London Lions (basketball)
London Lions | |||
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London Lions are a British professional basketball team based in Stratford, East London, England, and compete in the British Basketball League as well as the EuroCup.
The team was originally founded in 1977 as the Hemel Hempstead Lakers, and was previously based in Hemel Hempstead, following ownership take over by Vince Macaulay two seasons in Hemel Hempstead then meant relocation to Watford and notably Milton Keynes, where they were known as Milton Keynes Lions. It was in Milton Keynes that the team won its first silverware in 2008, the BBL Cup. The Lions relocated to London in 2012 and play its home games at the Copper Box Arena in the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park as well as occasional EuroCup matches at Wembley Arena.
In 2017, the Lions launched a women's team into the Women's British Basketball League after partnering with and rebranding the existing Barking Abbey Crusaders team as the London Lions.[2]
London Lions is now owned by 777 Partners after they purchased the club from Macaulay ending his 27-year ownership. 777 Partners also purchased 45% of the British Basketball League (BBL) for £7m in December 2021. The balance of BBL is owned by the 10 clubs that compete in the BBL, including London, therefore, effectively 777 controls the BBL. [3]
History
Hemel Hempstead Lakers
The club initially started out based in the town of
With entry into the country's top league ensured, the club received a major sponsorship deal from beverage brand Ovaltine, and as part of the deal were known as Ovaltine Hemel Hempstead. The franchise became a formidable force in Division 1, regularly finishing at the top-end of the table and making many appearances in the Play-off semi-finals at Wembley Arena, finishing third in 1981. Following the end of the Ovaltine sponsorship and a one-year deal with retailers Poundstretcher, the franchise was rebranded as the Hemel Royals in 1985. Meanwhile, on court, the team failed to reproduce the performances of the past few seasons and often settled for mid-table positions. This was a golden period in British Basketball and Hemel regularly brought top American talent from the States. Dick Miller is the greatest defensive player in the franchise's history and probably the game as a whole in the UK. The enigmatic Harvey Knuckles is considered one of the greatest players ever to play in Britain. Steve Hale was a fourth round draft pick, Sam Smith scored big points from all round the court and Daryl Thomas was a prolific scorer.
For the
Watford Royals
The lack of fortune and an aging venue prompted the franchise to look at relocating and the team found a suitable, yet temporary solution in the neighbouring town of
Milton Keynes Lions
Lions' on-court performances were an instant improvement and the franchise began a slow but noticeable turnaround, reaching the semi-finals of the National Cup and also the end-of-season Play-offs for the first time in eight seasons in 2000. After a hugely successful run, the franchise reached its first major final in 2002 with an appearance at the
2007–08 season
It was announced on 8 May 2007 that coach
With Macaulay back controlling the club on court as well as off it, the team's standing in the league was immediately matched to his own ambition as the club's owner. The veteran team performed sensationally and by the Christmas break they were well in contention for the league crown, resting in second place behind title-rivals
After finishing 4th in the league (19–14), Lions qualified for the post-season Play-offs with a seeded home-court Quarter-final tie against
2008–09 season
As of 2008, Lions expected to be playing at the brand-new 4,500-seat capacity
On court, there were big expectations following the successful campaign previously, but the
2009–10 season
With the demolition of the Bletchley Centre looming, the club sought to find an alternative venue for home games and on 31 July 2009 announced that from January 2010, the Lions would be playing out of Middleton Hall at
After Middleton Hall decided upon changes that would no longer make it suitable for basketball, the Lions were forced yet again to search for another new home venue, for at least the 2010–2011 season.
