The Reading Rockets are an English professional basketball club based in the town of Reading, England. Founded in 1997, the Rockets compete in British Championship Basketball , the second tier of the British basketball system.
History The Rockets were formed in 1997 by current owner Gary Johnson together with his son Matt, starting in Division 3. The club won promotion at the first attempt, and in the National Basketball League reorganisation of 2000, England Basketball replaced Division 1 with the eight-team NBL Conference as the second-tier. Subsequently, Division 2 became Division 1 where the Rockets found themselves.
The Rockets remained in Division 1 for just one season, finishing second and beating Oxford in the Championship Final, thus winning promotion to the NBL Conference. In the 2001–02 season they finished seventh in the NBL Conference. In the following season, the Rockets continued their rise, finishing in third place. In 2003, the National Basketball League was rebranded as the English Basketball League, and once again was restructured with a new format, with Rockets finishing in second place in the new EBL Division 1. In the following season the Rockets finished third and were runners-up to Worthing Thunder in both the 2005–06 and 2006–07 seasons.
The club completed its most successful season ever in 2008–09, going undefeated to win all four national championships. The club applied to join the British Basketball League (Top division of the British Basketball System) as a member franchise for the 2012–13 season but was unsuccessful. In the 2013–14 season the Rockets completed the treble and were Play Off Championship finalists. Rockets' Ladies won the Division 2 Southern league in 2014. As a stepping stone into the Senior Men's team, the Rockets' run academies at the John Madejski Academy and the Henley College.
The club has squads ranging from developing Under-12s to the Division 1 senior men's side, and coaching staff regularly visit local schools and run satellite clubs as part of the Community Rockets scheme.
In 2022, the Rockets applied to join the British Basketball League starting from the 2023–24 season.
In the 2024–25 season, the Rockets won the National Cup in January, the KitKing Trophy in March, and the NBL1 D1 playoff championship in April.
Men Honours Men's National League Division 1 League Champions (3): 2008/2009, 2012/13, 2013/14 Men's National Cup Winners (4): 2004/05, 2008/09, 2013/14, 2024/25 Men's National League Division 1 Play Off Champions (4): 2005/06, 2008/09, 2010/11, 2012/13 Men's National Trophy Winners (5): 2006/07, 2007/08, 2008/09, 2010/11, 2013/14
Current roster
Notable former players
E.J. Harrison Adam Kelly Ted Smith Tyrell Smith David Watts Niko Scott Ryan Lohfink Luke Nelson Matt Johnson Harrison Gamble Andy Powlesland Jermaine Williams Pem Bristol Danny Carter Damon Cooper
Staff Former head coaches Coach From To Total Games RS Won RS Lost PO Won PO Lost Total Win % Richard Devereux 1997/98 1997/98 26 12 14 0.462 Dave Aldred 1998/99 1998/99 26 17 9 0.654 Dave Titmuss 1999/00 2000/01 42 31 11 0.738 Matt Johnson 2002/03 2002/03 22 16 6 0.727 Mark Dunning 2004/05 2004/05 22 16 6 0.727 Dave Titmuss 2005/06 2008/09 95 75 9 9 2 0.884 Sasa Punosevac 2009/10 2009/10 6 3 3 – – 0.500 Matt Johnson 2009/10 2009/10 17 9 7 0 1 0.529 Samit Nuruzade 2010/11 2012/13 75 48 20 6 1 0.720 Manuel Pena Garces 2013/14 2017/18 134 91 33 5 5 0.716 Alan Keane 2018/19 2020/21 68 35 33 - - 0.514 Dan Pearson 2021/22 2021/22 27 15 11 - 1 0.555 Samit Nuruzade 2022/23 Present 33 21 10 1 1 0.66
