2018–19 Basketball Bundesliga
# 2018–19 Basketball Bundesliga

The 2018–19 Basketball Bundesliga, known as the easyCredit BBL for sponsorship reasons, was the 53rd season of the Basketball Bundesliga (BBL), the top-tier level of professional club basketball in Germany.

Bayern Munich defended their title by defeating Alba Berlin in the finals.

Alba Berlin, runners-up of the season, qualified for the 2019–20 EuroLeague as Bayern Munich was already given a wild card.

## Teams

### Team changes

| Promoted from 2017–18 ProA | Relegated from 2017–18 Basketball Bundesliga |
| - | - |
| Crailsheim Merlins Rasta Vechta | Rockets Tigers Tübingen |

### Arenas and locations

| Team | City | Arena | Capacity |
| - | - | - | - |
| Alba Berlin | Berlin | Mercedes-Benz Arena | 14,500 |
| Brose Bamberg | Bamberg | Brose Arena | 6,150 |
| Crailsheim Merlins | Crailsheim | Arena Hohenlohe | 3,000 |
| medi Bayreuth | Bayreuth | Oberfrankenhalle | 4,000 |
| Telekom Baskets Bonn | Bonn | Telekom Dome | 6,000 |
| Löwen Braunschweig | Braunschweig | Volkswagen Halle | 6,600 |
| Eisbären Bremerhaven | Bremerhaven | Bremerhaven Stadthalle | 4,050 |
| Fraport Skyliners | Frankfurt | Fraport Arena | 5,002 |
| Gießen 46ers | Gießen | Sporthalle Gießen-Ost | 4,003 |
| BG Göttingen | Göttingen | Sparkassen Arena | 3,447 |
| Science City Jena | Jena | Sparkassen-Arena | 3,000 |
| MHP Riesen Ludwigsburg | Ludwigsburg | MHP-Arena | 5,300 |
| Mitteldeutscher BC | Weißenfels | Stadthalle Weißenfels | 3,000 |
| Bayern Munich | Munich | Audi Dome | 6,700 |
| EWE Baskets Oldenburg | Oldenburg | Große EWE Arena | 6,069 |
| Rasta Vechta | Vechta | Rasta Dome | 3,140 |
| ratiopharm Ulm | Ulm | Arena Ulm/Neu-Ulm | 6,000 |
| s.Oliver Würzburg | Würzburg | s.Oliver Arena | 3,140 |

### Personnel and sponsorship

| Team | Head coach | Kit manufacturer | Shirt sponsor |
| - | - | - | - |
| Alba Berlin | Aíto García Reneses | Adidas | ALBA SE |
| Bayern Munich | Dejan Radonjić | Adidas | BayWa |
| BG Göttingen | Johan Roijakkers | Nike | Satorius |
| Brose Bamberg | Federico Perego | Macron | Brose |
| Crailsheim Merlins | Tuomas Iisalo | – | Hakro |
| Eisbären Bremerhaven | Arne Woltmann | Owayo | BLG Logistics |
| EWE Baskets Oldenburg | Mladen Drijenčić | Owayo | EWE |
| Fraport Skyliners | Gordon Herbert | Peak | Fraport |
| Gießen 46ers | Ingo Freyer | K1x | Rovema |
| Löwen Braunschweig | Frank Menz | Spalding | hey car |
| medi Bayreuth | Raoul Korner | K1x | Medi |
| MHP Riesen Ludwigsburg | John Patrick | Macron | Mieschke Hofmann und Partner |
| Mitteldeutscher BC | Silvano Poropat | K1x | Puraglobe |
| Rasta Vechta | Pedro Calles | Spalding | Rasta |
| ratiopharm Ulm | Thorsten Leibenath | Nike | Ratiopharm |
| s.Oliver Würzburg | Denis Wucherer | K1x | s.Oliver |
| Science City Jena | Marius Linartas | Spalding | Science City |
| Telekom Baskets Bonn | Predrag Krunić | Spalding | Deutsche Telekom |

### Managerial changes

| Team | Outgoing manager | Manner of departure | Date of vacancy | Position in table | Replaced with | Date of appointment |
| - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| Mitteldeutscher BC | Igor Jovović | End of contract | 1 June 2018 | Pre-season | Aleksandar Šćepanović | 14 June 2018 |
| Brose Bamberg | Luca Banchi | End of contract | 15 June 2018 | Pre-season | Ainars Bagatskis | 30 June 2018 |

## Regular season

In the regular season, teams play against each other two times home-and-away in a round-robin format. The first eight teams advance to the playoffs, while the last two placed teams will be relegated to the ProA for next season.