2010–11 season
In his first season as head coach, former Lions player Mike New led the team to a disappointing 10th-place finish in the British Basketball League.[14] Despite now boasting a fantastic full-time basketball venue, which featured two permanent courts – allowing the teams throughout the Lions banner to train more than ever before, the club missed out on qualifying for the play-offs. One of the few highlights of the season was the play of American guard Demarius Bolds, who was among the league leaders in several statistics as he was named Lions' Player of the Year.[15]
2011–12 season
2011–12 saw the Lions miss the play-offs for a second successive season, as they finished 9th in the Championship table – one place and four points behind 8th-placed Guildford Heat for the last post-season berth. A heavy 102–67 defeat to Leicester saw elimination at the first hurdle in the BBL Cup, however the team would later go close to making the BBL Trophy final. After topping their group in round robin play, Lions won the home leg of their semi-final against Plymouth Raiders in front of a sold-out Prestige Homes Arena, before suffering a 188–186 defeat on aggregate (after OT) in the return leg. Success was however found on a personal level, as Nathan Schall won the BBL dunk competition as part of the BBL Cup Final festivities[16] and Stefan Gill completed the dunking double as he was crowned dunk contest champion at the World Basketball Festival.[17]
Departure from Milton Keynes
Following the conclusion of the 2011–12 season, the owners of Prestige Homes Arena triggered an opt-out clause in the lease to let the building as a retail outlet. A planning application to change the building from a sporting facility to retail unit was approved by Milton Keynes Council,
When faced with the challenge of finding a new home outside of Milton Keynes, Macaulay shortlisted two new locations:
First was Cardiff, with Macaulay stating the appeal of every game feeling like Wales versus England being an exciting prospect. However, he ultimately found that agreeing to a deal with the proposed arena's owners would be unlikely before the deadline he was facing of the start of the next season.
Second was Liverpool, Macaulay's hometown. Liverpool already had a BBL franchise – the Mersey Tigers, however, they were in financial trouble so Macaulay proposed merging the two teams and a 50/50 ownership. The current owners were interested but wanted Macaulay to send them his CV. Somewhat offended, he knew such a working relationship was unlikely to work, so withdrew his proposal. The Mersey Tigers folded the following season.
Completely out of options during the summer of 2012, Macaulay noted a lot of talk about the legacy of the London 2012 Olympic Games and investigated whether there would be any venues that could potentially become home for a basketball team once the games were over. Ultimately he entered discussions with the new owners of the Copper Box Arena, and the Milton Keynes Lions, soon to be the London Lions, had a new home.
Move to London
On 8 August 2012, an article in the
2012–13 season
Following the Lions' move to London, head coach Mike New elected to remain in Milton Keynes and continue his work as head coach of the
2013–14 season
London Lions was successfully launched as the only professional basketball club in London. The team finished 6th in the regular season before losing to Worcester Wolves in the playoffs quarter-finals.
2014–15 season
The two previous seasons' BBL MVPs, Drew Sullivan and Zaire Taylor, were recruited for the 2014–15 season. The Lions reached the semi-finals of the BBL Trophy, losing to Leicester Riders. They finished 6th in the regular season. In the playoffs, the Lions defeated Worcester Wolves in the quarter-finals and Cheshire Phoenix in the semi-finals. The final, played in front of 14,700 at The O2 Arena, was won by Newcastle Eagles, who completed the clean sweep of British basketball titles.
2015–16 season
Nigel Lloyd took over as head coach for the 2015–16 season. Joe Ikhinmwin, the only senior player retained from the previous season's run to the play-off final, was made captain. Olumide Oyedeji would later rejoin in October following a serious injury to Demond Watt. Alex Owumi signed in December following further roster changes. The season ended with defeat to Sheffield Sharks in the play-off quarter-finals, on their way to winning the trophy.
2016–17 season
A more stable summer saw Nigel Lloyd remain in charge, bringing back Alex Owumi, Andre Lockhart, Jamal Williams, Joseph "Jei" Blessing Ikhinmwin and Kai Williams. Zaire Taylor also returned after a year away, along with Derek Hall and Rashad Hassan. A 9–1 start to the season in all competitions suggested great promise, but the departure of Hall after only 3 games and a season-ending injury to Jamal Williams disrupted the team's form. Defeat to Newcastle Eagles in the BBL Cup followed shortly afterwards. Reinforcements arrived in the shape of Navid Niktash and Zak Wells but the early season form couldn't be recaptured.
