Investigating alleged disputes within League organization
Hollerin' 'bout the ART Giants Düsseldorf fiasco! The league's squintin' at their Pro-A license application, leavin' one spot up for grabs in the 2nd division.
Who's gonna ball in the 2. Basketball Bundesliga ProA next season? The first licensing round's wrapped up, but there's still a vacant seat to fill. And now, it's all wait and see - as the ART Giants Düsseldorf seem to be swimmin' in hot water.
On a Tuesday tirade, the league spilled the beans about launchin' a re-licensin' showdown against the Düsseldorf crew due to "kinks" in their licensin' documents, bein' under the microscope based on fresh info. The deets weren't dished out, but they did hint they got a bone to pick with the Düsseldorf team for supposedly fibbin' up their licensin' app or not fulfillin' other essential requirements. Last season, Rasta Vechta II and Dresden Titans had already tossed in the towel, cryin' poor over cash flow.
The ART Giants Düsseldorf have been scrapin' by to stay in the 2nd division for two straight seasons. The team balls in the fancy Castello, which is way too spacious for home games - and besides Vechta II, the Düsseldorf squad averaged the smallest crowds at home last season (source: league). If the club can't pass the league's squint test now, they risk getting the boot from ProA.
2nd League: Bochum shook last summer
Last summer, the league lineup was muddy, with Bochum right in the thick of things: They only got the go-ahead for the new ProA season at the end of June, and were given the green light because the potential promoted teams didn't have a ProA-worthy hall. Bochum snatched the spot as a sportin' relegation. It ain't gonna be that easy this summer, as Dresden and Vechta II aren't on the chopping block as latecomers.
One seat in the 2nd League is still open
With the two teams gettin' demoted and the promoted teams Jena and Trier sayin' so long to the second-highest level, four clubs are leavin'. Only three new squads are stepin' in: the promoted teams Leverkusen and Wolmirstedt, and BBL relegated BG Göttingen.
In other news
VfL Sparkassen Stars ProA: "The heart of the team" - Bochum unveils its new center This leaves one vacant chair, for which a bunch of teams can throw their hats in the ring in a wildcard round. This includes the Paderborn Baskets, as Managing Director Dominik Meyer said in an interview with the Westfalen-Blatt on Monday (16.06) - he expects a decision soon. Potential competitors are up in the air - the financially flossy BG Leitershofen and the Rheinstars Cologne, who wanna ball in the Motorworld in Cologne-Ossendorf and thereby sort out their hall drama, are in the limelight.
A license with conditions ain't nothin' unusual
It remains to be seen how the league's gonna play the wildcard in light of the possibility that another Pro-A spot might become vacant due to Düsseldorf. At the end of May, the league awarded the Giants a license with stipulations, which was also a common occurrence for many other teams. The Sparkassen Stars Bochum had to create another full-time spot as a stipulation, which the club promptly advertised. **
- In the upcoming season, several teams may compete for the vacant seat in the 2nd Basketball Bundesliga ProA, following the possibility of the ART Giants Düsseldorf being kicked out due to licensing issues.
- The Paderborn Baskets have expressed their interest in filling the vacant seat, with Managing Director Dominik Meyer expecting a decision soon.
- Other contenders for the open spot include the financially prosperous BG Leitershofen and the Rheinstars Cologne, who aim to solve their hall drama by playing at the Motorworld in Cologne-Ossendorf.