### League table

| Pos | Team | Pld | W | L | PF | PA | PD | Pts | Qualification or relegation |
| - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| 1 | Bayern Munich | 34 | 31 | 3 | 3019 | 2598 | +421 | 62 | Qualification for playoffs |
| 2 | EWE Baskets Oldenburg | 34 | 28 | 6 | 3157 | 2782 | +375 | 56 | Qualification for playoffs |
| 3 | Alba Berlin | 34 | 27 | 7 | 3125 | 2742 | +383 | 54 | Qualification for playoffs |
| 4 | Rasta Vechta | 34 | 24 | 10 | 2978 | 2809 | +169 | 48 | Qualification for playoffs |
| 5 | Brose Bamberg | 34 | 22 | 12 | 3010 | 2880 | +130 | 44 | Qualification for playoffs |
| 6 | ratiopharm Ulm | 34 | 20 | 14 | 2975 | 2896 | +79 | 40 | Qualification for playoffs |
| 7 | Telekom Baskets Bonn | 34 | 18 | 16 | 2932 | 2955 | −23 | 36 | Qualification for playoffs |
| 8 | Basketball Löwen Braunschweig | 34 | 17 | 17 | 2890 | 2853 | +37 | 34 | Qualification for playoffs |
| 9 | s.Oliver Würzburg | 34 | 17 | 17 | 2773 | 2822 | −49 | 34 | |
| 10 | MHP Riesen Ludwigsburg | 34 | 16 | 18 | 2880 | 2899 | −19 | 32 | |
| 11 | Skyliners Frankfurt | 34 | 16 | 18 | 2688 | 2794 | −106 | 32 | |
| 12 | Medi Bayreuth | 34 | 14 | 20 | 2897 | 2978 | −81 | 28 | |
| 13 | Gießen 46ers | 34 | 13 | 21 | 3065 | 3192 | −127 | 26 | |
| 14 | BG Göttingen | 34 | 11 | 23 | 2699 | 2828 | −129 | 22 | |
| 15 | Mitteldeutscher BC | 34 | 10 | 24 | 2879 | 3053 | −174 | 20 | |
| 16 | Crailsheim Merlins | 34 | 9 | 25 | 2829 | 3091 | −262 | 18 | |
| 17 | Eisbären Bremerhaven (R) | 34 | 8 | 26 | 2746 | 2969 | −223 | 16 | Relegation to ProA |
| 18 | Science City Jena (R) | 34 | 5 | 29 | 2640 | 3039 | −399 | 10 | Relegation to ProA |