2017–18 season
After Lloyd stepped down as head coach at the beginning of the 17–18 season, Mariusz Karol was appointed as head coach and lead the team to a 9–3 start before losing 4 out of the next 6. This led to a mutual agreement with team management for him to step down as head coach and club director / owner
2018–19 season
The team won its first silverware since rebranding as London Lions, beating Glasgow Rocks in the BBL Cup Final. They were beaten in the BBL Trophy Final by London City Royals, before winning the BBL league championship. Justin Robinson won his second BBL MVP award in a row.[25]
2019–20 season
Lions changed their colours from their traditional purple and gold to black, silver and white. The season was curtailed prematurely due to the COVID-19 pandemic, with no champions being named.[26]
European debut
In the 2020–21 season, the Lions played in a European competition for the first time in club history. They were confirmed to have a spot in the qualifying rounds for the fifth season of the Basketball Champions League (BCL).[27] however they failed to qualify for the tournament proper, losing 77–73 to Neptūnas in the single game qualifying tie.[28]
In the 2021–22 season, the Lions made their debut in the
Eurocup debut
In the 2022/23 season the London Lions appeared in the Eurocup for the first time, reaching the playoffs but being knocked out in the first round.
In the 2023/24 season the Lions went further, reaching the semi-finals of Europe’s second-tier competition before being beaten by heavy tournament favourites Paris Basketball.
Home arenas
- Dacorum Leisure Centre (1977–1997)
- Watford Leisure Centre (1997–1998)
- Bletchley Centre(1998–2009)
- Middleton Hall (thecentre:mk)(2010)
- Prestige Homes Arena(2010–2012)
- Crystal Palace National Sports Centre (2012–2013)
- Copper Box Arena (2013–present)
Note: Between 1998 and 2002, some home games were played at
Season-by-season records
Season | Div. | Pos. | Pld. | W | L | Pts. | Play-offs | Trophy | Cup |
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Hemel Hempstead Lakers | |||||||||
1977–1978 | NBL 2 |
5th | 20 | 10 | 10 | 20 | n/a | - | 1st round |
1978–1979 | NBL 2 |
2nd | 18 | 15 | 3 | 30 | n/a | - | - |
1979–1980 | NBL 1 |
4th | 18 | 12 | 6 | 24 | 4th place | - | Quarter-final |
1980–1981 | NBL 1 |
3rd | 18 | 13 | 5 | 26 | 3rd place | - | 2nd round |
1981–1982 | NBL 1 |
6th | 22 | 12 | 10 | 24 | DNQ | - | Quarter-final |
1982–1983 | NBL 1 |
3rd | 24 | 18 | 6 | 36 | 4th place | - | Quarter-final |
1983–1984 | NBL 1 |
11th | 36 | 12 | 24 | 24 | DNQ | - | 2nd round |
1984–1985 | NBL 1 |
7th | 26 | 15 | 11 | 30 | Quarter-final | Semi-final | 2nd round |
Hemel Royals | |||||||||
1985–1986 | NBL 1 |
9th | 28 | 13 | 15 | 26 | DNQ | 2nd round | 2nd round |
1986–1987 | NBL 1 |
8th | 23 | 8 | 15 | 16 | Quarter-final | 2nd round | Quarter-final |
1987–1988 | BBL | 11th | 28 | 9 | 19 | 18 | DNQ | 1st round | Quarter-final |
