Budweiser Basketball League

o Budweiser League
o Budweiser Championship
o Uniball Trophy
o Sainsbury's Cup
o All-Star Game
o Player Statistics
o Season Awards

Who Won What

League : Greater London Leopards
Championships: Birmingham Bullets

Trophy: Sheffield Sharks

EBBA Cup: Thames Valley Tigers

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After coming agonisingly close to their first League title, Birmingham Bullets gained some consolation by taking their second Play Off Championship in three years at Wembley. Mike Finger's side beat off a tough challenge from the comeback team of the season, Thames Valley Tigers, winning 78-75 on a MVP performance from Tony Dorsey.

Manchester Giants, who had spectacularly underperformed all season, came good in the Play Offs and eliminated League winners Leopards at the quarter final stage before finishing third at Wembley.

Quarter Finals
Birmingham def. Derby 2-1
London T def. Newcastle 2-1
Manchester def. Leopards 2-1
Thames Valley def. Sheffield 2-0

Semi Finals
Birmingham 90-80 Manchester
London 71-78 Thames Valley

3/4 Place Play Off
Manchester 87- 82 London

Championship Final
Birmingham 78-75 Thames Valley


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Uniball Trophy

Sheffield Sharks secured the first piece of silverware for rookie coach Chris Finch by lifting the Uniball Trophy, defeating London Towers 82-79 at the NEC. Sharks were boosted by a 40 point and 16 rebound performance from England international John Amaechi, but the hero was American Terrell Myers, whose 3-pointer with 5 seconds left won the Final.

Uniball Trophy Final
Sheffield 82-79 London T

EBBA Cup

A resurgent Thames Valley Tigers returned from the trophy wilderness to lifted the Sainsbury's Classic Cola Cup, beating Leicester Riders 87-82 in Sheffield. The final will however remembered for a cruel injury to Riders' Gene Waldron, whose broken leg clouded the Tigers success, under their new British coach Paul James, himself an ex-Rider.

EBBA Cup
Thames Valley 87-82 Leicester


Dairylea Dunkers All-Star Game
North 168-175 South
All-Star Teams

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1997-98 Archive Index