is composed of the clubs), and 26% by the German Basketball Federation (DBB).

History

The Basketball Bundesliga trophy

In Germany, a national domestic basketball championship was first organised in 1939, and it was won by LSV Spandau. By 1944, almost all basketball activity in the country was forced to an end, due to the Second World War. In 1947, MTSV Schwabing München became the first champion of post-war divided Germany.

The creation of a split West German federal-league, consisting of one northern division and one southern division, each comprising 10 teams, was decided on by the German Basketball Federation (DBB) in 1964. On 1 October 1966, the first season of the so-called Basketball Bundesliga started. Starting with the 1971–72 season, the size of each division was reduced to 8 teams.

With the 1975–76 season, the league structure was changed into a ten team first league (1. Basketball Bundesliga), and a 20 team second league (2. Basketball Bundesliga). Only the second league was split into a northern and a southern division, of 10 teams each. In 1985, the top league was enlarged to a size of 12 teams, and two years later, each division of the second league was also enlarged to 12 teams.

In 1988, the championship mode "Best of five" was applied for the first time. Starting with the 1995–96 season, the first league consisted of 14 teams. The Basketball Bundesliga GmbH (BBL) was founded in October 1996.

The federal leagues received their own administration within the framework of the German Basketball Federation in 1997. Since then, the second league divisions have been administered by the "AG 2. Bundesliga", while the BBL has been responsible for the first league. Two years later, a contract was signed between the BBL and the German Basketball Federation, in which the federation transferred its marketing/events rights to the BBL, for a 10-year duration, and in return, the BBL agreed to pay an annual "amateur support fee" of DM 600,000 (€ 306,775).

Starting with the 2003–04 season, the top league was increased to 16 teams, and in 2006–07, it was further increased to its present size of 18 teams. For the following 2007–08 season, the structure of the second league was reshaped from its northern/southern divisions, into a ProA division, and a ProB division. These divisions remained under the administration by "AG 2. Bundesliga".

Game 3 of the BBL Finals in 2022

Between 1994 and 2001, the highest level German basketball league was called "Veltins Basketball Bundesliga", and from 2001, until 2003, the league was known as "s.Oliver Basketball Bundesliga". Bayer Giants Leverkusen hold the league titles won record, being the winner of 14 German Basketball Championships. However, since 1997, Alba Berlin has dominated the league, winning their 8th title in 2008. Twenty-one teams have won the championship, since its inception.

Since 2009, Brose Bamberg dominated the competition and won the title in four straight seasons (2009-2013).

Sponsorship

In 2016, the BBL joined forces with Tipbet, a Malta-based betting company. This made Tipbet the Official Betting and Premium Sponsor of the league; the sponsorship agreement results in advertising activities throughout the arenas and online, and runs until 2018.

Arena rules

Currently, all Bundesliga clubs must play in arenas that seat at least 3,000 people.

Logos, names, and sponsorship names

  • 1966–20090Basketball Bundesliga
  • 2009–20160Beko BBL
  • 2016–20210easyCredit BBL
  • Logo of 2010–2016

Clubs

Members of the 2025–26 Basketball Bundesliga.

Basketball Bundesliga is located in Germany
Location of teams in 2025–26 Basketball Bundesliga

Arenas and locations

TeamCityArenaCapacity
Bamberg BasketsBambergBrose Arena6,150
Alba BerlinBerlinUber Arena14,500
Telekom Baskets BonnBonnTelekom Dome6,000
Löwen BraunschweigBraunschweigVolkswagen Halle6,600
Niners ChemnitzChemnitzChemnitz Arena5,200
Skyliners FrankfurtFrankfurtSüwag Energie ARENA5,002
Veolia Towers HamburgHamburgInselpark Arena3,400
MLP Academics HeidelbergHeidelbergSNP Dome5,000
Science City JenaJenaSparkassen-Arena3,000
MHP Riesen LudwigsburgLudwigsburgMHP-Arena5,300
Syntainics MBCWeißenfelsStadthalle Weißenfels3,000
Bayern MunichMunichBMW Park6,700
EWE Baskets OldenburgOldenburgGroße EWE Arena6,069
Rostock SeawolvesRostockStadthalle Rostock4,550
Vet-Concept Gladiators TrierTrierSWT-Arena5,495
ratiopharm UlmNeu-Ulmratiopharm arena6,000
Rasta VechtaVechtaRasta Dome3,140
FIT/One Würzburg BasketsWürzburgTectake Arena3,140

Title holders

Titles by club

ChampionTitlesWinning years
Bayer 04 Leverkusen141969–70, 1970–71, 1971–72, 1975–76, 1978–79, 1984–85, 1985–86, 1989–90, 1990–91, 1991–92, 1992–93, 1993–94, 1994–95, 1995–96
Alba Berlin111996–97, 1997–98, 1998–99, 1999–00, 2000–01, 2001–02, 2002–03, 2007–08, 2019–20, 2020–21, 2021–22
USC Heidelberg91956–57, 1957–58, 1958–59, 1959–60, 1960–61, 1961–62, 1965–66, 1972–73, 1976–77
Bamberg Baskets92004–05, 2006–07, 2009–10, 2010–11, 2011–12, 2012–13, 2014–15, 2015–16, 2016–17
Bayern Munich71953–54, 1954–55, 2013–14, 2017–18, 2018–19, 2023–24, 2024–25
Gießen 46ers51964–65, 1966–67, 1967–68, 1974–75, 1977–78
Turnerbund Heidelberg41947–48, 1950–51, 1951–52, 1952–53
Saturn Köln41980–81, 1981–82, 1986–87, 1987–88
ASC 1846 Göttingen31979–80, 1982–83, 1983–84
MTSV Schwabing21946–47, 1948–49
Alemannia Aachen21962–63, 1963–64
LSV Spandau11938–39
Stuttgart-Degerloch11949–50
ATV Düsseldorf11955–56
Osnabrück11968–69
SSV Hagen11973–74
Steiner Bayreuth11988–89
Skyliners Frankfurt12003–04
RheinStars Köln12005–06
EWE Baskets Oldenburg12008–09
Ratiopharm Ulm12022–23