1988–1989 | BBL | 7th | 20 | 9 | 11 | 18 | Quarter-final | 1st round | Semi-final |
1989–1990 | NBL 1 |
4th | 22 | 14 | 8 | 28 | Semi-final | Semi-final | 1st round |
1990–1991 | BBL | 8th | 24 | 4 | 20 | 8 | Quarter-final | 1st round | 2nd round |
1991–1992 | BBL | 7th | 30 | 13 | 17 | 26 | Quarter-final | 1st round | 3rd round |
1992–1993 | BBL | 12th | 33 | 4 | 29 | 8 | DNQ | 1st round | 3rd round |
1993–1994 | BBL | 12th | 36 | 3 | 33 | 6 | DNQ | 1st round | 3rd round |
1994–1995 | BBL | 10th | 36 | 9 | 27 | 18 | DNQ | 1st round | 4th round |
1995–1996 | BBL | 13th | 36 | 6 | 30 | 12 | DNQ | 1st round | Quarter-final |
Hemel & Watford Royals | |||||||||
1996–1997 | BBL | 13th | 36 | 2 | 34 | 4 | DNQ | 1st round | 4th round |
Watford Royals | |||||||||
1997–1998 | BBL | 13th | 36 | 3 | 33 | 6 | DNQ | 1st round | 4th round |
Milton Keynes Lions | |||||||||
1998–1999 | BBL | 10th | 36 | 10 | 26 | 20 | DNQ | 1st round | 1st round |
1999–2000 | BBL S | 4th | 34 | 15 | 19 | 30 | Quarter-final | 1st round | Semi-final |
2000–2001 | BBL S | 3rd | 34 | 21 | 13 | 42 | 1st round | Quarter-final | 1st round |
2001–2002 | BBL S | 3rd | 32 | 16 | 16 | 32 | Quarter-final | Runner-up | Quarter-final |
2002–2003 | BBL | 8th | 40 | 12 | 28 | 24 | Quarter-final | 1st round | 1st round |
2003–2004 | BBL | 8th | 36 | 13 | 23 | 26 | Quarter-final | 1st round | Quarter-final |
2004–2005 | BBL | 8th | 40 | 15 | 25 | 30 | Quarter-final | 1st round | Semi-final |
2005–2006 | BBL | 10th | 40 | 16 | 24 | 32 | DNQ | 1st round | Quarter-final |
2006–2007 | BBL | 6th | 36 | 18 | 18 | 36 | Quarter-final | 1st round | Quarter-final |
2007–2008 | BBL | 4th | 33 | 19 | 14 | 38 | Runner-up | 1st round | Winners |
2008–2009 | BBL | 9th | 33 | 14 | 19 | 28 | Did not qualify | 1st round | Quarter-final |
2009–2010 | BBL | 7th | 36 | 18 | 18 | 36 | 1st round | Semi-final | Semi-final |
2010–2011 | BBL | 10th | 33 | 13 | 20 | 26 | Did not qualify | 1st round | 1st round |
2011–2012 | BBL | 9th | 30 | 10 | 20 | 20 | Did not qualify | Semi-final | 1st round |
Season | Division | Tier | Regular Season | Post-Season | Trophy | Cup | Head coach | |||||
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Finish | Played | Wins | Losses | Points | Win % | |||||||
London Lions | ||||||||||||
2012–13 | BBL | 1 | 8th | 33 | 13 | 20 | 26 | 0.394 | Quarter-final | 1st round (BT) | Quarter-final (BC) | Vince Macaulay |
2013–14 | BBL | 1 | 6th | 33 | 16 | 17 | 32 | 0.485 | Quarter-final | 1st round (BT) | 1st round (BC) | Vince Macaulay |
2014–15 | BBL | 1 | 6th | 36 | 21 | 15 | 42 | 0.583 | Runners Up, losing to Newcastle | Semi-final (BT) | 1st round (BC) | Vince Macaulay |
2015–16 | BBL | 1 | 6th | 33 | 16 | 17 | 32 | 0.485 | Quarter-final | 1st round (BT) | Semi-final (BC) | Nigel Lloyd |
2016–17 | BBL | 1 | 6th | 33 | 18 | 15 | 36 | 0.545 | Semi-final | 1st round (BT) | Semi-final (BC) | Nigel Lloyd |
