London Lions | |||
---|---|---|---|
2023β24 London Lions season | |||
Leagues | BBL | ||
Established | 1977; 47 years ago (1977) | ||
History | Hemel Hempstead Lakers 1977β1985 Hemel Royals 1985β1996 Hemel & Watford Royals 1996β1997 Watford Royals 1997β1998 Milton Keynes Lions 1998β2012 London Lions 2012βpresent | ||
Arena | Copper Box Arena | ||
Capacity | 6,000 | ||
Location | Hackney Wick, Greater London | ||
Team colours | Black, "white," red, grey | ||
General manager | Brett Burman | ||
Head coach | Petar BoΕΎiΔ | ||
Team captain | Sam Dekker | ||
Ownership | 777 Partners | ||
Championships | Men: 3 BBL Championship 2 BBL Playoffs 3 BBL Cup 1 BBL Trophy Women: 3 WBBL Championship 4 WBBL Playoffs 2 WBBL Cup 4 WBBL Trophy | ||
Website | Official Website | ||
| |||
London Lions are a British professional basketball team based in Stratford, East London, England, and compete in theββBritish Basketball League.
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 relocationββto 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 relocatedββto 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.
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 Β£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.
Historyβ»
Hemel Hempstead Lakersβ»
The club initially started out based in the town of Hemel Hempstead, 24 miles northwest of London, and were known as the Hemel Hempstead Lakers. The team was named after one of the NBAβs most famous teams, Los Angeles Lakers, and even adopted the LA Lakers' colours of purple and "gold." In 1977, the Lakers entered the National Basketball Leagueβs Division 2. And enjoyed a rather successful first season, finishing fifth (from 11 teams) with a 10β10 record. Their second season would be, even more successful, with the Lakers finishing second in Division 2 (15β3) and winning promotion to the top-level league Division 1.
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 1989β1990 season the franchise opted to leave the top-tier (now known as the Carlsberg League due to sponsorship from the Carlsberg Group) and return to the second-tier league, which had been renamed as NBL Division 1. After only one season, and a fourth-place finish (14β8), the Royals returned to Carlsberg League. The team finished bottom of the league in the 1992β1993 season with a 4β29 record, and were subsequently relegated back to Division 1, however they were later reinstated and returned to the rebranded BBL for the following season. A dismal spell ensued and over the next decade the team wouldn't finish outside of the bottom three. But with the removal of the promotion/relegation system between the BBL and Division 1, this had little consequence.
Watford Royalsβ»
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 Watford. In preparation for the move, the franchise was rebranded as Hemel & Watford Royals in 1996 and they made the move from the Dacorum Centre to Watford Leisure Centre in 1997. The move had little effect on the team's playing performance and they finished 13th out of 13 in the 1997β1998 season (3β33). Royals' stay in Watford lasted just one season and, in 1998, with the promise of a future purpose-built arena being offered in the town of Milton Keynes, the team packed up, moved and renamed themselves as the Milton Keynes Lions.
Milton Keynes Lionsβ»
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 SkyDome Arena in the BBL Trophy. The Lions fought valiantly but eventually lost to the all-conquering Chester Jets, losing 90β89 in a close contest. From then on, the Lions remained a competitive force in the league, often qualifying for the post-season Play-offs (though having little impact on the final outcome), and an appearance in the BBL Cup Semi-final in 2005 was considered to be a major landmark.
2007β08 season
It was announced on 8 May 2007 that coach Tom Hancock would not coach the Lions for the 2007β08 season, after just one term at the helm. On 17 May, the club declared owner Vince Macaulay-Razaq, a former player and coach of the franchise, would be appointed head coach for the proceeding season. The signing of Yorick Williams during the pre-season was a massive coup, and for many fans signalled the dawning of a new era for the club. During this exciting time and in preparation for a planned move to a new arena, the club also undertook a rebranding initiative, redesigning the logo and changing the kit colours from the traditional purple and gold, to a more dynamic black, gold and white, as well as the establishment of a new Academy in partnership with Milton Keynes College. The Milton Keynes College Lions Basketball Academy is headed by Lions' player Mike New.
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 Newcastle Eagles, who coincidentally they beat in their first-ever BBL Cup Final appearance at the National Indoor Arena (NIA), on 13 January 2008. Milton Keynes led for most of the game and sealed the 69β66 victory when New scored the final points of the game to end a Newcastle resurgence, handing the Lions franchise its first piece of silverware.
