The 2026-27 easyCredit BBL season tips off on Friday September 18 and this is the preview edition of the Weekly News - looking at all 18 teams. ALBA BERLIN start it off at home with the goal of defending the crown - and continuing their dynasty. FC Bayern Basketball will hope the start of a new era will make up for not winning any hardware last season. And VET-CONCEPT Gladiators Trier enter the season as darkhorse contenders after a strong off-season. Oh, and the first round of the Netto BBL Pokal German Cup saw no surprises.
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:
Season 61: Can anyone challenge Berlin and Bayern?
The 2026-27 easyCredit BBL season tips off on Friday September 18 with reigning champs ALBA BERLIN hosting NINERS Chemnitz. The main question for the 61st season will be can anybody challenge Berlin or fellow title favorites FC Bayern Basketball? Here is a brief look at all 18 of the teams - in order from last season’s final standings.
Berlin loaded for extension of dynasty with back-to-back titles
ALBA BERLIN enter the 2026-27 season knowing they are defending champions with most of the roster coming back and additions strong enough to make back-to-back titles anything but a surprise. Pedro Calles knows his team well with captain Jonas Mattisseck, Jack Kayil, Martin Hermannsson, Justin Bean, Norris Agbakoko, Malte Delow and Sam Griesel all back. Berlin added elite scoring guard Jordan Ford as well as Joe Wieskamp, who was league’s top player in efficiency with Science City Jena last year. Berlin will not have the pressure of expectations like the other top contenders FC Bayern Basketball will have. Add it all up and it wouldn’t be a shock for Berlin’s fifth championship in the last eight seasons.
Bayern well-manned for start of new Gavel-Leibenath era
FC Bayern Basketball enter the season as probably the biggest favorites thanks to a packed, deep and talented roster. The club also enters a new era with former ratiopharm ulm architect Thorsten Leibenath as sports director as well as Anton Gavel as head coach. Gavel takes over a squad highlighted by Andreas Obst, new additions Miles Norris, Duane Washington, MarJon Beauchamp and Austin Wiley as well as the recovered playmaker Rokas Jokubaitis, reigning World and European champion Johannes Thiemann among others. After going empty-handed last season, only a German league crown will make the club satisfied.
Bamberg face challenge of expectations as Ramirez takes over for Gavel
BMA365 Bamberg Baskets fans should be aware that last season’s magic was last season and the team faces a new start with a new coach. Jesus Ramirez takes over at the helm after Anton Gavel left for FC Bayern Basketball. Bamberg will hope their scouting of Americans coming from smaller leagues such as Jordan Wright, Jordan Jones and Malik Wilson has worked. Trevon Scott has some NBA experience while Hason Ward is coming from the G-League. Richard Balint is one of the few returning players and Joshua Obiesie will need a big season as Bamberg’s top German player.
Bonn relying on continuity in hunt for next step
Telekom Baskets Bonn have gone the continuity route and bring back much of the same roster for this season. Back from a team that reached the Semi-Finals are the likes of Grayson Murphy, Joel Aminu, Michael Kessens, Jeff Garrett, Alijah Comithier, Tylan Birts and Patrick Heckmann. The club brought back Leon Kratzer while also adding Marcus Foster and John-Michael Wright. Head coach Marko Stankovic successfully turned Bonn around last season after a 14th place finish in 2024-25 and now the team can look ahead to maybe making another step this year.
Würzburg hungry to get back to Semi-Finals
Fitness First Würzburg Baskets were bounced in the first round of the playoffs last season after two straight years of reaching the Semi-Finals. Head coach Sasa Filipovski and co. will be hungry to get back to the final four this season. Filipovski has a group of Americans who will have something to prove as none of them came from big teams. The leaders will be Kenny Dye, Sam Griffin and Charles Thompson. Alen Pjanic and Christian Skladanowski are back while Brandon Tischler arrives from MHP RIESEN Ludwigsburg. Filipovski will have his work cut out for him - especially as he forms the team.
New-look Ulm more French than ever, still reliant on youngsters
ratiopharm ulm will feel a lot less like ratiopharm ulm as architect Thorsten Leibenath has left the club after 15 years and captain Tommy Klepeisz is also gone. The club has become even more French with the quartet of Adam Atamna and Armel Traore joining Mohamed Diakite and Meissa Faye - all of them 23 years or younger. Ulm also will rely on youngsters like Michael Rataj, who won the German title with ALBA BERLIN, and Teo Milicic while key leaders will be Jaylen Sims and Ibi Watson as the team intends on playing in the playoffs again.
Led by Kuhse and Pleiß, Vechta aiming for Play-Ins
RASTA Vechta enter their fourth straight season in the Bundesliga with the minimum goal of staying in the league but aiming more towards reaching the Play-Ins. Vechta will probably be more balanced this season after relying heavily on Alonzo Verge and Tevin Brown last year. Tommy Kuhse hopes to return to his near-MVP self and Tibor Pleiß will have a full season with the club while head coach Christian Held will need a strong showing from Matt Lewis.
Consistent Trier add defensive firepower to make them darkhorse contenders
Last season’s biggest surprise VET-CONCEPT Gladiators Trier seem primed to show it wasn’t a one-year wonder as they added some strong defensive firepower and must be considered a darkhorse contender. Trier signed or extended with eight players on two-year contracts - including Eli Brooks, Jordan Roland and EJ Onu. The latter was named the easyCredit BBL Defensive Player of the Year and Trier also added award runner-up Justin Simon. The club does go into the season with the uncommon burden of real expectations, and it remains to be seen how the league’s youngest head coach Jacques Schneider and his team can handle that.