* 1 2 Braunschweig 165–149 Würzburg
* 1 2 Ludwigsburg 170–170 Frankfurt

### Results

| Home \ Away | BAM | BAY | BER | BON | BRA | BRE | CRA | FRA | GIE | GOT | JEN | LUD | MBC | MUN | OLD | ULM | VEC | WUR |
| - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| Brose Bamberg | — | 84–94 | 66–69 | 77–70 | 93–88 | 100–74 | 101–92 | 74–73 | 109–101 (OT) | 100–77 | 99–67 | 93–91 (OT) | 88–73 | 75–80 | 86–93 | 103–94 | 67–85 | 97–65 |
| Medi Bayreuth | 79–90 | — | 80–79 | 84–78 (OT) | 78–77 | 113–85 | 102–85 | 72–76 | 95–80 | 75–78 | 103–78 | 81–109 | 95–92 | 90–93 | 70–90 | 79–88 | 81–86 | 84–99 |
| Alba Berlin | 92–88 | 86–68 | — | 110–98 | 82–74 | 107–104 (OT) | 115–76 | 87–74 | 108–96 | 95–68 | 112–55 | 86–80 | 92–84 | 75–85 | 78–94 | 92–81 | 104–67 | 108–69 |
| Telekom Baskets Bonn | 92–81 | 94–84 | 81–93 | — | 75–69 | 108–75 | 89–87 | 60–71 | 97–105 | 76–68 | 93–87 | 86–62 | 105–98 | 102–98 | 78–98 | 78–76 | 87–92 (OT) | 91–86 |
| Basketball Löwen Braunschweig | 92–66 | 100–85 | 83–79 | 86–92 | — | 83–81 | 98–84 | 95–77 | 105–101 | 90–76 | 90–66 | 100–99 (OT) | 75–63 | 61–87 | 64–100 | 82–77 | 85–88 | 87–78 |
| Eisbären Bremerhaven | 88–93 | 83–75 | 86–94 | 88–67 | 69–87 | — | 93–80 | 78–80 | 92–101 | 108–90 (OT) | 76–74 | 81–75 | 76–81 | 72–89 | 83–88 | 78–88 | 77–84 | 85–87 |
| Crailsheim Merlins | 77–93 | 97–90 | 69–105 | 87–88 | 99–94 (OT) | 86–80 | — | 69–77 | 90–92 | 63–88 | 101–78 | 85–94 | 70–89 | 71–96 | 99–87 | 79–82 | 68–70 | 69–87 |
| Skyliners Frankfurt | 86–79 | 81–91 | 86–99 | 83–79 | 82–77 | 84–77 | 77–91 | — | 82–81 | 64–72 | 83–69 | 94–96 | 93–88 | 87–91 (2 OT) | 75–74 | 63–91 | 80–100 | 77–91 |
| Gießen 46ers | 90–97 | 90–95 | 96–101 | 92–99 | 99–97 | 87–89 | 114–115 | 91–90 | — | 85–104 | 89–83 | 93–98 | 91–84 | 76–99 | 97–88 | 99–90 | 83–84 | 84–101 |
| BG Göttingen | 77–78 | 80–89 | 91–85 | 79–86 | 76–80 | 85–79 | 93–80 | 70–81 | 95–98 | — | 81–88 | 86–80 | 78–92 | 71–84 | 79–96 | 76–82 | 79–82 | 91–87 |
| Science City Jena | 85–90 | 89–96 | 77–81 | 82–70 | 85–83 | 87–98 (OT) | 88–91 | 72–78 | 61–81 | 92–93 | — | 89–91 (OT) | 81–64 | 66–82 | 80–83 | 80–85 | 76–89 | 78–82 |
| MHP Riesen Ludwigsburg | 96–95 | 100–82 | 79–80 | 78–83 | 94–104 | 75–58 | 82–70 | 83–76 | 83–68 | 62–52 | 86–74 | — | 93–86 | 75–91 | 67–85 | 92–98 | 102–98 | 75–80 |
| Mitteldeutscher BC | 89–96 | 108–90 | 91–102 | 80–78 | 84–81 | 90–87 | 82–87 | 89–95 (OT) | 86–83 | 63–105 | 109–92 | 77–76 | — | 66–81 | 74–89 | 81–94 | 100–106 (OT) | 84–97 |
| Bayern Munich | 85–78 | 101–95 (OT) | 83–81 | 102–91 | 84–73 | 91–80 | 99–79 | 80–71 | 94–79 | 80–68 | 103–71 | 92–74 | 92–67 | — | 95–74 | 95–72 | 79–66 | 87–69 |
| EWE Baskets Oldenburg | 100–89 | 90–81 | 84–93 | 109–95 | 103–89 | 99–76 | 87–79 | 91–69 | 117–85 | 86–70 | 103–62 | 100–71 | 118–115 (OT) | 83–82 | — | 103–99 (2OT) | 81–62 | 109–93 |
| ratiopharm Ulm | 91–100 | 92–69 | 74–92 | 95–86 | 93–84 | 78–69 | 99–87 | 82–72 | 91–92 | 86–74 | 90–97 | 82–91 | 105–94 | 77–83 | 69–82 | — | 98–94 | 95–94 (OT) |
| Rasta Vechta | 95–101 (OT) | 67–83 | 80–69 | 112–117 (2OT) | 87–79 | 85–64 | 95–92 | 83–88 (OT) | 92–81 | 82–60 | 104–66 | 112–92 | 89–79 | 93–75 | 100–85 | 80–81 | — | 75–65 |
| s.Oliver Würzburg | 80–84 | 73–69 | 75–94 | 80–75 | 71–78 | 80–71 | 87–75 | 72–63 | 81–85 | 88–71 | 80–65 | 82–79 | 84–77 | 70–81 | 78–88 | 77–99 | 88–92 | — |

