FIBA suspension forces cancellation of GB men’s fixtures

The Great Britain men’s national team’s upcoming games have been cancelled after FIBA suspended the British Basketball Federation (BBF) over governance failures within the sport on Tuesday.

The BBF confirmed this morning that GB’s home game in London on November 27 and its away fixture against Iceland on November 30 will not go ahead, following FIBA’s decision to temporarily suspend the BBF’s authority to recognise or license professional men’s leagues or field a men’s national team in FIBA competitions.

In its statement, the BBF said members of its board and key staff met with FIBA earlier in the day, adding that the federation “shares FIBA’s commitment to restoring confidence, transparency, and sustainability within the sport.”

It reiterated the suspension does not affect the women’s national team or its upcoming fixtures.

Interim Chair Grace Jacca said she understood the disappointment of players, staff, and fans. “Our immediate priority is to continue working with our key stakeholders to maintain stability while contributing constructively to the process with FIBA,” she said.

The BBF added that it will continue to cooperate fully with the Taskforce as it develops an interim operational framework and future recommendations for governance and competition across Great Britain.

The suspension is the latest and most severe escalation in a crisis that has engulfed the BBF since its controversial decision to award a 15-year exclusive licence for the men’s professional game to GBB League Ltd, now subject to a High Court challenge by Super League Basketball (SLB).

FIBA’s announcement said the move aims “to restore regulatory integrity and promote sustainable governance of men’s basketball in Great Britain as soon as possible,” authorising its Taskforce to work directly with UK stakeholders and government to explore an interim framework for top-tier competitions.

The precedent for such a suspension is rare and so it remains unclear what will happen if GB are allowed to rejoin in a later window; there is generally not the space in the schedule to play the games at a later date.

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