1982–83 National Basketball League season explained

1982–83 National Basketball League season
League:National Basketball League
Sport:Basketball
No Of Teams:13
Playoffs:Roll of Honour
Conf1:National League
Conf1 Champ:Crystal Palace Supersonics
Conf1 Runner-Up:Sunderland
Conf2:Play Off's
Conf2 Champ:Sunderland
Conf3:National Cup
Conf3 Champ:Solent Stars
Conf3 Runner-Up:Birmingham Barrett Bullets
Seasonslist:List of English National Basketball League seasons
Seasonslistnames:National Basketball League
Prevseason Year:1981–82
Nextseason Year:1983–84

The 1982–83 Just Juice National Basketball League season was the eleventh season of the National Basketball League formed in 1972.[1]

The league was sponsored by Just Juice for the second consecutive year and Crystal Palace won yet another league title but Sunderland claimed the Play Off's and the Solent Stars successfully defended their National Cup crown.[2]
The league received a welcome boost when a new national TV channel called Channel 4 decided to show live action every Monday evening.

Team changes

Leicester returned to top tier action as the one new team admitted to the expanded 13 team first division which retained the previous twelve members. Team Talbot, Guildford Pirates moved to Bracknell and became the Bracknell Pirates. Sunderland Saints became Sunderland Maestros towards the end of the season following a new two year sponsorship deal with a North East car dealer.
The leagues most famous player Alton Byrd left Crystal Palace to join Murray International Edinburgh.

League standings

First Division

width=20Poswidth=300Teamwidth=20Pwidth=20Wwidth=20Lwidth=20Fwidth=20Awidth=20Pts
1 24 21 3 2083 1850 42
2 Sunderland Saints/Maestros 24 18 6 2323 2024 36
3 24 18 6 2169 1938 36
4 24 17 7 2465 2226 34
5 Solent Stars 24 16 8 2383 2068 32
6 Planters Leicester 24 16 8 2176 1972 32
7 TCB Brighton Bears 24 13 11 2216 2207 26
8 John Carr Doncaster 24 12 12 2115 2129 24
9 Club Cantabrica Kingston 24 10 14 2033 2057 20
10 Warrington Lada Vikings 24 7 17 1971 2115 14
11 24 4 20 2038 2464 8
12 Bracknell Pirates 24 3 21 1988 2335 6
13 24 1 23 1889 2464 2

Second Division

width=20Poswidth=300Teamwidth=20Pwidth=20Wwidth=20Lwidth=20Fwidth=20Awidth=20Pts
1 22 21 1 2157 1693 42
2 West Bromwich 22 20 2 2600 1818 40
3 Team Telecom Colchester 22 17 5 1835 1621 34
4 Newcastle 22 12 10 2064 1980 24
5 Crestol Halifax Hawks 22 11 11 2014 1896 22
6 Brunel Uxbridge Ducks 22 11 11 2050 1882 22
7 McEwan Gateshead 22 11 11 1873 1870 22
8 Watford Royals 22 8 14 1846 2059 16
9 Ashfield Glass Nottingham 22 8 14 1868 2028 16
10 Bradford Mythbreakers 22 6 16 2005 2169 12
11 Camden & Hampstead 22 5 17 1792 1984 10
12 Milton Keynes 22 2 20 1526 2630 4

Just Juice playoffs

Semi-finals

width=200venue & datewidth=200Team 1width=200Team 2width=60Score
March 18, Wembley Arena Sunderland Saints/Maestros Ovaltine Hemel Hempstead 76-74
March 18, Wembley Arena Crystal Palace Supersonics Birmingham Barrett Bullets 72-67

Final

Paul Stimpson landed a basket for the Crystal Palace Supersonics which was adjudged to be just after the buzzer. It would have won the game for Palace but the game went into overtime and Sunderland won an incredible match.

Asda National Cup

Second round

width=200Team 1width=200Team 2width=60Score
Fine Ceramics Bolton Club Cantabrica Kingston 81-93
Crystal Palace Supersonics West Bromwich 98-69
Sunderland Saints TCB Brighton Bears 96-90
Planters Leicester John Carr Doncaster 71-57
Solent Stars Crestol Halifax Hawks 130-66
Camden & Hampstead McEwan Gateshead 83-72
Bradford Mythbreakers Birmingham Barrett Bullets 69-134

Quarter-finals

width=200Team 1width=200Team 2width=60Score
Birmingham Barrett Bullets Planters Leicester 89-87
Club Cantabrica Kingston Sunderland Saints 97-88
Ovaltine Hemel Hempstead Crystal Palace Supersonics 81-84
Camden & Hampstead Solent Stars 58-119

Semi-finals

width=100Legwidth=200Team 1width=200Team 2width=60Score
First Leg Crystal Palace Supersonics Solent Stars 92-84
Second Leg Solent Stars Crystal Palace Supersonics 83-65
First Leg Club Cantabrica Kingston Birmingham Barrett Bullets 70-83
Second Leg Birmingham Barrett Bullets Club Cantabrica Kingston 80-86

Final

Birmingham's Russ Saunders an imported American scored a record 43 points in a final but still found himself on the losing side.

See also

Notes and References

  1. Book: Matthews & Morrison, Peter & Ian. The Guinness Encyclopaedia of Sports Records & Results. 1987. Guinness Superlatives Ltd. 0-85112-492-5. registration.
  2. Web site: Men's Senior League Winners. Basketball England.