Season-by-season records SeasonDivisionTierRegular SeasonPost-SeasonNational CupTrophy Finish Played Wins Losses Points Win % Reading Rockets1997–98D343rd261214240.462Quarter-finals--1998–99D234th26179340.654Quarter-finals--1999–00D235th24177340.708Semi-finals--2000–01D132nd18144280.778Winners, beating Oxford--2001–02Conf.27th18711140.389Quarter-finals--2002–03Conf.23rd22166320.727Runners-up--2003–04D122nd22175340.773Semi-finalsQuarter-finals-2004–05D123rd22166320.727Runners-upWinners, beating Sheffield-2005–06D122nd26224440.846Winners, beating WorthingRunners-up-2006–07D122nd22193380.864Semi-finalsSemi-finals-2007–08D122nd18162320.889Runners-upSemi-finals-2008–09D121st18180361.000Winners, beating ManchesterWinners, beating Manchester-2009–10D127th221210240.545Quarter-finalsQuarter-finals-2010–11D123rd18126240.667Winners, beating Leeds3rd round-2011–12D127th241410280.583Quarter-finalsSemi-finals-2012–13D121st26224440.846Winners, beating WorthingSemi-finals-2013–14D121st26224440.846Runners-upWinners, beating Newham-2014–15D125th24159300.625Quarter-finalsRunners-up-2015–16D123rd26197380.731Runners-upQuarter-finals-2016–17D123rd26206400.769Quarter-finalsQuarter-finals-2017–18D123rd24177340.708Semi-finalsQuarter-finals-2018–19D126th261412280.538Quarter-finals4th round-2019–20D127th23149280.609No playoffsRunners-up-2020–21D129th19712140.3681st roundNo competition-2021–22D128th26151128*0.5771st round4th round-2022–23D124th26179340.654Semi-final4th roundSemi-finals2023–24D124th24168320.667Runners-UpRunners-UpSemi-Finals2024–25D123rd24177340.708Winners, Beating MKWinners, Beating HemelWinners, Beating MK2025–26BCB21st26224440.846Runners Up-QF
Record in BBL/SLB competitions Season Competition Round Opponent Home Away2006–07BBL TrophyGSPlymouth RaidersGSWorthing ThunderGSGuildford Heat2009–10BBL TrophyR1Newcastle EaglesL 60–1022012–13BBL TrophyR1Surrey HeatL 68–862013–14BBL TrophyR1Sheffield SharksL 73–852014–15BBL TrophyR1Newcastle EaglesL 90–1122015–16BBL TrophyR1Surrey ScorchersL 72–822016–17BBL TrophyR1Bristol FlyersL 74–852024–25SLB CupR1Sheffield SharksL 72–84
Women Honours Women's National League Division 2 Champions (1): 2013/14 Women's National League Division 2 South West Champions (1): 2015/16 1 Women's National League Division 1 finalist (1): 2019/2020/ Women's National cup finalist (2): 2019/2020- 2022/2023
Current roster
Notable former players
Cat Lutz-Sadler Steph Johnson Maike Delow Carmen Segura Moreno Sitota Gines Espinosa Jessica (Jessie) Ford Noa Sanchez Marques Anabel Latorre Saioa San Francisco
Staff Former head coaches Coach From To Total Games RS Won RS Lost PO Won PO Lost Total Win % Josh Thorne 2010/11 2015/16 86 65 15 - 0.755 Patrick Fasbender 2016/17 2016/2017 20 6 14 - - 0.3 David Sanchez de la Torre 2017/18 2019/2020 40 22 18 - - 0.55 Joan Luque Portero 2019/20 Present 84 41 43 - - 0.476
Season-by-season records Season Division Position Played Won Lost Points Play-offs NationalTrophy NationalCup Reading Rockets Senior Women2024–2025D112th222204--2023–2024D16th21111022--2022–2023D14th1611522Semifinal-Final2021–2022D111th224188--1st round2020–2021D16th189918---2019–2020D13rd1511425--Semi-finals2018–2019D15th189918Quarter-finals-Runners-up2017–2018D15th2213926--Quarter-finals2016–2017D18th2061412Quarter-finalsQuarter-finals2015–2016D2 SW1st1615128Runners-upRunners-up2014–2015D2 MSW3rd1411322Quarter-finalsSemi-finals2nd round2013–2014D2 MSE1st1413126Semi-finalsSemi-finals2nd round2012–2013D2 MSE2nd1612424Quarter-finalsQuarter-finals2nd round2011–2012D2 MSW2nd129318Quarter-finalsSemi-finals1st round2010–2011D2 MSW5th145910DNQ1st round1st round2009–20102008–20092007–20082006–2007D2 S6th20911182005–2006D2 S2nd2114728
DNQ denotes Did not qualify.
NBL Conference Men Season-by-season records Season Division Position Played Won Lost Points Reading Rockets Senior Women2024–2025NBL Conference Pool IV2nd1411322 Current roster
See also Basketball in England
References
External links
Basketball news at Reading Post