British basketball civil war takes fresh twist as 18 former employees sue new league

Unfair dismissal and unpaid wages part of claim

Sport in turmoil since collapse of financial backers

A group of 18 former employees of British Basketball League (BBL) are taking legal action against the competition that replaced it, Super League Basketball, in the latest development in the extraordinary civil war that has engulfed the sport.

The Guardian has learned that the former BBL staff have filed claims for unfair dismissal, breach of contract and unpaid wages worth millions of pounds at the London employment tribunal in a move that threatens to overshadow the start of the new Super League Basketball season, which begins on Friday. An initial hearing date has been scheduled for July 2026, although the case may not be resolved until the following year.