Finals

SeasonHome court advantageResultHome court disadvantageRegular season championRecord
1986–87Bayer 04 Leverkusen0–2Saturn KölnBayer 04 Leverkusen18–2
1987–88Bayer 04 Leverkusen1–3Saturn KölnBayer 04 Leverkusen19–3
1988–89Steiner Bayreuth3–2Bayer 04 LeverkusenSteiner Bayreuth20–2
1989–90Steiner Bayreuth1–3Bayer 04 LeverkusenSteiner Bayreuth21–1
1990–91Bayer 04 Leverkusen3–2BG CharlottenburgBayer 04 Leverkusen30–2
1991–92Bayer 04 Leverkusen3–0Alba BerlinBayer 04 Leverkusen28–4
1992–93Bayer 04 Leverkusen3–1TTL BambergBayer 04 Leverkusen26–6
1993–94Bayer 04 Leverkusen3–0Brandt HagenBayer 04 Leverkusen28–4
1994–95Bayer 04 Leverkusen3–0Alba BerlinBayer 04 Leverkusen28–4
1995–96Bayer 04 Leverkusen3–1Alba BerlinBayer 04 Leverkusen24–2
1996–97Alba Berlin3–1Telekom Baskets BonnAlba Berlin24–2
1997–98Alba Berlin3–0Ratiopharm UlmAlba Berlin21–3
1998–99Alba Berlin3–2Telekom Baskets BonnAlba Berlin22–4
1999–00Alba Berlin3–0Bayer 04 LeverkusenAlba Berlin24–2
2000–01Alba Berlin3–0Telekom Baskets BonnAlba Berlin25–1
2001–02RheinEnergie Köln0–3Alba BerlinOpel Skyliners20–6
2002–03Alba Berlin3–0TSK BambergTelekom Baskets Bonn19–7
2003–04Opel Skyliners3–2GHP BambergAlba Berlin20–8
2004–05GHP Bamberg3–2Opel SkylinersAlba Berlin22–8
2005–06Alba Berlin1–3RheinEnergie KölnAlba Berlin26–4
2006–07Brose Baskets3–1Artland DragonsAlba Berlin28–6
2007–08Alba Berlin3–1Telekom Baskets BonnAlba Berlin27–7
2008–09EWE Baskets Oldenburg3–2Telekom Baskets BonnAlba Berlin26–8
2009–10Brose Baskets3–2Deutsche Bank SkylinersEWE Baskets Oldenburg25–9
2010–11Brose Baskets3–2Alba BerlinBrose Baskets32–2
2011–12Brose Baskets3–0Ratiopharm UlmBrose Baskets30–4
2012–13Brose Baskets3–0EWE Baskets OldenburgBrose Baskets26–8
2013–14Bayern Munich3–1Alba BerlinBayern Munich29–5
2014–15Brose Baskets3–2Bayern MunichBrose Baskets29–5
2015–16Brose Baskets3–0Ratiopharm UlmBrose Baskets31–3
2016–17Brose Bamberg3–0EWE Baskets OldenburgRatiopharm Ulm30–2
2017–18Bayern Munich3–2Alba BerlinBayern Munich31–3
2018–19Bayern Munich3–0Alba BerlinBayern Munich31–3
2019–20Alba Berlin163–139Riesen LudwigsburgBayern Munich19–2
2020–21Alba Berlin3–1Bayern MunichRiesen Ludwigsburg30–4
2021–22Alba Berlin3–1Bayern MunichAlba Berlin27–6
2022–23Telekom Baskets Bonn1–3Ratiopharm UlmTelekom Baskets Bonn32–2
2023–24Bayern Munich3–1Alba BerlinBayern Munich28–6
2024–25Bayern Munich3–2Ratiopharm UlmBayern Munich24–8
2025–26Bayern Munich29–5

Awards

Finals MVPs

SeasonFinals MVP
2004–05United States Chris Williams
2005–06United States Immanuel McElroy
2006–07United States Casey Jacobsen
2007–08United States Julius Jenkins
2008–09United States Rickey Paulding
2009–10United States Casey Jacobsen
2010–11United States Kyle Hines
2011–12United States P. J. Tucker
2012–13Germany Anton Gavel
2013–14United States Malcolm Delaney
2014–15United States Brad Wanamaker
2015–16United States Darius Miller
2016–17France Fabien Causeur
2017–18Germany Danilo Barthel
2018–19Bosnia and Herzegovina Nihad Đedović
2019–20United States Marcos Knight
2020–21Uruguay Jayson Granger
2021–22Germany Johannes Thiemann
2022–23Brazil Yago dos Santos
2023–24United States Carsen Edwards
2024–25United States Shabazz Napier

See also

Sources

External links