ALBA BERLIN are the champions of the easyCredit BBL 2025-26 season as the club made a miracle comeback in Game 5 to beat FC Bayern Basketball 3-2 in the series for their 12th title. After winning Game 4 to keep the series alive, ALBA rallied from 20 points down in Game 5 in Munich to win the trophy. In off-the-court news, Basketball Löwen Braunschweig received a wild card to stay in the Bundesliga while VET-CONCEPT Gladiators Trier made some big news with the signings of EJ Onu, Eli Brooks and Moritz Krimmer.
In this section, we break out our English language skills and inform you about the latest news from the German easyCredit Basketball Bundesliga. If you’re short on time but still want your fill of Germany’s top basketball league then you are in the right place. Every week David Hein (Taking The Charge) brings you up-to-date in German basketball – the easyCredit BBL short and sweet:
Berlin rally to take down Bayern 3-2 to win 2025-26 title, grab 12th trophy
ALBA BERLIN rallied from 2-1 down in the series and 20 points down in Game 5 to beat FC Bayern Basketball and win the 2025-26 easyCredit BBL championship. Berlin kept Bayern from finishing a three-peat. Berlin now have 12 league championships: 1997-2003, 2008, 2020, 2021, 2022 and 2026.
Justin Bean named MVP of Finals
Justin Bean was named the Most Valuable Player of the Finals in helping ALBA BERLIN win the title. Bean collected 18 points, 12 rebounds, 5 assists and 1 steal in the deciding Game 5, but the 29-year-old forward was there for Berlin the whole series. He averaged 13.6 points on 50 percent three-point shooting, 6.6 rebounds, 2.2 assists, 0.8 steals and 1.0 blocks over the five games.
Berlin rally from 20 points down at halftime, shock Bayern to win title
ALBA BERLIN mounted a comeback for the ages as they rallied from 20 points down at halftime to beat FC Bayern Basketball 84-81 on the road in Game 5 to take the 2025-26 easyCredit BBL championship. Berlin managed only 7 points in the second quarter and Bayern went into the break ahead 47-27. Berlin nailed a series of three-pointers in a 14-0 run to get within six points, but the Bayern advantage was 16 points just before the end of the third quarter. Justin Bean ended the third frame with a triple to give Berlin momentum going into the fourth. Berlin drained four more three-pointers and went ahead 67-66. Jack Kayil’s long ball made it 72-70 with 5 minutes left and Bayern never went back ahead. Oscar da Silva got a tip-in with 23 seconds to go to make it 84-81. After Bean missed two free throws, Andres Obst missed two three-point attempts in the waning seconds and Berlin had done the unthinkable and rallied from 20 points down at halftime to celebrate in Munich. Bean collected 18 points, 12 rebounds and 5 assists - to easily win the Most Valuable Player trophy - while Jonas Mattisseck buried 6 three-pointers for 18 points, Delow added 14 points and Kayil scored 10 points. Obst led Bayern with 24 points - albeit on 8 of 21 shots; and da Silva contributed 12 points off the bench.
Berlin allow only 16 points in 2nd half, even series 2-2
ALBA BERLIN remained alive in the Finals as they used an inspirational second half defense to beat FC Bayern Basketball 71-61 at home to even the series 2-2 and set up an all-decisive Game 5 in Munich. The first half was close throughout and Berlin needed nearly 5 minutes to score in the third quarter, allowing Bayern to open a 10-point cushion 52-42. Berlin proceeded to go on a 26-2 run spanning the final two frames to lead 68-54 with 5 minutes to play and take control of the game. Berlin ended up allowing only 16 points in the final 20 minutes. Justin Bean had 17 points and 9 rebounds and Malte Delow added 11 points and 8 rebounds for the winners. Nenad Dimitrijevic was the only Bayern player in double figures with 14 points.
Bayern regain home court advantage, hope to win title in Game 4
FC Bayern Basketball regained home court advantage of the Finals as they punched back for a 91-83 victory at ALBA BERLIN to take a 2-1 series lead. Bayern now have two chances to win the final game needed to complete a championship three-peat. Bayern built the biggest lead of 9 points in the second quarter but the entire second half was tight. The visitors turned a 75-73 lead into an 83-74 cushion with 87 seconds left in the game and Justus Hollatz buried a dagger three-pointer to make it 86-77 with 56 seconds remaining. Nenad Dimitrijevic led the way with 19 points and 7 assists while Vladimir Lucic had 15 points and 7 rebounds on his 37th birthday and Andreas Obst added 14 points. Jack Kayil had 17 points off the Berlin bench in the loss.