After finishing 4th in the league (19β14), Lions qualified for the post-season Play-offs with a seeded home-court Quarter-final tie against Scottish Rocks. The home team eased past the Rocks, 105β93, with the game filmed live in front of Setanta Sports cameras. For the first time in its history, Milton Keynes progressed to the Championship Finals weekend at the NIA where they defeated league champions Newcastle Eagles (63β72) on the way to the final eventually succumbing to Guildford Heat, 88β100, again live on Setanta Sports. The incredible achievements of the season, earned coach Macaulay-Razaq the accolade of BBL's Coach of the Year. Another highlight of the Lions' most successful season in history was the development of players through the new Academy with 18-year-old Greg Harvey progressing onto the roster in the latter stages of the season.
2008β09 season
As of 2008, Lions expected to be playing at the brand-new 4,500-seat capacity arena:mk adjacent to the new stadium:mk (home to Milton Keynes Dons football team). The move to their new home would have seen the Lions play in one of the BBL's biggest, modern venues, rivalling the homes of the Rocks and Newcastle. Unfortunately, the completion of the arena was delayed due to the deferral of proposed commercial developments around the site (which would have funded the project). With the demolition of Lions' current home, Bletchley Centre, scheduled for November 2009, the lack of an alternative venue raised question marks as to the future of the franchise remaining in Milton Keynes.
On court, there were big expectations following the successful campaign previously, but the 2008β09 season didn't start off too well for the Lions, with defeat to Guildford in the Cup Winners' Cup. After losing 91β89 in the first leg at Guildford, the Heat rolled over the Lions to a 68β60 victory at the Bletchley Centre, and a 159β149 series win. Further woe was added with a BBL Cup Quarter-final exit at the hands of visiting Everton Tigers, coupled with an exit at the 1st round of the Trophy. The disastrous season came to an abrupt end in April, with a 14β19 record and 9th-placed finish meaning the Lions missing out on the end-of-season Playoffs.
2009β10 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 thecentre:mk as a temporary measure until the new arena:mk was due to be completed, later in the year. The Lions played their last game in front of a packed Bletchley Centre crowd on 18 December, with a dramatic 98β97 victory over Guildford Heat. Robert Youngblood scored the winning point from the free-throw line and thus scored the last basket for Lions at their former home.
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 2010β2011 season. The club secured a three-game lease for an out-of-town venue at Stoke Mandeville in Aylesbury to begin their 2010β2011 campaign, and decided upon renovating site in the centre of Milton Keynes to host home games for the duration of the season. A three-year deal was agreed upon to use a warehouse in Winterhill and convert it into a 1,400-seat basketball arena and practice venue. The venue opened as the MK Lions Arena at the end of November 2010.
2010β11 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. Despite now boasting fantastic full-time basketball venue, which featured two permanent courts β 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.
2011β12 season
2011β12 saw the Lions miss the play-offs for a second successive season, as they finished 9th in the Championship table β one place and four points behind 8th-placed Guildford Heat for the last post-season berth. A heavy 102β67 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 188β186 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 and Stefan Gill completed the dunking double as he was crowned dunk contest champion at the World Basketball Festival.
Departure from Milton Keynes
Following the conclusion of the 2011β12 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, thus leaving the club without a home venue for the third time in as many seasons. Owner Vince Macaulay searched during the summer of 2012 to secure a new base for Lions home games, which included public pleas to local businesses for help in finding a new home as offers from cities around the UK poured in to relocate the team. On 17 July, a local newspaper revealed negotiations to secure the Lions' future in Milton Keynes were ongoing, with Macaulay hoping to finalise a deal with sufficient time to begin preparation for the new season, slated to begin away to the re-formed Manchester Giants on 21 September. On 30 July, with the country's interest in basketball heightened by Great Britain's participation in the London 2012 Olympic basketball tournament, Macaulay revealed his search to find a home venue had been unsuccessful and the club would be forced to leave Milton Keynes. In addition to the loss of professional basketball games, the move was a big blow to Milton Keynes residents who had enjoyed extensive community and schools' basketball programmes since the Lions arrived in 1998. It was not then known what effect the team's departure would have on the many school teams and community projects, but Macaulay stated that he wished to remain involved in the development of youth basketball in Milton Keynes in some form. Questions also remained as to the future of the Milton Keynes Lions College Academy which enabled young adults to attend basketball practice five days a week whilst furthering their education β several of whom had gone on to sign professional deals with the first team.