2017–18 | BBL | 1 | 2nd | 33 | 23 | 10 | 46 | 0.697 | Runners Up, losing to Leicester | Semi-final (BT) | Semi-final (BC) | Mariusz Karol Vince Macaulay |
2018–19 | BBL | 1 | 1st | 33 | 27 | 6 | 54 | 0.818 | Quarter-final | Runners Up, losing to London Royals | Winners, beating Glasgow
|
Vince Macaulay |
2019–20 | BBL | 1 | Season cancelled due to COVID-19 pandemic | 1st round (BT) | Quarter-final (BC) | Vince Macaulay | ||||||
2020–21 | BBL | 1 | 2nd | 30 | 23 | 7 | 46 | 0.767 | Runners Up, losing to Newcastle | Winners, beating Plymouth | Runners Up, losing to Newcastle | Vince Macaulay |
2021–22 | BBL | 1 | 3rd | 27 | 16 | 11 | 32 | 0.593 | Runners Up, losing to Leicester | Runners Up, losing to Cheshire | Semi-final (BC) | Vince Macaulay James Vear Nikhil Lawry |
2022–23 | BBL | 1 | 1st | 36 | 32 | 4 | 64 | 0.889 | Winners, beating Leicester | Quarter-final (BT) | Winners, beating Leicester | Ryan Schmidt |
2023–24 | BBL | 1 | 1st | 36 | 33 | 3 | 66 | 0.917 | Runners Up, losing to Cheshire | Petar Božić |
Honours
- Winners: (3) 2018–19, 2022–23, 2023–24
- Runners Up (2) 2017–18, 2020–21
- Winners: (1) 2022–23
- Runners Up (5) 2007–08, 2014–15, 2017–18, 2020–21, 2021–22
- Winners: (3) 2007–08, 2018–19, 2022–23
- Runners Up (1) 2020–21
- Winners: (1) 2020–21
- Runners Up (4) 2001–02, 2018–19, 2021–22, 2023–24
Current roster
Note: Flags indicate national team eligibility at FIBA-sanctioned events. Players may hold other non-FIBA nationality not displayed.
London Lions roster | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Players | Coaches | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Updated: 6 March 2024 |
Depth chart
Pos. | Starting 5 | Bench 1 | Bench 2 |
---|---|---|---|
C | Gabriel Olaseni | Rokas Gustys | Josh Sharma |
PF
|
Donte Grantham | Conor Morgan | |
SF | Sam Dekker | Morayo Soluade | Ciaran Sandy |
SG | Matt Morgan | Luke Nelson | Kareem Queeley |
PG | Tarik Phillip | Jordan Taylor | Bradley Kaboza |
European matches
Matches
Season | Competition | Round | Club | Home | Away | Aggregate |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1989–90 | FIBA Korać Cup | R1 | Knattspyrnufélag Reykjavíkur | 60–65 | 53–45 | 105–118 |
2020–21 | Basketball Champions League | QD | Neptūnas | 77–73 | — | |
2021–22 | Basketball Champions League | QB | Treviso | 62–89 | — | |
2021–22 | FIBA Europe Cup | RS | Kapfenberg Bulls | 68–58 | 60–79 | 2nd in Group A |
Bayreuth | 91–81 | 81–100 | ||||
Donar | 85–67 | 97–78 | ||||
R2 | Avtodor | 77–104 | 81–84 | 4th in Group L | ||
Bakken Bears | 82–75 | 79–102 | ||||
Bahçeşehir Koleji | 61–76 | 76–90 |
- Notes
- QB: Qualification Group B
- QD: Qualification Group D
- RS: Regular season
- R1: First round
- R2: Second round
See also
- London Lions (women)
- British Basketball League
- Milton Keynes College Lions Basketball Academy
- Milton Keynes Breakers
References
- ^ "Lions infused with Miami money". MVP247.com. 29 April 2020.
