1999–2000 British Basketball League season
Introduction The '''1999–2000 BBL season''', was known as the Dairylea Dunkers Championship for sponsorship reasons, the regular season commenced on September 15, 1999, and ended on April 8, 2000, with a total of 13 teams competing. For the first time in the league’s history, the 13 teams were split into two geographically divided Conferences, seven in the North and six in the South, with northern teams playing 36 games and southern teams playing 34 games each. The season was dominated by the success of Manchester Giants, conquering the Northern Conference and Championship Play-offs, whilst London Towers were victorious in the Southern Conference and the uni-ball Trophy. Sheffield Sharks were also successful in defending their Sainsbury's Classic Cola National Cup.London Towers featured in European competition, participating in the Saporta Cup, though with a 3-7 record they finished at the bottom of Group G and thus failed to progress beyond the Group stage. Cross-town rivals Greater London Leopards also made a brief appearance in the Korać Cup but following a 155-189 aggregate defeat to ÍRB Reykjanesbær in the Preliminary round, their first foray into Europe was merely a cameo.The Southern All-Stars beat their Northern rivals in the eleventh annual All-Star Game with a 177-180 victory, the closest result in the League's history. That was the 7th overall win of the South against the North who won 5 games since the All-Star Game's inception in 1989.
Dairylea Dunkers Championship (Tier 1) === Final standings ======= Northern Conference ====PosTeamPldWL%Pts1  Manchester Giants 36  31  5 0.861'''62'''2  Sheffield Sharks 36  29  7 0.805'''58''' 3  Edinburgh Rocks 36  19  17 0.527'''38''' 4  Chester Jets 36  17  19 0.472'''34''' 5  Derby Storm 36  17  19 0.472'''34''' 6  Newcastle Eagles 36  10  26 0.277'''20'''  7  Leicester Riders 36  10  26 0.277'''20'''  ==== Southern Conference ====PosTeamPldWL%Pts1  London Towers 34  23  11 0.676'''46'''2  Thames Valley Tigers 34  18  16 0.529'''36''' 3  Birmingham Bullets 34  17  17 0.500'''34''' 4  Milton Keynes Lions 34  15  19 0.441'''30''' 5  Greater London Leopards 34  11  23 0.323'''22''' 6  Brighton Bears 34  11  23 0.323'''22'''    = Conference winners  = Qualified for the play-offs=== Playoffs ======= Quarter-finals ======== Semi-finals ======== Final ====
National League Division 1 (Tier 2) === Final standings ===PosTeamPldWL%Pts1  Teesside Mohawks 24  22  2 0.917'''44'''2  Worthing Thunder Rebels 24  21  3 0.875'''42''' 3  Solent Stars 24  18  6 0.750'''36''' 4  Plymouth Raiders 24  16  8 0.667'''32''' 5  Sutton Pumas 24  12  12 0.500'''24''' 6  Islington White Heat 24  12  12 0.500'''24'''7  Coventry Crusaders 24  11  13 0.458'''22''' 8  Taunton Tigers 24  9  15 0.375'''18''' 9  Birmingham Bullets II 24  8  16 0.333'''16''' 10  Westminster Warriors 24  7  17 0.292'''14''' 11  Cardiff Clippers 24  7  17 0.292'''14''' 12  Oxford Devils 24  7  17 0.292'''14'''13  Mid-Sussex Magic 24  6  18 0.250'''12'''   = League winners  = Qualified for the play-offs===Playoffs==='''Quarter-finals''''''Semi-finals''''''Final'''
National League Division 2 (Tier 3) === Final standings ===PosTeamPldWL%Pts1  City of Manchester Attitude 24  20  4 0.833'''40'''2  Liverpool Atac 24  18  6 0.750'''36''' 3  Kingston Wildcats 24  17  7 0.708'''34''' 4  Brixton TopCats 24  17  7 0.708'''34''' 5  Reading Rockets 24  17  7 0.708'''34''' 6  North London Lords 24  16  8 0.667'''32'''7  Hull Icebergs 24  11  13 0.458'''22''' 8  Northampton 89ers 24  11  13 0.458'''22''' 9  Flintshire Flyers 24  10  14 0.417'''20''' 10  Portsmouth Pirates 24  7  17 0.292'''14''' 11  Wandsworth Hurricanes 24  5  19 0.208'''10''' 12  Bournemouth Blitz 24  4  20 0.167'''8'''13  Swindon Sonics 24  3  21 0.125'''6'''   = League winners  = Qualified for the play-offsPlay Off Final - Kingston 68 Manchester 62
