Birmingham Panthers

The Birmingham Panthers (official name Team Birmingham Panthers) was a professional basketball club in the British Basketball League. Established in 2007, the Birmingham-based franchise competed in Britain's top-tier league during the 2007-08 season, but following a disastrous season and a lack of organisation, the franchise ceased operations in 2008, lasting just one year.

Franchise history
Basketball back in Birmingham
Following the demise and eventual liquidation of the Birmingham Bullets, one of British basketball's most successful franchises, Birmingham was left without a major basketball team for the 2006-07 season. Though many Bullets fans defected to the Worcester Wolves, elected to the BBL to replace the Bullets and retain professional basketball in the West Midlands, every effort was made for Birmingham to return to the fold for the following season.

On 23 March 2007 it was officially confirmed that Birmingham would be part of the mass-expansion of the BBL, with former Bullets assistant coach Herman Wilson leading a consortium of investors behind the project. Behind the scenes both the BBL and Wilson worked fast to establish a franchise amid speculation of potential rival league the British Basketball Association announcing their own Birmingham franchise for the following season, the Birmingham Athletics.

Within weeks of the initial announcement it was confirmed on 18 April by the BBL that Team Birmingham Panthers would be the eleventh franchise taking to the court for the 2007-08 season, with the Aston Events Centre, a former home of both the Bullets and Athletics, hosting all home games of the new team (This was later changed, see below ) with a move to a future arena already planned. Rumours abound that former Bullets coach Tony Garbelotto would