For a long time now, British Basketball has been plagued with a host of issues. Improper broadcasting of fixtures and low player salaries are a couple that could be named on a list of many problems, problems which in the end come down to a lack of finances. This year has seen London Lions ownership, 777 Partners make a £7 million investment into the BBL. It was the first big financial move that the league has seen in a little while. Now, the British Basketball League have announced that they will be removing the Team Payments Cap (TPC) ahead of the 2022-2023 season.
The cap was previously set at approximately £250,000 for each BBL roster, not inclusive of the top two British players' salaries. It doesn't take a maths-wiz to figure out that this number is pretty low for any professional basketball side, especially ones which want to compete at the highest levels in Europe. With the removal of this cap, the hope is that the BBL will now be able to start attracting some more investors who will be willing to put their money into a league which over the course of this season alone, has grown in popularity with record setting crowds at the Trophy Finals as well as a number of sell outs at different home arenas across the league.
We'll be seeing the Leicester Riders and London Lions in Europe this upcoming season, which is the first time two British sides have simultaneously competed in European Club competition since 2001/2002. This was a selling point for league when it came to convincing the clubs that this TPC removal was the correct step in the right direction for the future of the BBL.
“The league is pleased to be able to make this important change and we believe it highlights the continued growth of the BBL both domestically and on the European stage," said BBL Chairman, Sir Rodney Walker.
“We want to be able to continue to attract some of the most skilled and entertaining players to our league and we feel this is a significant step for the continued momentum we have built in the last twelve months."
The league also believe that this move is essential for the growth of Homegrown talent and they very much could be onto something. One of the reasons a lot of young players end up leaving is that the prospect of playing professionally in the UK and making a living doing so just hasn't been strong enough due to the lack of finances available. Although the removal of the TPC won't immediately impact the player salaries of all clubs, it may be the catalyst needed to bring that change into effect and attract even more entertaining, high-level players.