Could the London Lions and Manchester Giants become forces in the BBL?

The BBL season has come to a close with the Leicester Riders securing the play-off win to the league and cup victories.

On the last day of the league season it was a battle between two clubs, two cities for the right to face the Leicester Riders and clinch the final play-off spot.

Manchester Giants hosting the London Lions in a clash for 8th place in the BBL. Two big cities who wanted one spot.

The London Lions had moved from Milton Keynes at the start of the season and were hoping to build up a fan-base as in the 2013/14 season they would be using the Olympic Copper Box.

The Manchester Giants were back in the BBL after a few years out of the premiere league of British basketball.

These two big city franchises have the opportunity to attract a large following and become two of the key players in the future of the BBL.

The Lions are of course moving to the biggest arena in the BBL so could feasibly attract large crowds and make more money than any of their BBL opponents.

This would allow for more spending on players wages and training, attracting bigger names who want to play in the Copper Box.

While the Manchester Giants won't be moving into an olympic stadium, they still have the attraction in playing in one of the biggest cities in the UK and can therefore attract a larger following.

The history of the Giants means that they didn't need to grow an immediate fan-base but now they can build on that and attract a larger audience.

These two franchises could become the major forces in the BBL in the next few years, add to the mix the established front-runners in the Leicester Riders and the Newcastle Eagles, PLUS the emergence of a Birmingham franchise and the BBL could be an exciting and close league in the next few seasons.

- IMAGE IS FROM HERE.

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