Carlsberg League
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| Country |
 United Kingdom
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|---|---|
| Founded | 1987 |
| First season | 1987–88 |
| Number of teams | 12 |
| Level on pyramid | 1 |
| Domestic cup(s) |
BBL Cup BBL Trophy |
| Current champions | Leicester Riders (7th title) |
| Most championships | Newcastle Eagles (7 titles) |
| TV partners | BBC Sport |
| Website | bbl.org.uk |
 2016–17 British Basketball League season
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The British Basketball League, often abbreviated to the BBL, is the premier men's professional basketball league in the United Kingdom. The BBL runs two knockout competitions alongside the BBL Championship; the BBL Cup and the BBL Trophy, as well as the post-season Play-offs.
The BBL is not to be confused with the English Basketball League (EBL) or the Scottish Men's National League, which effectively form the second tier of British basketball. There is currently no promotion or relegation between the English and Scottish leagues and the BBL because of the franchise system in use in the BBL, although several clubs have been elected from the EBL in recent years.
Currently the League consists of 12 teams with representation from both England and Scotland. Member franchises of the BBL jointly own the league, and a chairman is elected by the teams to oversee league operations. The head offices are located in Leicester, where the country's oldest team, the Leicester Riders is also based.
In 2012 the BBL, along with several other basketball governing bodies including England Basketball and basketballscotland, united to form the British Basketball Union, an organisation created to promote the commercial development of basketball within Great Britain. In partnership with England Basketball, the BBL launched a women's league in 2014, branded as the Women's British Basketball League (WBBL).
The British Basketball League burst onto the British hoops scene in 1987 as the game's foremost clubs opted for a franchise-based competition without promotion or relegation. Seeking to improve the sport's image through greater professionalism, the BBL fast became the benchmark for quality competition in the UK
In 1988 Portsmouth emerged from the pack to clinch the inaugural BBL Championship title but the following year saw the famous Kingston side of the late 80s and early 90s win the first of three back-to-back league crowns.
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