the Bristol Flyers They would become the first British team to compete in the new formation Northern European Basketball League (ENBL) next season.
Founded in 2021, the ENBL is established for professional clubs in Northern, Central and Eastern Europe, who aspire to compete internationally at the highest level.
Now one of the fastest growing basketball leagues in Europe, the Flyers will fly the flag of the British Basketball League in the ENBL along with teams from Latvia, Lithuania, Estonia, Poland, Czech Republic, Kosovo, Israel and Ukraine.
The addition of the Flyers would move the ENBL to 16 teams for the 2023/24 campaign – with the clubs split into two groups of eight, competing in seven games midweek during the regular season.
The top four from each group will advance to the ENBL playoffs, before the final four will be held at a central location in April 2024.
Speaking about the club’s new European adventure, Flyers manager John Lansdowne said: “We are really excited to be joining this competition. Participation in the ENBL brings our European ambitions to life and provides us with a platform to continue to grow and build further momentum for the Flyers.
“It would be great to bring European basketball to Bristol and we look forward to what the competition will bring, not only for the club but for our fans and the city as well.”
Bristol Flyers coach Andreas Capolas added: “This is an exciting opportunity to experience European competition and understand what it takes to compete at this level, both on and off the field.
“As a club we have been on an amazing journey over the past 18 years and with our new venue on the horizon we want to continue our progress by taking the next steps in developing our programme.”
Speaking about the addition of Bristol Flyers, Edgars Zanders, General Secretary of the Northern European Basketball League said: “The ENBL has been working hard since day one to bring a team from the UK into the ENBL family and the Bristol Flyers have proven their professionalism, both on and off the court.
“This season was another record-breaking year for the Flyers, with the most wins in a single season in program history and a third-place finish in the BBL, and the home arena is always packed with fans.
“The ENBL is certain that the Flyers will add significant value to the Northern European Basketball League campaign for the 2023/24 season and beyond.”