🏀 A monumental couple of weeks of basketball in London awaits. Whatever you do; don’t sleep on the Lions!
The scene is set at the Copper Box Arena for not one, but two historic basketball fixtures. London Lions have blazed a trail through British basketball in recent seasons. They’ve led the way as the dominant domestic force in the women’s and men’s game, and now they are scaling previously unchartered heights in Europe. Both sides are approaching the mountain top, but can they reach the summit? All roads lead to Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park to find out.
LONDON LIONS WOMEN
Is there a women’s club side in the UK in any sport that has achieved more than London Lions in the last three years? If so please tell us, as we’ve yet to discover them!
In 2021/2022 the Lions were undefeated in domestic action. A perfect 34-0 record secured them a quadruple clean sweep of Women’s British Basketball League (WBBL) titles. And in 2022/2023 they did it all again; a double-quadruple securing their legacy as the best ever side to play in the WBBL.
That was then and this is now. And it’s hard to believe it but London Lions are on the cusp of an even greater achievement. Already the first British basketball side (male or female) to reach a European final, on Wednesday 10 April they have the chance to seal the deal when they take on Turkish side Besiktas in the deciding leg of their EuroCup Women final.
Holly Winterburn is the heartbeat of the side. A generational talent, Winterburn picked up the mantle from the mercurial Kennedy Leonard (an instrumental player in the rise of the Lions who left the club in January 2023) and has continued to drive the club forward. With Olympian and WNBA champion Temi Fagbenle among a stellar roster by her side, Winterburn and the Lions are a force to be reckoned with. A date with destiny awaits …
EuroCup Women Final ~ London Lions v Besiktas
A brand new name will be added to the list of EuroCup Women winners after the two-legged final between London Lions and Besiktas. The sides meet in Istanbul in the first leg on Wednesday 3 April ahead of the second leg at the Copper Box Arena on Wednesday 10 April. Will it be silverware or second place for this extraordinary Lions side? Get your ticket here to find out!
LONDON LIONS MEN
Men’s and women’s sport rarely works in harmony, but London Lions have shown just what a powerful cocktail that can be. Like their female counterparts, the Lions men have been imperious on the domestic stage.
2022/2023 was a season to remember for the Lions who finished top of the British Basketball League (BBL) table at the end of the regular season before defeating Leicester Riders 88-80 in the Play-Off Finals at The O2. The Lions had already won the BBL Cup final to bring up a magnificent domestic treble.
To the current season and with the BBL title already in the bag the Lions have enjoyed a stellar run in the EuroCup which has taken them to the last four. And now it’s London v Paris for a place in the final.
The talismanic and charismatic Sam Dekker is central to the London Lions’ success. A veteran of 200 NBA games Dekker joined the Lions in the summer of 2022. The 6’9″ Wisconsin native forward has inspired the side to dizzy domestic and European heights and he’s not done yet.
EuroCup Semi-Final ~ London Lions v Paris
It’s a best of three. London Lions travelled to France on Tuesday 26 March for Game 1 of their semi-final against Paris Basketball. Paris seized the advantage with a 99-86 win. The French side can close the show with a win in the second leg at the Copper Box Arena on Friday 29 March. But … victory for the Lions will mean all bets are off! All-square after two games will be the cue for destination Paris on Wednesday 3 April for the decider. A sell-out is incoming for the home leg. What are you waiting for? Your passport to the Lion’s den (while tickets last) is here.