The 1999–2000 BBL season, was known as the Dairylea Dunkers Championship for sponsorship reasons, the regular season commenced on September 15, 1999, and ended on April 8, 2000, with a total of 13 teams competing. For the first time in the league’s history, the 13 teams were split into two geographically divided Conferences, seven in the North and six in the South, with northern teams playing 36 games and southern teams playing 34 games each. The season was dominated by the success of Manchester Giants, conquering the Northern Conference and Championship Play-offs, whilst London Towers were victorious in the Southern Conference and the uni-ball Trophy. Sheffield Sharks were also successful in defending their Sainsbury's Classic Cola National Cup.
London Towers featured in European competition, participating in the Saporta Cup, though with a 3-7 record they finished at the bottom of Group G and thus failed to progress beyond the Group stage. Cross-town rivals Greater London Leopards also made a brief appearance in the Korać Cup but following a 155-189 aggregate defeat to ÍRB Reykjanesbær in the Preliminary round, their first foray into Europe was merely a cameo.
The Southern All-Stars beat their Northern rivals in the eleventh annual All-Star Game with a 177-180 victory, the closest result in the League's history. That was the 7th overall win of the South against the North who won 5 games since the All-Star Game's inception in 1989.
Dairylea Dunkers Championship (Tier 1)
Final standings
Northern Conference PosTeamPldWL%Pts1 Manchester Giants 36 31 5 0.861622 Sheffield Sharks 36 29 7 0.80558 3 Edinburgh Rocks 36 19 17 0.52738 4 Chester Jets 36 17 19 0.47234 5 Derby Storm 36 17 19 0.47234 6 Newcastle Eagles 36 10 26 0.27720 7 Leicester Riders 36 10 26 0.27720
Southern Conference PosTeamPldWL%Pts1 London Towers 34 23 11 0.676462 Thames Valley Tigers 34 18 16 0.52936 3 Birmingham Bullets 34 17 17 0.50034 4 Milton Keynes Lions 34 15 19 0.44130 5 Greater London Leopards 34 11 23 0.32322 6 Brighton Bears 34 11 23 0.32322 = Conference winners = Qualified for the play-offs
Playoffs
Quarter-finals
Semi-finals
Final
National League Division 1 (Tier 2)
Final standings PosTeamPldWL%Pts1 Teesside Mohawks 24 22 2 0.917442 Worthing Thunder Rebels 24 21 3 0.87542 3 Solent Stars 24 18 6 0.75036 4 Plymouth Raiders 24 16 8 0.66732 5 Sutton Pumas 24 12 12 0.50024 6 Islington White Heat 24 12 12 0.500247 Coventry Crusaders 24 11 13 0.45822 8 Taunton Tigers 24 9 15 0.37518 9 Birmingham Bullets II 24 8 16 0.33316 10 Westminster Warriors 24 7 17 0.29214 11 Cardiff Clippers 24 7 17 0.29214 12 Oxford Devils 24 7 17 0.2921413 Mid-Sussex Magic 24 6 18 0.25012 = League winners = Qualified for the play-offs
Playoffs Quarter-finals
Semi-finals
Final
National League Division 2 (Tier 3)
Final standings PosTeamPldWL%Pts1 City of Manchester Attitude 24 20 4 0.833402 Liverpool Atac 24 18 6 0.75036 3 Kingston Wildcats 24 17 7 0.70834 4 Brixton TopCats 24 17 7 0.70834 5 Reading Rockets 24 17 7 0.70834 6 North London Lords 24 16 8 0.667327 Hull Icebergs 24 11 13 0.45822 8 Northampton 89ers 24 11 13 0.45822 9 Flintshire Flyers 24 10 14 0.41720 10 Portsmouth Pirates 24 7 17 0.29214 11 Wandsworth Hurricanes 24 5 19 0.20810 12 Bournemouth Blitz 24 4 20 0.167813 Swindon Sonics 24 3 21 0.1256 = League winners = Qualified for the play-offs Play Off Final - Kingston 68 Manchester 62
National League Division 3 (Tier 4)