- ^ "London Lions and Barking Abbey join forces". 4 September 2017. Retrieved 23 March 2021.
- ^ "BBL ownership". BBL.org.uk. BBL. Retrieved 17 January 2023.
- ^ MK Lions (8 May 2007). "Lions end Hancock hour". Milton Keynes Lions. Retrieved 17 July 2007.
- ^ MK Lions (17 May 2007). "Macaulay in charge – All back". Milton Keynes Lions. Retrieved 17 July 2007.
- ^ Rob Dugdale (14 January 2008). "Milton Keynes end 20 years of hurt". The Guardian. Retrieved 20 November 2009.
- ^ Simon Downes (15 February 2007). "Winkleman can't guarantee arena". Milton Keynes Citizen. Retrieved 20 November 2009.
- ^ Simon Downes & James Chard (31 July 2009). "Lions to play games at thecentre:mk". Milton Keynes Citizen. Retrieved 20 November 2009.
- ^ "Bletchley frozen finale". Milton Keynes Lions. 31 July 2009. Retrieved 19 December 2009.
- ^ MK LIONS IN SEARCH FOR NEW HOME – Milton Keynes Lions
- ^ "Lions forced out of city - but it is only temporary, insists Macaulay - Sport - Milton Keynes Citizen". Archived from the original on 13 March 2012.
- ^ New den and new era for Lions – Milton Keynes Citizen Tuesday 24 May 2011. Note that the report says 'Grafton Gate' which is nearly but not quite correct.
- ^ New Home For Lions – Milton Keynes Lions. Note that this item gives the correct location.
- ^ BBL standings Archived 21 July 2011 at the Wayback Machine – Milton Keynes Lions
- ^ Awards Signal Season End – Milton Keynes Lions
- ^ "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 25 July 2013. Retrieved 1 August 2012.
{{cite web}}
: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link) - ^ "5'7" Stefan Gill Wins the World Basketball Festival Dunk Contest!". 2 July 2012.
- ^ "Key meeting for homeless Lions on Friday | MKWeb | Sport | MK-Lions". Archived from the original on 21 April 2013. Retrieved 1 August 2012.
- ^ "MK Lions - The Official Website for the Milton Keynes Lions". Archived from the original on 24 August 2010.
- ^ "Lions to start new basketball season away – if they can find a home - MK Lions - Milton Keynes Citizen". Archived from the original on 6 August 2012.
- ^ "EXCLUSIVE: Lions to leave Milton Keynes after 15 years - MK Lions - Milton Keynes Citizen". Archived from the original on 2 August 2012.
- ^ "It's goodbye Lions: Milton Keynes should be ashamed - MK Lions - Milton Keynes Citizen". Archived from the original on 5 August 2012.
- ^ "Lions to leave Milton Keynes for Olympic Park in London". Retrieved 2 April 2018.
- ^ "Copper Box - 2012 Olympics | London 2012". Archived from the original on 6 December 2012. Retrieved 6 December 2012.
- ^ "Classy Robinson crowned Molten BBL MVP again". British Basketball League. The Basketball League Ltd. 17 May 2019. Retrieved 12 January 2022.
- ^ "BBL Cancels Remainder 2019/20 Season; Looks Ahead to 2020/21". British Basketball League. The Basketball League Ltd. 1 June 2020. Retrieved 1 June 2020.
- ^ "Strongest BCL lineup to date ahead of season 5". FIBA.basketball. Retrieved 3 July 2020.
- ^ "London Lions lose to Neptunas Klaipeda in tense finish". BBC News. 22 September 2020. Retrieved 23 March 2021.
- ^ "Tsmoki-Minsk survive fightback for OT triumph; Crailsheim, London enjoy debut road wins". FIBA.basketball. Retrieved 13 October 2021.
External links
- London Lions (official website)
- London Lions on Twitter
- London Lions on Threads
- London Lions on Instagram
- London Lions on TikTok
- London Lions on Facebook