London Lions triumph over Turkish rivals in EuroCup

After becoming the first UK team to win in Spain, when beating Catalonia’s Joventut, the Lions followed up with an 83-80 victory over Besiktas to move level on points with them, just four points behind current EuroCup leaders Paris.

Lions have made significant waves in the EuroCup this season, boasting four wins and just one loss so far in the group stage and attaining a record attendance of 6,152 fans when the Lions clashed with Paris Basketball in October.

Success in the EuroCup would see the Lions qualify for the biggest league outside the NBA, the EuroLeague, and they are currently positioned at the forefront of a seismic shift in both the popularity and success of the sport in the UK.

A record six British Basketball League and Women’s British Basketball League teams are competing in European competition this season and the success of the Lions has coincided with strong growth across British Basketball as a whole.

There was been a 217% increase in last season’s viewership across YouTube and Sky Sports, according to the British Basketball League (BBL), with the increased viewership of the 2023 play-off final, a 377% increase on its 2022 counterpart.

The continued success of British basketball has allowed the Lions to make a host of notable new signings, including Gabe Olaseni, American Matt Morgan, and the Irish-Canadian forward Conor Morgan, who have all made exceptional contributions to the squad this season.

Lions are looking to replicate the success of their 2022/23 campaign, which saw them become the first-ever UK side to qualify for the play-off rounds of the EuroCup and achieve a domestic treble, winning the British Basketball League Championship, Cup and Play-offs.

They continue to dominate domestic competition, having won 13 of their opening 14 games of the BBL season to see them sit firmly at the top of the standings.