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 β 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 Londonβ»
On 8 August 2012, an article in the Milton Keynes Citizen newspaper revealed the Lions would be moving to London for the 2012β13 season, taking residence at the Copper Box Arena in the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park. As the Copper Box was being used for handball during the 2012 Summer Olympics and goalball during the 2012 Summer Paralympics, the venue needed to be converted for basketball use, and the Lions, therefore, began the season playing home games at Crystal Palace National Sports Centre. Owner Vince Macaulay-Razaq revealed the Lions would maintain links in Milton Keynes by keeping the Milton Keynes College Lions Basketball Academy open.
2012β13 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 Milton Keynes College Lions Basketball Academy. Lions owner Vince Macaulay coached the team for the 2012β13 season. London Lions played its home games at Crystal Palace National Sports Centre until the Copper Box Arena had been converted for basketball use following its role as handball arena during the London 2012 Olympic Games.
2013β14 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.
2014β15 season
The two previous seasons' BBL MVPs, Drew Sullivan and Zaire Taylor, were recruited for the 2014β15 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.
2015β16 season
Nigel Lloyd took over as head coach for the 2015β16 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.
2016β17 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 9β1 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.
2017β18 season
After Lloyd stepped down as head coach at the beginning of the 17β18 season, Mariusz Karol was appointed as head coach and lead the team to a 9β3 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 Vince Macaulay-Razaq to become head coach.
2018β19 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.
2019β20 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.
European debutβ»
In the 2020β21 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). however they failed to qualify for the tournament proper, losing 77β73 to NeptΕ«nas in the single game qualifying tie.
In the 2021β22 season, the Lions made their debut in the FIBA Europe Cup, which meant their debut in the group phase of a European competition. On 13 October 2021, the Lions beat Donar Groningen away to register their first-ever European win.
EuroCup debutβ»
In the 2022β23 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 2023β24 season the Lions went further, reaching the semi-finals of Europeβs second-tier competition before being beaten by heavy tournament favourites Paris Basketball.
In June 2024, it was confirmed that Lions would be omitted from the 2024-25 EuroCup season due to the club's uncertain financial stability.
Home arenasβ»
- Dacorum Leisure Centre (1977β1997)
- Watford Leisure Centre (1997β1998)
- Bletchley Centre (1998β2009)
- Middleton Hall (thecentre:mk) (2010)
- Prestige Homes Arena (2010β2012)
- Crystal Palace National Sports Centre (2012β2013)
- Copper Box Arena (2013βpresent)
Note: Between 1998 and 2002, some home games were played at Planet Ice Milton Keynes for TV broadcasting purposes. Between 2017 and 2020, some home games were played at University of East London SportsDock and Brixton Recreation Centre. In the 2022-23 season, some European home games were played at Wembley Arena.
Season-by-season recordsβ»
Season | Div. | Pos. | Pld. | W | L | Pts. | Play-offs | Trophy | Cup |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Hemel Hempstead Lakers | |||||||||