Berlin steal home court advantage, hand Bayern first loss in Germany in 16 games
ALBA BERLIN stole home court advantage in the easyCredit BBL Finals as they beat FC Bayern Basketball 86-79 to hand the reigning champs their first loss in Germany after 16 straight wins. Berlin surged ahead by 10 points in the second quarter but were down by 5 points at halftime. The game was close the rest of the way with Berlin opening up just enough room with a 9-0 run to make it 83-76 with 46 seconds left. Bayern’s last loss in Germany came on April 4 at SYNTAINICS MBC. Jack Kayil came off the bench for 16 points while fellow reserves Michael Rataj and Moses Wood added 15 and 13 points, respectively. Nenad Dimitrijevic scored 20 points off the Bayern bench in a losing effort.
League MVP Obst drops 33 as Bayern take Game 1 at home
FC Bayern Basketball defended home court in the opening game of the easyCredit BBL Finals with a 102-94 comeback win over ALBA BERLIN thanks to a masterful showing from league Most Valuable Player Andreas Obst. Bayern trailed by 10 points in the third quarter but took control of the game with a 20-2 run spanning the final two frames. Obst scored 24 of his 33 points in the first half while burying 6 three-pointers to lead Bayern. Justus Hollatz added 11 points and Oscar da Silva had 10 points. Berlin wasted a strong performance from Norris Agbakoko, who had 21 points.
Braunschweig receive wild card for 2026-27 season
Basketball Löwen Braunschweig will play the 2026-27 season in the easyCredit BBL after it was announced they will receive a wild card. Braunschweig had been relegated as the 17th placed team from the 2025-26 campaign but there was a spot available after ProA finalists Kirchheim Knights did not receive a license for the top flight. The league will receive 800,000 euros from Braunschweig - though it did not announce how the compensation would be used.
Trier make noise with addition of Onu, returns of Krimmer, Brooks
Don’t look now but VET-CONCEPT Gladiators Trier might be winning the off-season thus far as they made three more big signings - two of them returns. Trier already made a splash by signing Justin Simon from ratiopharm ulm. Now the team has added EJ Onu and Moritz Krimmer from German Cup champions BMA365 Baskets Bamberg as well as brought back Eli Brooks. The 26-year-old Onu was named the German league Defensive Player of the Year and penned a two-year deal - albeit with an opt-out clause in case Trier do not play internationally this season. Onu played last season with the 25-year-old Krimmer, who was with Trier in 2023-24 and returns to the city along the Mosel for two years. Trier also penned a two-year deal with Brooks. The 27-year-old playmaker came to Trier last off-season from EWE Baskets Oldenburg and played so well that BAXI Manresa swooped in and signed him for the Spanish league. But Brooks has now returned to Trier and will be there until 2028.
Ulm bring in Watson from Bamberg, G-League champ Sims, veteran Schmidt
ratiopharm ulm made some major additions to their team for next season as they signed three new players - Ibi Watson, Jaylen Sims and Devin Schmidt. The biggest name for Bundesliga fans to join Ulm is Watson, who arrives from BMA365 Bamberg Baskets and was second in the voting for the season MVP. Watson helped Bamberg win the German Cup title and also was a major part in Bamberg sweeping Ulm in the playoffs. The 28-year-old Watson penned a two-year deal with Ulm. Sims for his part joins Ulm after helping Greensboro Swarm to the NBA G League title. The 27-year-old American, who averaged 16.8 points, 5.1 rebounds and 2.5 assists with Greensboro, will be making his European debut. The other early off-season addition is Schmidt, a 31-year-old guard who played last season with ProA champions Phoenix Hagen and signed for two years. Schmidt, who shot 39 percent on three-pointers last season in averaging 14.6 points, is an American but received a German passport in 2025.
