Official: British Basketball Federation goes into liquidation, GBBL assessing legal options
The British Basketball Federation has gone into liquidation, blaming “a significant and unanticipated reduction in income and unforeseen expenditure”.
The BBF said it had been unable to meet its liabilities and had appointed insolvency firm Begbies Traynor to assist in placing it in liquidation.
It follows a damaging legal battle with Super League Basketball over the future of the elite domestic game, and a controversial deal with rival investors GBBL.
It is understood that many of the BBF’s duties will be transferred to Basketball England and that the ban on British referees officiating in competitions run by world governing body Fiba has been lifted.
The liquidation comes after Fiba suspended the BBF and the GB men’s team last month due to a long-running legal dispute between the BBF and the men’s top division, Super League Basketball.
The BBF said: “The British Basketball Federation Ltd today announces that it has ceased to trade due to a significant and unanticipated reduction in income and unforeseen expenditure resulting in the company’s inability to meet its liabilities as they fall due.
“With the support of professional advisors, BBF Ltd is taking the necessary steps to place the company into Liquidation.
“The immediate priority for all domestic basketball stakeholders is to work closely with the sport’s international governing body, Fiba, to ensure the ongoing stability and security of the Great Britain national teams, including delivering on our participation commitment to upcoming FIBA competitions.”
The GB men’s team is due to face Lithuania in a World Cup qualifier later this month.
GBBL considering legal options
GBBL won a one-horse race for the long-term licence to operate the top men’s league in Britain earlier this year after SLB pulled out of contention, citing concerns with the tender process.
Following the BBF’s liquidation announcement, the US group fronted by Marshall Glickman said it may take legal action to recover funds that it had already paid the BBF.
A spokesperson said: “Following the news that the British Basketball Federation has entered into administration, GBBL is working with its legal counsel to evaluate its options pertaining to the status of its 15-year licence to run a British professional basketball league from 2027.
“In accordance with the terms of the licence, significant sums of money have been paid to the BBF and this is of grave concern to GBBL.”
GBBL and Glickman, a former executive of NBA team the Portland Trail Blazers, pledged to invest £15m over the first two years, with backing from West River Group.
But GBBL failed to win over existing clubs and, without any teams or venues confirmed, was forced to push back launch from 2026 to 2027.
Concerns about its viability increased when CityAM revealed it had delayed providing proof of guaranteed funds to the BBF.
It is expected that the BBF’s slide into administration will render the GBBL contract null and void, an outcome that SLB had been pursuing through the courts with a heavyweight legal team that included Manchester City lawyers Freshfields.
Basketball and sport react to BBF liquidation
Super League Basketball interim chair Sanjay Bhandari said SLB was “saddened” by the news.
He added: “Our immediate thoughts are with the staff affected during what is undoubtedly a difficult and uncertain time.
“In the meantime, we shall continue to support the sport from grassroots to the elite level — including supporting the GB team in the forthcoming international fixtures.
“SLB will also continue to work constructively with FIBA, the Home Country Associations, UK Government and other stakeholders to support the review of governance of the sport that is so evidently necessary.”
A joint statement from the Home Nations associations said: “Clearly, this is a challenging time for our sport, but we, Basketball England, Basketball Scotland and Basketball Wales, reaffirm our commitment to collaborate under the future GB framework, alongside other stakeholders, to maintain Great Britain’s participation in upcoming Fiba competitions.”
Fiba, basketball’s world governing body, said: “In these challenging times, Fiba stands alongside the British Basketball Federation, UK Government, and UK Sport, and remains dedicated to supporting BBF to restore its operations and secure its position as the basketball governing body in Great Britain.
“To this extent, it is essential to ensure Great Britain’s optimal performance on the international stage, showcasing the very best of British basketball through its national teams.”
UK Sport, which distributes funding to national governing bodies, said it “acknowledged the BBF Board’s decision to enter liquidation and recognises that this creates uncertainty for the sport in the UK.”
It added: “Our investment into the sport has been focused on the 3×3 programme and is unconnected to recent issues surrounding the licensing of the domestic club competition.
“We have taken robust steps throughout this period of uncertainty to safeguard public funds and to help enable GB teams to continue to compete. We will now work closely with DCMS and the basketball community to establish a way forward for the sport.”
The development is another nail in the coffin of plans for US group GBBL to launch and operate a new elite men’s league in Britain from 2027. GBBL’s 15-year deal with the BBF sparked the legal action from SLB earlier this year which had been heading for the High Court.
It continues a period of severe turbulence in British basketball following the demise in 2024 of 777 Partners, which ran the British Basketball League. Leading figures in 777 were indicted by the FBI over an alleged $500m fraud last month.
How has it come to this for the BBF?
Speculation about the BBF falling into administration had been swirling for a week, since Fiba announced it was officially recognising SLB — another hammer blow to the BBF’s legitimacy.
The BBF and SLB had been waging an increasingly bitter war of attrition since the latter commenced legal action over the GBBL deal and the BBF removed SLB’s licence to operate the league at the end of last season.
SLB — led by its nine clubs including London Lions, Manchester Basketball and Sheffield Sharks — ploughed on regardless, beginning the current season as an unlicensed league after successfully petitioning the Home Office to intervene in the BBF’s refusal to sign off work permits for overseas players.
Fiba intervened last month by suspending the BBF’s membership and established a task force to resolve the impasse. Days earlier, BBF chair Chris Grant had stepped down citing personal reasons.
Last week, Fiba announced it was — after SLB rejected a last-minute offer from the BBF’s interim chair, Grace Jacca — and lifted the ban on the GB men’s team, who are due to play World Cup qualifiers later this month.
British referees nonetheless remained suspended from officiating in Fiba competitions although it is understood that embargo has now been lifted. CityAM has seen documentation confirming that British refs will be involved in EuroCup Women games on 26 November.