National League Division 3 (Tier 4) === Final standings ===PosTeamPldWL%Pts1  Doncaster Eagles 24  23  1 0.958'''46'''2  Mansfield Express 24  20  4 0.833'''40''' 3  Ealing Tornadoes 24  19  5 0.793'''38''' 4  Ware Fire 24  16  8 0.667'''32''' 5  University of Birmingham 24  15  9 0.625'''30''' 6  Bristol Bombers 24  11  13 0.458'''22'''7  NW London Wolverines 24  9  15 0.375'''18''' 8  Barking & Dag. Erkenwald 24  9  15 0.375'''18''' 9  Thames Valley Tigers II 24  9  15 0.375'''18''' 10  Hanley Hornets 24  7  17 0.293'''14''' 11  Brighton Cougars 24  7  17 0.293'''14''' 12  Croydon Pumas 24  6  18 0.250'''12'''  13  Derbyshire Arrows 24  5  19 0.208'''10'''   = League winners  = Qualified for the play-offsPlay Off Final - Mansfield v Doncaster 84-76, 75-75
Sainsbury's Classic Cola National Cup === Last 16 === Team 1 Team 2 Score London Towers  Sutton Pumas  76-68 Sheffield Sharks  Derby Storm  75-71 Manchester Giants  Thames Valley Tigers  94-71  Edinburgh Rocks   Chester Jets  96-83 Plymouth Raiders  Leicester Riders  60-77 Birmingham Bullets  Brighton Bears  80-91 Solent Stars  Greater London Leopards  88-100 Newcastle Eagles  Milton Keynes Lions  99-109 OT=== Quarter-finals === Team 1 Team 2 Score Sheffield Sharks  Brighton Bears  89-75 Manchester Giants  Leicester Riders  86-73 Milton Keynes Lions  Greater London Leopards  91-75 London Towers  Edinburgh Rocks  75-78=== Semi-finals === Team 1 Team 2 Score Sheffield Sharks  Milton Keynes Lions  73-67 Edinburgh Rocks  Manchester Giants  60-82=== Final ===
uni-ball Trophy === Group stage ==='''Group A'''TeamPtsPldWLPercent1. '''Greater London Leopards''''''10'''6510.8332. '''Derby Storm''''''6'''6330.5003.Birmingham Bullets'''6'''6330.5004.Solent Stars'''2'''6150.166* Derby qualified ahead of Birmingham on head-to-head results. '''Group B'''TeamPtsPldWLPercent1. '''London Towers''''''12'''6601.0002. '''Thames Valley Tigers''''''8'''6420.6663.Edinburgh Rocks'''4'''6240.3334.Leicester Riders'''0'''6060.000'''Group C'''TeamPtsPldWLPercent1. '''Manchester Giants''''''12'''6601.0002. '''Newcastle Eagles''''''8'''6420.6663.Milton Keynes Lions'''4'''6240.3334.Sutton Pumas'''0'''6060.000'''Group D'''TeamPtsPldWLPercent1. '''Sheffield Sharks''''''12'''6601.0002. '''Chester Jets''''''6'''6330.5003.Brighton Bears'''6'''6340.5004.Plymouth Raiders'''0'''6060.000* Chester qualified ahead of Brighton on head-to-head results.=== Quarter-finals ====== Semi-finals ====== Final ===
All-Star Game +'''Northern All-Stars'''Player Team No. of Selections  Tony Dorsey Manchester Giants6th  Purnell Perry  Leicester Riders1st  James Hamilton  Chester Jets2nd  Darrian Evans  Derby Storm1st  John McCord  Edinburgh Rocks3d  Cypheus Bunton  Derby Storm1st  Terrell Myers  Sheffield Sharks3d  Ralph Blalock  Leicester Riders3d  Roy Hairston  Manchester Giants1st  Ted Berry  Edinburgh Rocks3d  Malcolm Leak  Leicester Riders2nd  Nate Reinking  Sheffield Sharks2nd  Coach   Nick Nurse  Manchester Giants+'''Southern All-Stars'''Player Team No. of Selections  Kenya Capers  Greater London Leopards1st   Tony Windless  Milton Keynes Lions6th  Danny Lewis  London Towers6th  Brandon Brantley  Greater London Leopards1st  Shawn Jamison  Birmingham Bullets1st  Eric Burks  Milton Keynes Lions4th  Casey Arena  Thames Valley Tigers1st  Steve Bucknall  London Towers3d   Nigel Lloyd  Milton Keynes Lions8th  Charles Claxton  Brighton Bears1st  Donnie Johnson  London Towers1st   Greg Meldrum  Thames Valley Tigers1st Coach  Mike Finger  Birmingham Bullets
Statistics leaders CategoryPlayerStatPoints per game  Terrell Myers (Sheffield Sharks)   24.2Rebounds per game  Brandon Brantley (Leopards)   11.2Assists per game  Casey Arena (Thames Valley)  6.2
Seasonal awards * '''Most Valuable Player:''' Tony Dorsey (Manchester Giants)* '''Domestic Player of the Year:''' Steve Bucknall (London Towers)* '''Import Player of the Year:''' Tony Dorsey (Manchester Giants)* '''Defensive Player of the Year:''' Roy Hairston (Manchester Giants)* '''Most Improved Player of the Year:''' Ian Whyte (Newcastle Eagles)* '''Coach of the Year:''' Nick Nurse (Manchester Giants)* '''All-Star First Team:'''** Tony Dorsey (Manchester Giants)** Danny Lewis (London Towers)** Terrell Myers (Sheffield Sharks)** Steve Bucknall (London Towers)** Roy Hairston (Manchester Giants)* '''All-Star Second Team:'''** James Hamilton (Chester Jets)** Nigel Lloyd (Milton Keynes Lions)** Nate Reinking (Sheffield Sharks)** John McCord (Edinburgh Rocks)** Brandon Brantley (Greater London Leopards)
References