Rostock ready to finally reach the playoffs
ROSTOCK SEAWOLVES reached the Play-Ins the last two seasons but missed out on the playoffs both times in the end. The team wants to change that this season - despite also having the additional challenge of playing the BKT EuroCup. Head coach Przemyslaw Frasunkiewicz definitely has a mix of players who can challenge for one of those spots. Robin Amaize is ready to come back after his Achilles tendon injury while the club added Zach Copeland, Philipp Hartwich, Johnathan Stove, Artur Konontsuk (who all played in the Bundesliga last season) and Todd Withers. Rostock also have DeAndre Lansdowne and TJ Crockett to give the fans reason to dream big.
The next Spanish coach: Duran takes over Ludwigsburg
The easyCredit BBL has another Spanish head coach with Carles Duran taking over MHP RIESEN Ludwigsburg. Duran was best known for his time at Joventut Badalona and Ludwigsburg have given him a solid team with a mix of old (Jonas Wohlfarth-Bottermann, Yorman Polas Bartolo) and young (Julis Baumer, Kenan Youdom). Duran will rely heavily on the likes of Elijah Hughes and Ish Leggett as the club will be hungry to make the playoffs again - and not just the Play-Ins.
New boss Bogicevic hopes to guide new Oldenburg team out of playoffs doldrums
EWE Baskets Oldenburg have made the playoffs just once in the last five seasons and new head coach Milenko Bogicevic is the man the club looks to end the doldrums. The former coach at Weißenfels will have nearly an entirely new team at his disposal with Seth Hinrichs and Nicholas Tischler the only returnees. Nate Johnson is likely the most important of the eight additions, which also includes returner Marcel Keßen, Demajeo Wiggins and Jeremy Roach. When it’s all said and done, Oldenburg will only be happy if they reach the playoffs.
Re-start with Pastore and 12 new players in Chemnitz
Don’t expect much consistency from NINERS Chemnitz as the club pushed the re-set button and added 12 new players for long-time head coach Rodrigo Pastore. Chemnitz last season for the first time since debuting in the Bundesliga in 2020-21 missed the playoffs. Pastore will have an offensive-minded team with Stef Smith and Cobe Williams at the guard spots and Chemnitz will want to challenge for the post-season.
Reaves, Mushidi, Clyburn lead new era for Wolves
SYNTAINICS MBC will begin a new era as the club saw the departure of long time managing director Martin Geissler after 24 years. Wolves have actually become a staple in the Bundesliga with now a 10th straight season in the league. New head coach Valdimir Jovanovic knows the team will have to fight to reach the post-season but he has a good core of players. Captain will be Spencer Reaves while Kostja Mushidi and Kris Clyburn are both making their returns to the club. Another major addition is former Serbian star talent Borisa Simanic.
Hamburg can concentrate on Bundesliga without European games
For the first time since 2020-21, Veolia Towers Hamburg will not be playing in a European club competition which will give them the opportunity to concentrate on the easyCredit BBL. Benka Barloschky will be hoping for a better start to the season - after losing their first 24 games last year in all competition - and a solid German core of Kenny Ogbe, Martin Breunig and Osaro Rich could help. By not playing in Europe, Towers have to be thinking at least the Play-Ins.
Frankfurt doing double-duty with EuroCup participation
SKYLINERS will be facing an unusual burden this season as the Frankfurt side will be playing in the BKT EuroCup - the first time they are playing internationally since the 2018-19 season. Klaus Perwas has formed a strong team with the likes of Isaiah Swope, Ryan Arcidiacono, Race Thompson and Will Christmas to go along with Germans such as Till Pape, Roman Bedime, Jacob Knauf as well as youngsters Jaime Edoka and Ivan Crnjac and former ratipopharm ulm captain Thomas Klepeisz.
Jena leaning on Bundesliga debutant coach Esterkamp to avoid relegation
Science City Jena avoided relegation in the closing weeks and the club is hoping a Bundesliga debutant at the helm - Steven Esterkamp - can keep them in the league. Robin Christen will be the leader as 35-year-old captain while Jemari Baker Jr will know what Esterkamp wants as he excelled for him last season at Eisbären Bremerhaven in the second division. The goal is clearly to avoid the drop.
Hagen return after a decade with hope but questions
Phoenix Hagen are back in the easyCredit BBL for the first time in a decade and the 2026 ProA champions don’t want to be heading back down at season’s end. Chris Harris is going into his ninth season coaching Hagen and finally achieved his big dream of promotion to the Bundesliga. The club has two big question marks as Anthony Polite has not played in two years and Patricio Garino has a history of injuries.
Braunschweig hungry after wild card
Basketball Löwen Braunschweig want to use the opportunity they were granted after receiving the wild card to return to the league after being relegated. Braunschweig kept Spanish head coach Ramon Diaz as well as three players from last year’s team (Chip Flanigan, Benny Schröder and Ferdinand Zylka). Two of the most important additions will be Devin Askew and Eddy Edigin as Braunschweig first look to stay in the league.
Bundesliga teams avoid slip-ups in German Cup; Frankfurt, Hamburg win top-flight showdowns
The opening round of the Netto BBL Pokal German Cup took place ahead of the first week of the season and there were no surprises. All four easyCredit BBL teams won against their ProA second division opponents - Basketball Löwen Braunschweig, EWE Baskets Oldenburg, NINERS Chemnitz and Phoenix Hagen - while SKYLINERS and Veolia Towers Hamburg won their showdowns against fellow Bundesliga teams. The Round of 16 Round of 16 is scheduled for October 17-18.