Final standings PosTeamPldWL%Pts1 Doncaster Eagles 24 23 1 0.958462 Mansfield Express 24 20 4 0.83340 3 Ealing Tornadoes 24 19 5 0.79338 4 Ware Fire 24 16 8 0.66732 5 University of Birmingham 24 15 9 0.62530 6 Bristol Bombers 24 11 13 0.458227 NW London Wolverines 24 9 15 0.37518 8 Barking & Dag. Erkenwald 24 9 15 0.37518 9 Thames Valley Tigers II 24 9 15 0.37518 10 Hanley Hornets 24 7 17 0.29314 11 Brighton Cougars 24 7 17 0.29314 12 Croydon Pumas 24 6 18 0.25012 13 Derbyshire Arrows 24 5 19 0.20810 = League winners = Qualified for the play-offs Play Off Final - Mansfield v Doncaster 84-76, 75-75
Sainsbury's Classic Cola National Cup
Last 16 Team 1 Team 2 Score London Towers Sutton Pumas 76-68 Sheffield Sharks Derby Storm 75-71 Manchester Giants Thames Valley Tigers 94-71 Edinburgh Rocks Chester Jets 96-83 Plymouth Raiders Leicester Riders 60-77 Birmingham Bullets Brighton Bears 80-91 Solent Stars Greater London Leopards 88-100 Newcastle Eagles Milton Keynes Lions 99-109 OT
Quarter-finals Team 1 Team 2 Score Sheffield Sharks Brighton Bears 89-75 Manchester Giants Leicester Riders 86-73 Milton Keynes Lions Greater London Leopards 91-75 London Towers Edinburgh Rocks 75-78
Semi-finals Team 1 Team 2 Score Sheffield Sharks Milton Keynes Lions 73-67 Edinburgh Rocks Manchester Giants 60-82
Final
uni-ball Trophy
Group stage Group A
TeamPtsPldWLPercent1.Greater London Leopards106510.8332.Derby Storm66330.5003.Birmingham Bullets66330.5004.Solent Stars26150.166 Derby qualified ahead of Birmingham on head-to-head results. Group B
TeamPtsPldWLPercent1.London Towers126601.0002.Thames Valley Tigers86420.6663.Edinburgh Rocks46240.3334.Leicester Riders06060.000 Group C
TeamPtsPldWLPercent1.Manchester Giants126601.0002.Newcastle Eagles86420.6663.Milton Keynes Lions46240.3334.Sutton Pumas06060.000 Group D
TeamPtsPldWLPercent1.Sheffield Sharks126601.0002.Chester Jets66330.5003.Brighton Bears66340.5004.Plymouth Raiders06060.000 Chester qualified ahead of Brighton on head-to-head results.
Quarter-finals
Semi-finals
Final
All-Star Game
+Northern All-StarsPlayer Team No. of Selections Tony Dorsey Manchester Giants6th Purnell Perry Leicester Riders1st James Hamilton Chester Jets2nd Darrian Evans Derby Storm1st John McCord Edinburgh Rocks3d Cypheus Bunton Derby Storm1st Terrell Myers Sheffield Sharks3d Ralph Blalock Leicester Riders3d Roy Hairston Manchester Giants1st Ted Berry Edinburgh Rocks3d Malcolm Leak Leicester Riders2nd Nate Reinking Sheffield Sharks2nd Coach Nick Nurse Manchester Giants
+Southern All-StarsPlayer Team No. of Selections Kenya Capers Greater London Leopards1st Tony Windless Milton Keynes Lions6th Danny Lewis London Towers6th Brandon Brantley Greater London Leopards1st Shawn Jamison Birmingham Bullets1st Eric Burks Milton Keynes Lions4th Casey Arena Thames Valley Tigers1st Steve Bucknall London Towers3d Nigel Lloyd Milton Keynes Lions8th Charles Claxton Brighton Bears1st Donnie Johnson London Towers1st Greg Meldrum Thames Valley Tigers1st Coach Mike Finger Birmingham Bullets
Statistics leaders
CategoryPlayerStatPoints per game Terrell Myers (Sheffield Sharks) 24.2Rebounds per game Brandon Brantley (Leopards) 11.2Assists per game Casey Arena (Thames Valley) 6.2
Seasonal awards
Most Valuable Player: Tony Dorsey (Manchester Giants) Domestic Player of the Year: Steve Bucknall (London Towers) Import Player of the Year: Tony Dorsey (Manchester Giants) Defensive Player of the Year: Roy Hairston (Manchester Giants) Most Improved Player of the Year: Ian Whyte (Newcastle Eagles) Coach of the Year: Nick Nurse (Manchester Giants) All-Star First Team: Tony Dorsey (Manchester Giants) Danny Lewis (London Towers) Terrell Myers (Sheffield Sharks) Steve Bucknall (London Towers) Roy Hairston (Manchester Giants) All-Star Second Team: James Hamilton (Chester Jets) Nigel Lloyd (Milton Keynes Lions) Nate Reinking (Sheffield Sharks) John McCord (Edinburgh Rocks) Brandon Brantley (Greater London Leopards)
References