1979–80 National Basketball League season

1979–80 National Basketball League season
League National Basketball League
Sport Basketball
Number of teams 10
Roll of Honour
National League champions Crystal Palace Chevrons
  National League runners-up Doncaster Ziebart Panthers
Play Off's champions Crystal Palace Chevrons
  Play Off's runners-up Coventry Team Fiat
National Cup champions Crystal Palace Chevrons
  National Cup runners-up Doncaster Ziebart Panthers

The 1979–80 Rotary Watches National Basketball League season was the eighth season of the National Basketball League formed in 1972.[1]

The league was sponsored by Rotary Watches for the second consecutive year and Crystal Palace won an unprecedented treble of League, Playoff's and National Cup. Crystal Palace were helped by Alton Byrd who would become the best known name in British basketball and won the season MVP award.[2]

Team Changes

Malcolm Chamberlain, the owner of the London Metros uprooted the team and relocated them from London to Kingston upon Thames and to the Tolworth Recreation Centre rebranding them as Kingston. With their added sponsorship they would be known as Kelly Girls International Kingston. Hemel Hempstead joined the league and would be known as Hemel Hempstead Ovaltine playing at Bletchley Leisure Centre. The Blackpool Pacemakers and Team Talbot, Guildford completed the newcomers to the league. The Milton Keynes All-Stars, Loughborough All-Stars, Exeter St Lukes TSB and Bracknell Bullets all dropped out.

National League Standings

Division One

Pos Team P W L F A Pts
1 Crystal Palace Chevrons 18 18 0 1936 1498 36
2 Doncaster Ziebart Panthers 18 14 4 1751 1673 28
3 Coventry Team Fiat 18 14 4 1788 1644 28
4 Hemel Hempstead Ovaltine 18 12 6 1686 1634 24
5 Kelly Girls International Kingston 18 10 8 1836 1702 20
6 Sunderland Sunblest 18 9 9 1672 1683 18
7 Stockport Belgrade 18 5 13 1763 1874 9
8 Manchester ATS Giants 18 3 15 1533 1754 6
9 Blackpool Pacemakers 18 3 15 1612 1839 6
10 Team Talbot, Guildford Pirates 18 2 16 1592 1873 4

Division Two

Team Hemeling Birmingham, Brunel Uxbridge, Panasonic Plymouth, Camden & Hampstead, Exeter, Leeds, Brighton, Nottingham

Rotary Watches Play Off's

Semi-Finals

venue & date Team 1 Team 2 Score
March 14, Wembley Arena Doncaster Ziebart Panthers Coventry Team Fiat 84-100
March 14, Wembley Arena Crystal Palace Chevrons Hemel Hempstead Ovaltine 98-75

Third Place

venue & date Team 1 Team 2 Score
March 15, Wembley Arena Doncaster Ziebart Panthers Hemel Hempstead Ovaltine 84-75

Final[3]

15 March
Crystal Palace Chevrons 9385 Coventry Team Fiat
Pts: Mark Saiers 26 Pts: Greg White (MVP) 38

Butlins National Cup Final

25 January 1980
Crystal Palace Chevrons 9767 Doncaster Ziebart Panthers
Pts: Peter Jeremich 21, Mark Saiers 17
Sheffield

References

  1. Matthews & Morrison, Peter & Ian (1987). The Guinness Encyclopaedia of Sports Records & Results. Guinness Superlatives Ltd. ISBN 0-85112-492-5.
  2. "Men's Senior League Winners". Basketball England.
  3. "Nicholas Harling. "Basketball." Times [London, England] 17 Mar. 1980". The Times Digital Archive.

See also

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