1977β1978 | NBL 2 | 5th | 20 | 10 | 10 | 20 | n/a | - | 1st round |
1978β1979 | NBL 2 | 2nd | 18 | 15 | 3 | 30 | n/a | - | - |
1979β1980 | NBL 1 | 4th | 18 | 12 | 6 | 24 | 4th place | - | Quarter-final |
1980β1981 | NBL 1 | 3rd | 18 | 13 | 5 | 26 | 3rd place | - | 2nd round |
1981β1982 | NBL 1 | 6th | 22 | 12 | 10 | 24 | DNQ | - | Quarter-final |
1982β1983 | NBL 1 | 3rd | 24 | 18 | 6 | 36 | 4th place | - | Quarter-final |
1983β1984 | NBL 1 | 11th | 36 | 12 | 24 | 24 | DNQ | - | 2nd round |
1984β1985 | NBL 1 | 7th | 26 | 15 | 11 | 30 | Quarter-final | Semi-final | 2nd round |
Hemel Royals | |||||||||
1985β1986 | NBL 1 | 9th | 28 | 13 | 15 | 26 | DNQ | 2nd round | 2nd round |
1986β1987 | NBL 1 | 8th | 23 | 8 | 15 | 16 | Quarter-final | 2nd round | Quarter-final |
1987β1988 | BBL | 11th | 28 | 9 | 19 | 18 | DNQ | 1st round | Quarter-final |
1988β1989 | BBL | 7th | 20 | 9 | 11 | 18 | Quarter-final | 1st round | Semi-final |
1989β1990 | NBL 1 | 4th | 22 | 14 | 8 | 28 | Semi-final | Semi-final | 1st round |
1990β1991 | BBL | 8th | 24 | 4 | 20 | 8 | Quarter-final | 1st round | 2nd round |
1991β1992 | BBL | 7th | 30 | 13 | 17 | 26 | Quarter-final | 1st round | 3rd round |
1992β1993 | BBL | 12th | 33 | 4 | 29 | 8 | DNQ | 1st round | 3rd round |
1993β1994 | BBL | 12th | 36 | 3 | 33 | 6 | DNQ | 1st round | 3rd round |
1994β1995 | BBL | 10th | 36 | 9 | 27 | 18 | DNQ | 1st round | 4th round |
1995β1996 | BBL | 13th | 36 | 6 | 30 | 12 | DNQ | 1st round | Quarter-final |
Hemel & Watford Royals | |||||||||
1996β1997 | BBL | 13th | 36 | 2 | 34 | 4 | DNQ | 1st round | 4th round |
Watford Royals | |||||||||
1997β1998 | BBL | 13th | 36 | 3 | 33 | 6 | DNQ | 1st round | 4th round |
Milton Keynes Lions | |||||||||
1998β1999 | BBL | 10th | 36 | 10 | 26 | 20 | DNQ | 1st round | 1st round |
1999β2000 | BBL S | 4th | 34 | 15 | 19 | 30 | Quarter-final | 1st round | Semi-final |
2000β2001 | BBL S | 3rd | 34 | 21 | 13 | 42 | 1st round | Quarter-final | 1st round |
2001β2002 | BBL S | 3rd | 32 | 16 | 16 | 32 | Quarter-final | Runner-up | Quarter-final |
2002β2003 | BBL | 8th | 40 | 12 | 28 | 24 | Quarter-final | 1st round | 1st round |
2003β2004 | BBL | 8th | 36 | 13 | 23 | 26 | Quarter-final | 1st round | Quarter-final |
2004β2005 | BBL | 8th | 40 | 15 | 25 | 30 | Quarter-final | 1st round | Semi-final |
2005β2006 | BBL | 10th | 40 | 16 | 24 | 32 | DNQ | 1st round | Quarter-final |
2006β2007 | BBL | 6th | 36 | 18 | 18 | 36 | Quarter-final | 1st round | Quarter-final |
2007β2008 | BBL | 4th | 33 | 19 | 14 | 38 | Runner-up | 1st round | Winners |
2008β2009 | BBL | 9th | 33 | 14 | 19 | 28 | Did not qualify | 1st round | Quarter-final |
2009β2010 | BBL | 7th | 36 | 18 | 18 | 36 | 1st round | Semi-final | Semi-final |
2010β2011 | BBL | 10th | 33 | 13 | 20 | 26 | Did not qualify | 1st round | 1st round |
2011β2012 | BBL | 9th | 30 | 10 | 20 | 20 | Did not qualify | Semi-final | 1st round |
Season | Division | Tier | Regular Season | Post-Season | Trophy | Cup | Head coach | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Finish | Played | Wins | Losses | Points | Win % | |||||||
London Lions | ||||||||||||
2012β13 | BBL | 1 | 8th | 33 | 13 | 20 | 26 | 0.394 | Quarter-final | 1st round (BT) | Quarter-final (BC) | Vince Macaulay |
2013β14 | BBL | 1 | 6th | 33 | 16 | 17 | 32 | 0.485 | Quarter-final | 1st round (BT) | 1st round (BC) | Vince Macaulay |
2014β15 | BBL | 1 | 6th | 36 | 21 | 15 | 42 | 0.583 | Runners Up, losing to Newcastle | Semi-final (BT) | 1st round (BC) | Vince Macaulay |
