The crisis in British basketball deepened this weekend with the sport’s professional league and governing body showing no signs of backing down in their dispute over the direction of the men’s elite tier.

Last Wednesday, the British Basketball Federation named an American consortium headed by Portland Trail Blazers president Marshall Glickman as preferred bidder to operate the sport’s professional division from next season.

Super League Basketball, the cohort of nine clubs that stepped in to save the league last summer when previous owners 777 Partners encountered financial difficulties, responded by threatening to continue their league next year outside the governance of the federation.

Both parties doubled down on their position over the weekend. In a statement, Vaughn Millette - the American entrepreneur who bought Sheffield Sharks last summer and later became chair of Super League Basketball - wrote: “SLB was awarded the licence to operate a professional league in Great Britain for a period of three years. Since then, clubs have collectively invested over £15m to establish an exciting foundation for growth.

Drake Jeffries of Sheffield Sharks in action against Leicester Riders, two long-standing clubs involved in Super League Basketball's dispute with the British Basketball Federation (Picture: Adam Bates)

placeholder image — Drake Jeffries of Sheffield Sharks in action against Leicester Riders, two long-standing clubs involved in Super League Basketball's dispute with the British Basketball Federation (Picture: Adam Bates)

“SLB clubs in good faith engaged with the British Basketball Federation throughout last summer to continue elite professional men’s and women’s basketball in Great Britain.

“It was understood then that a collaborative approach would be undertaken to secure a longer-term licence on behalf of the SLB. This has not happened, and we have not at any time been consulted or included in its development, despite the fact we were listed as key stakeholders in the tender application process.

“Following the BBF’s decision to run an open invitation to tender for the long-term licence to run the men’s professional league in GB, the SLB’s shareholders and directors unanimously took the difficult decision to withdraw from the process after concerns were raised over the legality of the BBF’s actions.

“Despite communicating these concerns to the BBF over a period of months, the SLB never received any substantive responses and the tender document did not allow for any changes to fees and conditions. This approach would have rendered the league un-investable.”

Sheffield Sharks owner and Super League Basketball chair Vaughn Millette (Picture: Adam Bates)

The BBF later responded, outlining examples of where it was indicated SLB would be making a bid for the licence and added that: “There are a number of inaccuracies in Mr Millette’s comments…one of the most important to correct is his claim that “the tender document (to submit a bid to operate the league) did not allow for any changes to fees and conditions.

“On 5th December, in a letter addressed to the Super League Basketball Ltd. shareholders from the British Basketball Federation via their legal representatives, it was written: the ITT (Invitation to Tender) expressly invites applicants to specify in their response where they believe different terms are appropriate. The BBF recognises that different parties may have different considerations and business models, and all applicants are welcome to put forward any variations.

“In an interview published on 25th September Mr Millette stated that the BBF ‘deserves the right to run a process. I think we’re the only ones who could possibly win it but we just have to respect that process’.

“This statement and others gave the clear impression that Super League Basketball Ltd. would submit a bid. As such it would clearly have been inappropriate to involve Super League Basketball Ltd. directly in defining the terms and criteria against which bids would be judged.

"These will be considered in the round, as described in the ITT, which is entirely consistent with the way most ITTs are conducted.

“This letter represented part of our efforts to encourage SLB Ltd. to submit their bid to operate the league on a long-term basis before the deadline. It was their decision not to do so. We had previously made considerable efforts to engage with Mr Millette and the shareholders. For example, on 9th October BBF Chair Chris Grant and fellow BBF Board Members met with the SLB Ltd. shareholders to give advance notice of our invitation to prospective bidders to express interest in bidding for the licence. We reassured them that safeguarding the position of the existing clubs was front and centre of the tender process. Indeed, one of the key terms of the tender document stated: ‘All franchises competing in Super League Basketball in the 2024/25 season should have a first right to be part of the League’.

“Mr Millette’s claim that the approach we set out is “uninvestable” is disproved by the fact that the group led by Marshall Glickman, Arjun Metre and Chris Dillavou has presented what the BBF Board and its expert advisors consider to be a robust, exciting and properly-funded business plan which can elevate British basketball to the benefit of all stakeholders, including the existing clubs. On that basis, we have awarded that group the status of preferred bidder.

"However, further scrutiny will be required before the licence can be awarded, and there will also need to be negotiation of some of the terms. The existing clubs have been invited to participate in these negotiations, but at the time of writing they have refused even to find out what is being proposed.

“Throughout these difficult months the British Basketball Federation have sought to act in the best interests of the game as it is always our role to do.”

On the court on Friday night, Sheffield Sharks improved their league record to 11-4 with a 83-75 win over Manchester.