PS Karlsruhe Lions
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The PS Karlsruhe Lions are a German professional basketball team located in Karlsruhe. The team competes in Germany's ProA league, the country's second division. In 2017, the team promoted from the third tier ProB to the second tier. The team is part of the multi-sports club Post Südstadt Karlsruhe (PSK).
As of 2024, the team has been the reigning champion of the German ProA league.
History
Basketball has been played at PSK in the southern Karlsruhe district of Weiherfeld-Dammerstock since 1961. In the following decades, the department celebrated numerous regional and national successes. In 2016, the PS Karlsruhe Lions had four men's teams and two women's teams registered for play. In addition, there were numerous youth teams from U10 to U18. Until 2016, there was a cooperation with BG Karlsruhe, which had emerged in 1993 from the basketball departments of PSK and its neighboring club, FC Südstern. Due to the promotion of the first men's team of the PS Karlsruhe Lions to the 2nd Bundesliga ProB, the cooperation was terminated in May 2016, as both teams competed in the same league in the 2016/17 season. The first Karlsruhe women's team played in the Regionalliga Südwest.
The Lions consolidated their position in the ProA after earning promotion in 2017.
In the 2018–19 season, the Lions reached the ProA playoffs for the first time, advancing to the semifinals before being eliminated by promotion contenders.
During 2020–21, the club struggled to maintain consistency and finished outside the playoff places, instead emphasizing the development of young German talent.
The 2021–22 season marked a return to form, as Karlsruhe qualified for the postseason before exiting in the quarterfinals.
In 2022–23, the Lions finished mid-table and narrowly missed the playoffs, focusing on financial stability and building partnerships for long-term growth.
On 7 April 2024, the Lions' Lachlan Dent set a ProA league record for 3-poniters made in a single game as he hit 10 in the game vs. Paderborn Baskets.
In 2024, the Lions celebrated the greatest success in their club's history by winning the ProA championship and securing promotion to the Basketball Bundesliga (BBL) for the first time.
Arenas
Until 2017, the club played in the Friedrich-List-Schule, which had a capacity of 862 people. In the 2017–18 season, following the club's promotion to the ProA, the Lions started playing in the Europahalle Karlsruhe which has a capacity of 1,500 people. In 2020, they moved to the Lina-Radke-Halle. (1,500 seats)
For the 2024-25 season, the Lions returned to the Europahalle with an anticipated capacity of 3,500 visitors.
Honors
- Champions: 2023–24
Players
Current roster
Note: Flags indicate national team eligibility at FIBA-sanctioned events. Players may hold other non-FIBA nationalities not displayed.
| PS Karlsruhe LIONS roster | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Players | Coaches | ||||||
| Pos. No. Nat. Name Ht. Wt. Age PG 1 United States men's national basketball team Ellis, Will 1.88 m (6 ft 2 in) 84 kg (185 lb) 27 – (1999-01-26)26 January 1999 SG 4 United States men's national basketball team Williams, Tyrese 1.90 m (6 ft 3 in) 88 kg (194 lb) 26 – (2000-03-23)23 March 2000 C 5 Germany men's national basketball team Olenyi, Joshua 2.05 m (6 ft 9 in) 90 kg (198 lb) 21 – (2004-11-02)2 November 2004 SG 6 Germany men's national basketball team Kuku, Gabriel 1.90 m (6 ft 3 in) 85 kg (187 lb) 24 – (2001-11-22)22 November 2001 C 7 Germany men's national basketball team Oba, Wesley 2.03 m (6 ft 8 in) 99 kg (218 lb) 26 – (1999-09-30)30 September 1999 PG 8 Germany men's national basketball team Pisic, Pavle 1.94 m (6 ft 4 in) 80 kg (176 lb) 20 – (2005-09-08)8 September 2005 SF 12 Germany men's national basketball team Binapfl, Kilian 1.98 m (6 ft 6 in) 96 kg (212 lb) 26 – (2000-01-01)1 January 2000 PF 17 Germany men's national basketball team Haarmann, Terry 1.93 m (6 ft 4 in) 104 kg (229 lb) 21 – (2004-08-02)2 August 2004 SG 20 Germany men's national basketball team Albus, Julian (C) 1.91 m (6 ft 3 in) 90 kg (198 lb) 33 – (1992-05-20)20 May 1992 SG 22 United States men's