British basketball at war: GBBL proposes peace deal to BBF and SLB
The chief executive of the Great Britain Basketball League (GBBL) has moved to make peace with the existing clubs and the sport’s governing body following the 12-month civil war that has resulted in the men’s national team being suspended from international competition.
In a letter sent to the interim chair of the British Basketball Federation (BBF), Grace Jacca, GBBL chief executive Marshall Glickman says that the new league has no objection to the current nine clubs continuing to run Super League Basketball (SLB), and will not hinder their attempts to sign overseas players by lobbying the Home Office to withhold Governing Body Endorsements (GBEs).
The letter, which has been seen by Morning Wire, was also sent to Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy and the chairs of UK Sport and Sport England, who are threatening to withhold funding of £4.75m due to be paid to the BBF in the run-up to the 2028 Olympics.
Glickman’s intervention follows the decision of world governing body Fiba to suspend the BBF earlier this month after a two-month investigation into concerns over its governance.
Earlier this year the BBF awarded a 15-year licence to run a top-tier league to GBBL, a consortium led by former NBA executive Glickman, which led to the existing SLB clubs launching legal action in the High Court.
The GBE concession is particularly significant, as for much of the year the BBF was refusing to provide clubs with the required documentation to apply for visas for overseas signings, which in many cases hindered their summer recruitment.
Glickman’s group, which is backed by Seattle-based private equity company West River Group and several unknown athlete investors, wants to resolve the dispute without going to court and has made the first move.
Glickman’s letter to BBF, SLB and government
His letter has been sent to all relevant parties involved including BBF’s acting chair Jacca, who was appointed just before they were suspended by FIBA earlier this month after Chris Grant stepped down citing “personal reasons”.
“We believe our position is a pragmatic way forward,” Glickman writes. “GBBL has no objection to SLB: 1. Operating a men’s professional basketball league in Great Britain.
“2. SLB players receiving Letters of Clearance in accordance with FIBA regulations; SLB players and coaches receiving a Governing Body Endorsement to allow foreigners to obtain the necessary visas to participate in Great Britain; SLB having access to FIBA-licensed referees; SLB having access to other FIBA services and adhering to its regulations.
“In the spirit of this clarification, we encourage and expect BBF to take all steps necessary to settle the claim against both BBF and GBBL, and including your counterclaim against SLB.
“GBBL is available at any time to participate in discussions with all stakeholders, with the objective of crafting a positive outcome that addresses the long-term growth of British basketball.”
FIBA’s decision to suspend the federation has cast doubt on whether the GBBL will launch as planned in 2027, with the new competition’s start date having already been put back by 12 months.
Due to the stand-off with the SLB clubs, the new venture does not currently have any teams, venues or commercial partners.
The immediate future for the Great Britain men’s team is also uncertain, with a World Cup qualifier against Lithuania due to take place later this month now in doubt.