| Glasgow Rocks | 72 |
| Everton Tigers | 80 |
The Glasgow Rocks are Scotland's only professional basketball team. The Rocks compete in the British Basketball League (BBL) Britain's top professional league.
The Rocks go into their 12th BBL campaign this season, and are the longest serving of the clubs who have never played outside the country’s premier basketball league.
Originally formed as Edinburgh Rocks in the summer of 1998, Rocks were not the first side from north of the border to compete in the BBL but unlike their predecessors (Glasgow Rangers and Murray Livingstone) they have proved to have the staying power to remain in the top level of the game.
Rocks’ debut season saw games played at Meadowbank in Edinburgh, and under American coach Jim Brandon they had an encouraging first season, finishing ninth in the 13-team competition with a 12-24 record. The following campaign saw the BBL split into two conferences, and Rocks finished third in the north to qualify for the play-offs. The Rocks were successful in defeating the Thames Valley Tigers 68-64 in the quarter-finals before the all-conquering Manchester Magic team shaded the Rocks in the semi-final match-up 88-84.
Brandon moved on to be replaced by Greg Lockeridge the following season, but a poor season saw the Rocks finish bottom of the Northern Conference, with veteran player Iain Maclean taking over as stand-in player-coach, and at the end of the season American Kevin Wall was installed as play-caller. A more significant switch occurred 12 months later as the renamed Scottish Rocks moved to Braehead Arena in Glasgow for the 2002/03 season. It was the season that the Rocks picked up their first piece of silverware by lifting the play-off crown following an 83-76 victory against Brighton Bears. The BBL Cup final was reached in each of the next two seasons, with Sheffield Sharks and Bears denying Rocks the silverware.
The departure of play-caller Kevin Wall, saw the arrival of former Brighton Bears assistant Steve Swanson, who guided the club to three major finals. The 2005/06 campaign saw Rocks record their highest ever finishing position as they took runners-up spot in the league behind Newcastle Eagles. The play-off final saw the top two meet, with Eagles winning 83-68. The two sides met again in the following season’s final, and Eagles again came out on top, 95-82. Rocks had also reached the BBL Cup final again earlier that season with Guildford Heat continuing their finals woe (the Rocks are 1-5 in title games) with a thrilling 81-78 victory.
Swanson’s departure to college basketball brought the arrival of the league’s first ever German play-caller, Thorsten Leibenath. On April 30th, 2007, the Rocks announced that Leibenath was leaving the club to take over head coaching duties at the Giessen 46ers of Germany. This instigated Sterling Davis to step up to the player coach role for the 2007/08 season. The Rocks finished in fifth place with an 18-15 record, and a place in the BBL Cup semi-final. The 2008/09 season saw the Rocks take the early initiative in the season leading the league at the half-way point, until a devastating achilles injury to star guard Blake Shelton sent the Rocks spiraling to a losing season where they were ousted in the first round of the playoffs. The 2009/10 season saw Davis in charge for the 4th season, and off the back of Rocks legend Rob Yanders, Scottish stalwart Gareth Murray, and fresh talent from the states in Jessie Sapp and Mike Copeland, the Rocks finished the season in 3rd place with an impressive 23-13 record. (Davis’ best coaching performance of his short coaching career). The Rocks would advance to the Playoff Final on the back of some outstanding Home Quarter and Semi Final performances, only to lose at the hands of Tony Garbelotto’s Everton Tigers 80-72, prolonging the Silverware drought to 7 years, and a finals record of 1 win and 6 losses. Davis currently remains at the helm for the 2010/11 campaign as the Rocks look for that elusive second piece of silverware.
The Glasgow Rocks recently announced a new long-term agreement with Culture and Sport Glasgow and Glasgow City Council. As part of this agreement the Scottish Rocks have been renamed the Glasgow Rocks from the start of the 2009/10 season.
The partnership will see the Rocks ultimately play their home games in the new National Indoor Sports Arena (NISA) which is specifically being built for the 2014 Commonwealth Games. Until the venue is ready, the Rocks will be based at Kelvin Hall, in Glasgow’s west end. The NISA facility is said to be ready for the 2012/13 basketball season.
The Rocks are proud to have achieved the following in their 11 years playing in the premier basketball league:
· 2002/03 BBL Playoff Champions
· 2003/04 BBL Cup Finalists
· 2004/05 BBL Cup Finalists
· 2005/06 BBL League Runner Up
· 2005/06 BBL Playoff Finalists
· 2006/07 BBL Cup Finalists
· 2006/07 BBL Playoff Finalists
· 2009/10 BBL Playoff Finalists
