Sheffield Sharks chasing silverware on four fronts in new Super League Basketball season

NEW ERA: Sheffield Sharks and their Super League Basketball rivals will tip-off for the new season under a new banner on September 27. Picture: Tony Johnson.

SHEFFIELD SHARKS and their British rivals will have four trophies to play for when the newly-relaunched Super League Basketball season tips off next month.

The new league, led by the clubs and chaired by the new principal owner of the Sharks, American entrepreneur Vaughn Millette, have reintroduced the Cup as the fourth competition following its removal from the schedule by the British Basketball League last season.

The collapse of that league triggered by the financial difficulties of 777 Partners, has led to the formation of the new structure and the re-introduction of the Cup.

The new league season gets underway on Friday, September 27 and has been split into four separate sections, with the Trophy tournament running from September to November at which point the Championship regular season begins.

LEADING MAN: Sheffield Sharks' owner, Vaughan Millette, will also act as Super League Basketball’s interim chairman in its first season, which gets underway at the end of September. Picture courtesy of Adam Bates.

The first silverware of the year will be contested in the Trophy final at Birmingham’s Utilita Arena on Sunday, January 26.

Following that, the Cup competition will take place over six weeks from February ahead of a Final in March at a venue to be confirmed, before the road to the Playoffs resumes with the Championship regular-season concluding on April 27.

Eight of the nine teams qualify for the play-offs with the league reverting back to two-legged quarter-finals and semi-finals, with the final set for London on May 18.

Two-legged knockout ties decided by an aggregate score has not always sat well with teams and players who are predominantly North American and used to a ‘best-of’ format.

That was tried last year to varying degrees of success, with Sheffield and Leicester Riders in particular playing an exciting best-of-three quarter-final series that the Sharks won in the decider at the Canon Medical Arena in Attercliffe.

But the turnaround from games two to three plus availability of arenas and selling tickets is known to be problematic.

Super League Basketball’s interim chairman Millette said: “We’re delighted to be launching our inaugural season with four fantastic competitions for our fans to look forward to. British basketball has a rich history and we’re pleased to pay tribute to that heritage with these competitions, setting the stage for a spectacular SLB season.

“The excitement for the return of elite level British basketball is evident and we’re delighted to be able to give the fans what they want from September 27, with a full fixture list for all of our competitions to be released in the coming days.”

Sharks haven’t won a competition in British men’s basketball’s top tier since 2016.