Vechta keep Pleiß, add German guards Lanmüller and Hemschemeier
RASTA Vechta have been busy already this off-season as they extended their contract with Tibor Pleiß and added young German guards Timo Lanmüller and Peter Hemschemeier. Pleiß will stay for next season after the sides agreed to a contract for 2026-27. The 36-year-old joined Vechta during last season and provided plenty of production with 10.4 points and 4.8 rebounds. Pleiß gives Vechta lots of value as a German big man as well as a leader since the 109-times capped German international won the EuroLeague twice with Anadolu Efes Istanbul. Vechta added another German with the signing of Lanmüller, who played with the club’s cooperation partner Artland Dragons in the ProA last season. The 25-year-old shooting guard was born in Austria and plays for the Austrian national team but he also holds a German passport. Lanmüller played the first time in the Bundesliga in 2020 with ratiopharm ulm. He also earned minutes in the easyCredit BBL with Tübingen and Frankfurt. Vechta added more German backcourt help with the signing of Hemschemeier to a multi-year deal. The 22-year-old spent last season in the United States at Southeastern Louisiana University before finishing the campaign with former club Eisbären Bremerhaven.
Chemnitz bring Atkins back, sign German center Richardson and Burnham
NINERS Chemnitz continued to be busy as they build for next season as they announced three more acquisitions. Chemnitz fans will be excited to see the return of veteran Darion Atkins as the 33-year-old forward signed a two-year contract. The American played with Chemnitz back in 2021-22 and helped the club reach the German playoffs for the first time as well as their first German Cup Top Four. Atkins played this past season with Israeli top flight club Ironi Ramat Gan before the start of the Iran war. Chemnitz also added a valuable big man with the signing of German center Alex Richardson. The 22-year-old, who was born in Scotland but has played for Germany’s youth team, played last season with Loyola University in Chicago. He played with Düsseldorf and Frankfurt in the past and already has debuted in the Bundesliga with Frankfurt. Chemnitz’s sixth addition of the off-season was Ben Burnham. The 24-year-old forward played last season in the ProA with Artland Dragons and signed a contract for next season with an option for 2027-28.
Wolves bring back Clyburn, lose top scorer Thomas
SYNTAINICS MBC also made headlines this week as they lost their top scorer from last season Khyri Thomas but will bring back a familiar face. Thomas leaves after one season with Wolves, during which he averaged 15 points per game. Wolves fans can look forward to the return of Kris Clyburn after three seasons away. The 30-year-old was the club’s top scorer in 2022-23 and comes back to Weißenfels on a two year contract. Clyburn spent the last three years playing in China, Mongolia and Bahrain.
Oldenburg add Zach Ensminger and Americans Gilbreath, Pope
EWE Baskets Oldenburg’s roster for next season continues to take shape as they made three more additions. The biggest name for Bundesliga fans is Zach Ensminger, who arrives in Oldenburg from German Cup champions BMA365 Bamberg Baskets. The 25-year-old point guard penned a two-year contract with Oldenburg. The club also agreed to a two-year deal with Ja’Qualyn Gilbreath. The 27-year-old American guard helped Lions de Geneva to the Switzerland league and cup double in 2025 and was named league MVP. The third recent addition is Tylan Pope, who agreed to a one-year contract. The 25-year-old American played with Kirchheim Knights in the ProA last season and averaged 15.7 points and 6.6 rebounds for the finalists. Pope was named as the ProA playoffs MVP.
Würzburg add Brandon Tischler, Max Jones - both for two seasons
Fitness First Würzburg Baskets added a strong player for their German positions as they signed Brandon Tischler while also bringing in American guard Max Jones. The 25-year-old Tischler signed for two seasons after averaging 5.8 points and 4.1 rebounds last season with MHP RIESEN Ludwigsburg. The 24-year-old Jones played last season in Great Britain with Manchester Basketball and dotted a deal for two seasons.
Patrick era at Ludwigsburg ends with Johannes departure
The Patrick era at MHP RIESEN Ludwigsburg is officially over as Johannes Patrick will leave the club and join a ProA team. The 24-year-old Johannes was the last member of the Patrick family with the club. Father John Patrick coached the team from 2013 to 2022 and then again in the 2024-25 season. And younger brother Jacob Patrick left Ludwigsburg before last season.
Promoted Hagen bring in scoring guard Gibson as first addition
Promoted side Phoenix Hagen made their first addition for their return to the easyCredit BBL as they signed shooting guard Trenton Gibson. The 26-year-old signed for one season and arrives after playing this past season in Poland for top flight side Stal Ostrow Wielkopolski.
Jena lose captain Carter, add Baker
Science City Jena will be looking for a new captain for next season as Chris Carter is leaving the team and will join second division side Gießen. The 34-year-old German-American spent two seasons with Jena, arriving from ROSTOCK SEAWOLVES. Jena did announce their first addition for next season as they signed Jemarl Baker Jr. The 28-year-old Baker knows Jena head coach Steven Esterkamp as the two were together last season at Eisbären Bremerhaven.
