The 1978–79 Rotary Watches National Basketball League season was the seventh season of the National Basketball League.
The league was sponsored by Rotary Watches and the number of teams participating increased to eleven.
Doncaster completed the league and National Cup double, but Crystal Palace won the newly introduced Playoffs.
Team changes Leicester switched back to Loughborough and Bedford dropped out of the league. Bracknell and Sunderland joined; the latter playing at the Crowtree Leisure Centre in the centre of Sunderland.
National League
First Division Pos Team P W L F A Pts 1 Doncaster Ziebart Panthers 20 17 3 1831 1588 342 Crystal Palace Chevrons 20 16 4 1895 1628 323 London 'Slick Willies Y' Metros 20 15 5 1938 1752 304 Coventry Team Fiat 20 13 7 1851 1602 265 Milton Keynes All-Stars * 20 13 7 1866 1671 246 Swithland Motors Loughborough All-Stars 20 10 10 1778 1902 207 Sunderland Sunblest 20 7 12 1903 1938 158 Manchester ATS Giants 20 7 13 1847 1945 149 Stockport Belgrade 20 7 13 1663 1756 1410 Bracknell Bullets 20 3 16 1611 2001 611 Exeter St Lukes TSB 20 1 19 1654 2054 2 deducted two points *
Second Division Pos Team P W L F A Pts 1 Guildford Pirates 18 15 3 1620 1426 302 Hemel Hempstead Lakers 18 15 3 1688 1427 303 Leeds Larsen Lions 18 13 5 1728 1453 264 Telefusion Blackpool 18 12 6 1513 1467 245 Nottingham 18 12 6 1783 1607 246 Brighton Rucanor 18 10 8 1648 1576 207 Bromley 18 6 12 1638 1743 128 Maidenhead Sonics 18 4 14 1354 1588 7*9 Birmingham Bulldogs 18 2 16 1426 1724 3*10 Derby CFE 18 1 17 1423 1810 2
Rotary Watches playoffs
Semi-finals venue & date Team 1 Team 2 Score March 16, Wembley Arena Doncaster Ziebart Panthers Coventry Team Fiat 72-75 March 16, Wembley Arena Crystal Palace Chevrons London 'Slick Willies Y' Metros 100-78
Third Place venue & date Team 1 Team 2 Score March 17, Wembley Arena Doncaster Ziebart Panthers London 'Slick Willies Y' Metros 98-85
Final
Butlins National Cup Final
References
See also Basketball in England British Basketball League English Basketball League List of English National Basketball League seasons