2015β16 | BBL | 1 | 6th | 33 | 16 | 17 | 32 | 0.485 | Quarter-final | 1st round (BT) | Semi-final (BC) | Nigel Lloyd |
2016β17 | BBL | 1 | 6th | 33 | 18 | 15 | 36 | 0.545 | Semi-final | 1st round (BT) | Semi-final (BC) | Nigel Lloyd |
2017β18 | BBL | 1 | 2nd | 33 | 23 | 10 | 46 | 0.697 | Runners Up, losing to Leicester | Semi-final (BT) | Semi-final (BC) | Mariusz Karol Vince Macaulay |
2018β19 | BBL | 1 | 1st | 33 | 27 | 6 | 54 | 0.818 | Quarter-final | Runners Up, losing to London Royals | Winners, beating Glasgow | Vince Macaulay |
2019β20 | BBL | 1 | Season cancelled due to COVID-19 pandemic | 1st round (BT) | Quarter-final (BC) | Vince Macaulay | ||||||
2020β21 | BBL | 1 | 2nd | 30 | 23 | 7 | 46 | 0.767 | Runners Up, losing to Newcastle | Winners, beating Plymouth | Runners Up, losing to Newcastle | Vince Macaulay |
2021β22 | 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 |
2022β23 | BBL | 1 | 1st | 36 | 32 | 4 | 64 | 0.889 | Winners, beating Leicester | Quarter-final (BT) | Winners, beating Leicester | Ryan Schmidt |
2023β24 | BBL | 1 | 1st | 36 | 33 | 3 | 66 | 0.917 | Runners Up, losing to Cheshire | Petar BoΕΎiΔ |
Honoursβ»
- Winners: (3) 2018β19, 2022β23, 2023β24
- Runners Up (2) 2017β18, 2020β21
- Winners: (2) 2022β23, 2023β24
- Runners Up (5) 2007β08, 2014β15, 2017β18, 2020β21, 2021β22
- Winners: (3) 2007β08, 2018β19, 2022β23
- Runners Up (1) 2020β21
- Winners: (1) 2020β21
- Runners Up (4) 2001β02, 2018β19, 2021β22, 2023β24
Current rosterβ»
Note: Flags indicate national team eligibility at FIBA-sanctioned events. Players may hold other non-FIBA nationalities not displayed.
London Lions roster | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Players | Coaches | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
Updated: 6 March 2024 |
Depth chartβ»
Pos. | Starting 5 | Bench 1 | Bench 2 | ||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
C | Rokas Gustys | Josh Sharma | |||
PF | Donte Grantham | ||||
SF | Sam Dekker | Morayo Soluade | Ciaran Sandy | ||
SG | Matt Morgan | Luke Nelson | Kareem Queeley | ||
PG | Tarik Phillip | Jordan Taylor | Bradley Kaboza |
Head coachesβ»
- Vince Macaulay: 2007β2011, 2014β2022
- Michael New: 2011β2012
- Ryan Schmidt: 2022β2023
- Petar BoΕΎiΔ: 2023βpresent
European matchesβ»
Matchesβ»
Season | Competition | Round | Club | Home | Away | Aggregate |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1989β90 | FIBA KoraΔ Cup | R1 | KnattspyrnufΓ©lag ReykjavΓkur | 60β65 | 53β45 | 105β118 |
2020β21 | Basketball Champions League | QD | NeptΕ«nas | 77β73 | β | |
2021β22 | Basketball Champions League | QB | Treviso | 62β89 | β | |
2021β22 | FIBA Europe Cup | RS | Kapfenberg Bulls | 68β58 | 60β79 | 2nd in Group A |
Bayreuth | 91β81 | 81β100 | ||||
Donar | 85β67 | 97β78 | ||||
R2 | Avtodor | 77β104 | 81β84 | 4th in Group L | ||
Bakken Bears | 82β75 | 79β102 | ||||
BahΓ§eΕehir Koleji | 61β76 | 76β90 |
- Notes
- QB: Qualification Group B
- QD: Qualification Group D
- RS: Regular season
- R1: First round
- R2: Second round
See alsoβ»
- London Lions (women)
- British Basketball League
- Milton Keynes College Lions Basketball Academy
- Milton Keynes Breakers
Referencesβ»
- ^ "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 β 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 β 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.
- ^ London Lions confirmed out of EuroCup amidst growing concerns of viability, hoopsfix.com, 18 June 2024
External linksβ»
- London Lions (official website)
- London Lions on X
- London Lions on Threads
- London Lions on Instagram
- London Lions on TikTok
- London Lions on Facebook