The International Basketball Federation (Fiba) has suspended the British Basketball Federation (BBF) and banned the British men's team from international competitions, throwing the sport's funding into jeopardy. The Guardian has learned that Fiba has held talks with UK government officials regarding the suspension, which could affect the government's £4.75m financial support for British basketball over the next four years.
The move is the latest development in a bitter civil war within British basketball. Sports minister Stephanie Peacock had discussions with UK Sport in April, expressing concerns about the sport's governance. All organisations seeking government or National Lottery funding must comply with the code for sports governance set by UK Sport and Sport England, which mandates minimum standards of transparency, accountability, and integrity.
Fiba's decision follows the creation of a taskforce in August to investigate governance issues related to the BBF awarding a 15-year licence for a new professional men's competition, the Great Britain Basketball League (GBBL), to a consortium led by American businessman Marshall Glickman. The existing nine Super League Basketball clubs have refused to join the new league, claiming the tender process was unlawful, and have launched legal action against the BBF in the High Court.
Fiba's suspension is the first of a national governing body since Russia and Belarus were expelled three years ago after the invasion of Ukraine. In a statement, Fiba said it had temporarily suspended the BBF's authority to licence or recognise national men's competitions and to field a men's national team in Fiba senior competitions, pending resolution of governance issues. The taskforce has been authorised to engage with stakeholders and the UK government to propose an interim operational framework for top-tier men's competitions.
The suspension casts further doubt on the GBBL, which had already delayed its launch by 12 months until September 2027 to align with the possible launch of NBA Europe. The venture currently has no clubs, venues, or commercial partners. The immediate future for the Great Britain men's team is also uncertain, with a World Cup qualifier against Lithuania next month now in doubt. Chris Grant resigned as BBF chair on Sunday, citing personal reasons.