national basketball team Dawson, Mikal 1.96 m (6 ft 5 in) 100 kg (220 lb) 26 – (2000-01-30)30 January 2000 C 23 Germany men's national basketball team Pluskota, Maurice 2.09 m (6 ft 10 in) 113 kg (249 lb) 33 – (1992-05-30)30 May 1992 PF 25 United States men's national basketball team Ejah, David 2.01 m (6 ft 7 in) 100 kg (220 lb) 25 – (2000-12-12)12 December 2000 PG 34 United States men's national basketball team Cohn, David 1.88 m (6 ft 2 in) 76 kg (168 lb) 31 – (1995-03-28)28 March 1995 | Head coach Germany Demond Greene Assistant coach(es) Germany Aleksandar Nadjfeji United States Andrew Sauer Legend (C) Team captainInjured Updated: October 27, 2025 | ||||||
| Pos. | No. | Nat. | Name | Ht. | Wt. | Age | |
| PG | 1 | United States men's national basketball team | Ellis, Will | 1.88 m (6 ft 2 in) | 84 kg (185 lb) | 27 – (1999-01-26)26 January 1999 | |
| SG | 4 | United States men's national basketball team | Williams, Tyrese | 1.90 m (6 ft 3 in) | 88 kg (194 lb) | 26 – (2000-03-23)23 March 2000 | |
| C | 5 | Germany men's national basketball team | Olenyi, Joshua | 2.05 m (6 ft 9 in) | 90 kg (198 lb) | 21 – (2004-11-02)2 November 2004 | |
| SG | 6 | Germany men's national basketball team | Kuku, Gabriel | 1.90 m (6 ft 3 in) | 85 kg (187 lb) | 24 – (2001-11-22)22 November 2001 | |
| C | 7 | Germany men's national basketball team | Oba, Wesley | 2.03 m (6 ft 8 in) | 99 kg (218 lb) | 26 – (1999-09-30)30 September 1999 | |
| PG | 8 | Germany men's national basketball team | Pisic, Pavle | 1.94 m (6 ft 4 in) | 80 kg (176 lb) | 20 – (2005-09-08)8 September 2005 | |
| SF | 12 | Germany men's national basketball team | Binapfl, Kilian | 1.98 m (6 ft 6 in) | 96 kg (212 lb) | 26 – (2000-01-01)1 January 2000 | |
| PF | 17 | Germany men's national basketball team | Haarmann, Terry | 1.93 m (6 ft 4 in) | 104 kg (229 lb) | 21 – (2004-08-02)2 August 2004 | |
| SG | 20 | Germany men's national basketball team | Albus, Julian (C) | 1.91 m (6 ft 3 in) | 90 kg (198 lb) | 33 – (1992-05-20)20 May 1992 | |
| SG | 22 | United States men's national basketball team | Dawson, Mikal | 1.96 m (6 ft 5 in) | 100 kg (220 lb) | 26 – (2000-01-30)30 January 2000 | |
| C | 23 | Germany men's national basketball team | Pluskota, Maurice | 2.09 m (6 ft 10 in) | 113 kg (249 lb) | 33 – (1992-05-30)30 May 1992 | |
| PF | 25 | United States men's national basketball team | Ejah, David | 2.01 m (6 ft 7 in) | 100 kg (220 lb) | 25 – (2000-12-12)12 December 2000 | |
| PG | 34 | United States men's national basketball team | Cohn, David | 1.88 m (6 ft 2 in) | 76 kg (168 lb) | 31 – (1995-03-28)28 March 1995 |
Season by season
| Season | Tier | League | Pos. | Cup |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2013–14 | 5 | 2. Regionalliga | 2nd | |
| 2014–15 | 5 | 2. Regionalliga | 1st | |
| 2015–16 | 4 | 1. Regionalliga | 1st | |
| 2016–17 | 3 | ProB | 2nd | |
| 2017–18 | 2 | ProA | 3rd | |
| 2018–19 | 2 | ProA | 8th | |
| 2019–20 | 2 | ProA | 15th | |
| 2020–21 | 2 | ProA | 11th | |
| 2021–22 | 2 | ProA | 7th | |
| 2022–23 | 2 | ProA | 3rd | |
| 2023–24 | 2 | ProA | 1st | First round |
| 2024–25 | 2 | ProA | First round |
Notable players
Note: Flags indicate national team eligibility at FIBA-sanctioned events. Players may hold other non-FIBA nationalities not displayed.
| Criteria |
|---|
| To appear in this section a player must have either: Set a club record or won an individual award while at the club Played at least one official international match for their national team at any time Played at least one official NBA match at any time. |
- Australia Lachlan Dent
- Canada Abu Kigab
- Cameroon Roland Nyama
- Croatia Darko Bajo
- Croatia Ivan Karačić
- Czech Republic Adam Pechacek
- Denmark Bakary Dibba
- Democratic Republic of the Congo Carl Ona-Embo
- Ivory Coast Bazoumana Koné
- United States Victor Bailey
- United States Lovell Cabbil
- United States Greg Foster
- United States Justin Gordon
- United States Richard Williams
Head coaches
- United States Michael Mai (2017–2018)
- Croatia Ivan Rudež (2018–2020)
- Germany Croatia Drazan Salavarda (2020–2021)
- Croatia Aleksandar Scepanovic (2021–2025) (ProA winner 2024)
- Germany Demond Greene (2025–present)