## Playoffs

All three rounds of the playoffs are played in a best-of-five format, with the higher seeded team playing the first, third and fifth game at home.

| Quarterfinals | Quarterfinals | Quarterfinals | Semifinals | Semifinals | Semifinals | Finals | Finals | Finals |
| - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| 1 | Bayern Munich | 3 | | | | | | |
| 8 | Löwen Braunschweig | 0 | | | | | | |
| 8 | Löwen Braunschweig | 0 | 1 | Bayern Munich | 3 | | | |
| | | | 4 | Rasta Vechta | 0 | | | |
| 4 | Rasta Vechta | 3 | 4 | Rasta Vechta | 0 | | | |
| 5 | Brose Bamberg | 1 | | | | | | |
| 5 | Brose Bamberg | 1 | | | | 1 | Bayern Munich | 3 |
| | | | | | | 3 | Alba Berlin | 0 |
| 2 | EWE Baskets Oldenburg | 3 | | | | | | | 3 | Alba Berlin | 0 |
| 7 | Telekom Baskets Bonn | 0 | | | | | | |
| 7 | Telekom Baskets Bonn | 0 | 2 | EWE Baskets Oldenburg | 0 | | | |
| | | | 3 | Alba Berlin | 3 | | | |
| 3 | Alba Berlin | 3 | 3 | Alba Berlin | 3 | | | |
| 6 | ratiopharm Ulm | 0 | | | | | | |

## Awards and statistics

### Major award winners

| Award | Player | Club |
| - | - | - |
| Most Valuable Player | Will Cummings | EWE Baskets Oldenburg |
| Finals MVP | Nihad Đedović | Bayern Munich |
| Top Scorer | Will Cummings | EWE Baskets Oldenburg |
| Best Offensive Player | John Bryant | Gießen 46ers |
| Best Defender | Yorman Polas Bartolo | Telekom Baskets Bonn |
| Most Effective Player | John Bryant | Gießen 46ers |
| Best German Young Player | Franz Wagner | Alba Berlin |
| Coach of the Year | Pedro Calles | Rasta Vechta |

### Statistical leaders

| Category | Player | Club | Average |
| - | - | - | - |
| Points | Will Cummings | EWE Baskets Oldenburg | 20.5 |
| Rebounds | John Bryant | Gießen 46ers | 10.2 |
| Assists | T.J. Bray | Rasta Vechta | 7.9 |
| Steals | Javonte Green | ratiopharm Ulm | 2.3 |
| Blocks | Keith Benson | Eisbären Bremerhaven | 1.2 |
| Efficiency | John Bryant | Gießen 46ers | 25.7 |

## German clubs in European competitions

| Team | Competition | Progress |
| - | - | - |
| Bayern Munich | EuroLeague | 11th qualified |
| ALBA Berlin | EuroCup | Runners-up |
| Fraport Skyliners | EuroCup | Top 16 |
| ratiopharm Ulm | EuroCup | Top 16 |
| Brose Bamberg | Champions League | Fourth place |
| medi Bayreuth | Champions League | Regular season |
| MHP Riesen Ludwigsburg | Champions League | Regular season |
| Telekom Baskets Bonn | Champions League | Regular season |
| Telekom Baskets Bonn | FIBA Europe Cup | Round of 16 |
| s.Oliver Würzburg | FIBA Europe Cup | Runners-up |
