The Basketball Bundesliga or BBL (now called easyCredit BBL) is Germany’s premier professional basketball league. With the 2023-24 campaign drawing to a close, it’s time to shine a spotlight on this club competition. As one of the more exciting and unpredictable top leagues in Europe, its 2024 season brought a lot of surprises and intrigue to fans. Our article will review the 2024 season, highlight key teams, celebrate the champions, and a bit more.
History of the German Basketball League
The BBL was founded in 1966. Over nearly six decades, it has grown into one of Europe’s most competitive basketball leagues. Even though the teams aren’t as dominant as their Spanish or Greek competitors on the European front, the league itself is very competitive. Sometimes, it can remind you of the English Premier League, where seemingly every team can beat one another. This makes competition all the more exciting.
The season is divided into a regular phase and playoffs. The top six teams from the regular season automatically qualify for the playoffs. Places 7-10 participate in Play-Ins to take the remaining two spots. Teams in 17th and 18th spots are relegated to the 2nd division.
Then the playoffs start. There are three rounds with a best-of 5 format all the way. The winner is crowned as champion.
Teams in the easyCredit Bundesliga 2024
For the 2023-24 season, the easyCredit BBL league had 18 teams in total. They all faced each other twice, playing one home and one away game.
| Team | City | Arena | Capacity |
| Brose Bamberg | Bamberg | Brose Arena | 6,150 |
| Medi Bayreuth | Bayreuth | Oberfrankenhalle | 4,000 |
| Alba Berlin | Berlin | Mercedes-Benz Arena | 14,500 |
| Telekom Baskets Bonn | Bonn | Telekom Dome | 6,000 |
| Löwen Braunschweig | Braunschweig | Volkswagen Halle | 6,600 |
| Niners Chemnitz | Chemnitz | Chemnitz Arena | 5,200 |
| Crailsheim Merlins | Crailsheim | Arena Hohenlohe | 3,000 |
| Skyliners Frankfurt | Frankfurt | Fraport Arena | 5,002 |
| BG Göttingen | Göttingen | Sparkassen Arena | 3,447 |
| Hamburg Towers | Hamburg | Edel-optics.de Arena | 3,400 |
| MLP Academics Heidelberg | Heidelberg | SNP Dome | 5,000 |
| MHP Riesen Ludwigsburg | Ludwigsburg | MHP-Arena | 5,300 |
| Syntainics MBC | Weißenfels | Stadthalle Weißenfels | 3,000 |
| Bayern Munich | Munich | BMW Park | 6,700 |
| Baskets Oldenburg | Oldenburg | Große EWE Arena | 6,069 |
| Rostock Seawolves | Rostock | Stadthalle Rostock | 4,550 |
| ratiopharm Ulm | Ulm | ratiopharm arena | 6,000 |
| Würzburg Baskets | Würzburg | tectake Arena | 3,140 |
Basketball Bundesliga Regular Season Standings 2024
Here are the standings for the 2023-24 easyCredit BBL regular season.
Most Notable Teams in the Basketball Bundesliga 2024
The 2024 BBL season had a few notable teams that are worth your attention. We’d like to talk about 3 of them:
Alba Berlin
Traditionally a powerhouse, Alba Berlin has an A-level license from the Euroleague, guaranteeing their perennial participation. Although struggling in the Euroleague, they finished 2nd in the regular season. They have 11 titles in total, winning 3 out of the last 4.
Bayern Munich
With legendary Real Madrid coach Pablo Laso at the helm, this team always plays the right way. They have an intriguing roster and have consistently been the best German squad in the Euroleague. However, they only have 5 total titles, compared to 11 by Alba.
Niners Chemnitz
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H5fJ7xL7szs< Chemnitz, a standout team this season, surprised many by making it deep into the playoffs.
Bamberg Brose is another standout squad. They have been dominant for most of the 21st century, winning 9 titles between 2005 and 2017, but have recently fallen back and given way to the likes of Bayern and Alba recently.
Basketball Bundesliga 2024 Season MVP
This year’s most notable and electric player in the easyCredit BBL was Otis Livingston II from Würzburg Baskets. He earned the top scorer, best offensive, most effective international player and League MVP awards.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QhUo2m2phUI
The 5’11” or 180 cm tall American guard plays much taller than his height on paper. He is fearless when attacking the basket and has an explosive first step. When watching his highlights, you can see that Livingston plays very well off the dribble and can drive both to the left and right sides. He excels in finishing in traffic, even against taller/bigger opponents. Another of his strengths is jump-shooting and saving a possession when the set or play fails. He is that capable in 1-on-1 situations.
His team finished 5th in the standings, but it seems very reasonable to believe that the American will spread his wings and join an even more high-profile squad.
Best Players from the Basketball Bundesliga History
Throughout history, many amazing talents have grazed the hardwood of the German League. Here are 6 top picks.
Dirk Nowitzki
Many forget that the 2007 NBA MVP had a career (albeit short) before joining the Mavericks. For 4 whole years, the 2011 NBA Champion represented his hometown squad, DJK Wurzburg and immediately caught the eye of scouts and basketball analysts. After a dominating campaign in Germany, he entered the NBA draft and spent 21 years representing the Dallas Mavericks, becoming a club legend.
Maxi Kleber
Following the footsteps of Dirk, a fellow Wurzburgian (just like Nowitzki), Maxi Kleber also plays for the Dallas Mavericks, racking up 7 full seasons with the Texas team. A solid role player and a stretch 4, he has been instrumental as an X factor for the Mavs. The Power Forward spent 3 years at Wurzburg and then 2 more years at Bayern before going to the NBA.
Dennis Schröder
The FIBA World Cup 2023 MVP, helping Germany win it all, the light-hearted and explosive Dennis Schröder is a seasoned NBA veteran. Through 10 seasons in the NBA, he has played for the Atlanta Hawks, Oklahoma City Thunder, Los Angeles Lakers, Boston Celtics, Houston Rockets, Toronto Raptors and Brooklyn Nets. He is a high-volume, high-impact player suitable for the modern-day NBA game.
Dennis took his first steps in pro basketball, wearing a Braunschweig Baskets uniform between 2009 and 2012. He now is also the sole owner of the team.
Moritz Wagner
The high-energy center, the older of the Wagner bros, Moritz Wagner, is always noticeable when on the floor. He is a mobile big, able to stretch the floor a bit. He has recently joined forces with his brother Franz, who both play for the Orlando Magic. Moritz started his professional career on Alba’s roster but went to Michigan University in NCAA for three years.
Franz Wagner
Without a doubt, the most exciting and talented young player from Germany right now is the shifty and very skilled Franz Wagner. The younger brother of Moritz also attended Michigan and joined the Orlando Magic, where he made the All-Rookie First Team in 2022.
Averaging 18-19 points wouldn’t be possible without the experience he garnered in 2 seasons with Alba.
Daniel Theis
The 2015-16 Most Effective German Player in the basketball Bundesliga – tough center Daniel Theis. Although he is a bit undersized in his position, the German makes up for it by playing 100 % all the time. He was the Bundesliga’s best defender in 2017 before joining the Boston Celtics. He is one of the prototypical 2nd unit centers, focusing on defence and rebounding. In total, Theis spent 7 years playing for 3 different German BBL teams.