Sid-Marlon Theis leaves Rostock for Hamburg
Veolia Towers Hamburg strengthened their German core by signing veteran big man Sid-Marlon Theis. The 33-year-old had spent the last six years playing with ROSTOCK SEAWOLVES and averaged 3.6 points and 1.2 rebounds last season. Theis returns home as he was born in Hamburg.
Dispute over Gavel’s coaching future
The end of the playoffs also saw a dispute about the future of Anton Gavel. FC Bayern Basketball want Gavel to coach their team next season and the playcaller is interested in joining the EuroLeague team. The problem is that Gavel is under contract for next season with BMA365 Bamberg Baskets. Gavel’s current employer said they would gladly let the successful coach go but only with a transfer fee. Bayern reportedly are not interested in matching Bamberg’s desired asking price and the coach is apparently looking for a way to get out of the existing contract. It’s unclear how the matter will be resolved
Germans make up 52.9% of points, 55.0% of minutes in Finals
The easyCredit BBL Finals have never been so German as 2026. The Finals between ALBA BERLIN and FC Bayern Basketball set two records since the start of the digital era in 1998 with the highest percentage of points scored by German players and the minutes played by Germans. The 12 German national team players on the two teams' rosters made up for 52.9% of the total points scored in the Finals (440 of 832) and played 55.0% of the minutes (1099 or 2000). Here is a look at how these Finals compared to others.
Finals: German points: German minutes:
2026: 52.9 percent 55.0 percent
1999: 47.6 percent 53.8 percent
2000: 47.6 percent 53.7 percent
2002: 45.4 percent 52.9 percent
2024: 39.2 percent 47.7 percent
2025: 38.8 percent 45.9 percent
German Top Five of the Week
G: Jack Kayil, ALBA BERLIN
Kayil played a major role in Berlin getting the title. Here his stats for the five games.
Game 1: 8pt 7rb 3as 1st
Game 2: 16pt 3rb 1as 3st
Game 3: 17pt 3rb 2as 1st
Game 4: 7pt 3rb 3as 1st
Game 5: 10pt 3rb 1st
G: Malte Delow, ALBA BERLIN
Delow picked up his play over the course of the Finals.
Game 1: 6pt 3rb 3as 3st
Game 2: 2pt 1as 1st
Game 3: 10pt 5rb 1as 1st
Game 4: 11pt 8rb 2as
Game 5: 14pt 5rb 1as 1st
G: Andreas Obst, FC Bayern Basketball
Obst faced tough Berlin defense throughout with flashes of brilliance.
Game 1 33pt, 6 3-pointers 1rb 3as
Game 2: 12pt 5rb 2as 1st
Game 3: 14pt 1rb 1as 2st
Game 4: 9pt 2rb1st
Game 5: 24pt 1rb 2as 1st
F: Oscar da Silva, FC Bayern Basketball
Da Silva tried his best to get Bayern the title.
Game 1: 10p 6rb 1as 3st
Game 2: 7pt 5rb
Game 3: 4pt 8rb 3st 1bk
Game 4: 2pt 4rb
Game 5: 12pt 5rb 1as 2st
C: Norris Agbakoko, ALBA BERLIN
Agbakoko was a real force at times during the Finals.
Game 1: 21pt 4rb 1as 2st
Game 2: 9pt 4rb
Game 3: 8pt 6rb 2as 1st
Game 4: 4pts 4rb 1as
Game 5: 9pt 4rb 3as
Four Bundesliga teams in expanded BKT EuroCup
Four teams from the easyCredit BBL will be playing in the BKT EuroCup next season. NINERS Chemnitz, SKYLINERS and ratiopharm ulm have all received licenses for five years as the league announced the 2026-27 season will have 32 teams. ROSTOCK SEAWOLVES meanwhile only have a license for the 2026-27 campaign. There is one spot still available as a wild card and there are reports that Veolia Towers Hamburg is one of the teams in the running for that wild card.
Mumbru signs with Virtus Bologna, will still lead national team
Germany’s senior national team head coach Alex Mumbru will have more work as the Spaniard was signed to be the new playcaller at Italian EuroLeague club Virtus Bologna. The 47-year-old Mumbru has been with the German national team since 2024 after the departure of Gordon Herbert. He helped Germany win the title at the FIBA EuroBasket 2025. The German federation will keep him on as their head coach with the next games coming in July against Israel and Cyprus in the FIBA Basketball World Cup 2027 European Qualifiers.
