Bayer Giants Leverkusen
Encyclopedia
Bayer Giants Leverkusen is a professional basketball
club, part of the Bayer Leverkusen
sports club based in Leverkusen
, Germany
. Based on the number of titles, Leverkusen is the most successful team in the history of German Basketball. In 2009, the Bayer
company cut down sponsorship and the club went down to Germany's Pro B (3rd division) to restructure. The license for the Basketball Bundesliga
was transferred to the newly formed Giants Düsseldorf
.
in 1968. The club won 5 national championships and 4 cups as TuS 04 Leverkusen before it changed its name and continued its dominance as TSV Bayer 04 Leverkusen. Until today, the club has won more national titles than any other German basketball team.
To the disdain of all of its supporters, in 2008 the Bayer
company decided to make dramatic cuts in its sponsorship for the team and simply focus on its soccer operations. This move forced the club's basketball team to cede its Basketball Bundesliga
license to the newly formed Giants Düsseldorf
and move down to Germany’s 3rd Division Pro B to restructure.
Thousands of club supporters gathered in the streets of Leverkusen
to protest the company’s move.
Roster updated 03-31-2010
Basketball
Basketball is a team sport in which two teams of five players try to score points by throwing or "shooting" a ball through the top of a basketball hoop while following a set of rules...
club, part of the Bayer Leverkusen
Bayer Leverkusen
Bayer 04 Leverkusen is a German football club based in Leverkusen, North Rhine-Westphalia. It is the most well-known department of TSV Bayer 04 Leverkusen, a sports club whose members also participate in athletics, gymnastics, basketball and other sports.-Origins and early years:On 27 November...
sports club based in Leverkusen
Leverkusen
Leverkusen is a city in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany on the eastern bank of the Rhine. To the South, Leverkusen borders the city of Cologne and to the North is the state capital Düsseldorf....
, Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
. Based on the number of titles, Leverkusen is the most successful team in the history of German Basketball. In 2009, the Bayer
Bayer
Bayer AG is a chemical and pharmaceutical company founded in Barmen , Germany in 1863. It is headquartered in Leverkusen, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany and well known for its original brand of aspirin.-History:...
company cut down sponsorship and the club went down to Germany's Pro B (3rd division) to restructure. The license for the Basketball Bundesliga
Basketball Bundesliga
The Basketball Bundesliga — commonly abbreviated BBL — is the highest level league of club basketball in Germany. The league comprises 18 teams. A BBL season is split into a league stage and a playoff stage...
was transferred to the newly formed Giants Düsseldorf
Giants Düsseldorf
Gloria Giants Düsseldorf is a professional basketball club based in Düsseldorf, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. The team was formed in 2008, when the Bayer company decided to dramatically decrease its sponsorship for its Bayer Giants Leverkusen. As a result, the Bayer Giants went down to...
.
History
Founded as TuS Bayer 04 Leverkusen in 1961, the club moved up to first division Basketball BundesligaBasketball Bundesliga
The Basketball Bundesliga — commonly abbreviated BBL — is the highest level league of club basketball in Germany. The league comprises 18 teams. A BBL season is split into a league stage and a playoff stage...
in 1968. The club won 5 national championships and 4 cups as TuS 04 Leverkusen before it changed its name and continued its dominance as TSV Bayer 04 Leverkusen. Until today, the club has won more national titles than any other German basketball team.
To the disdain of all of its supporters, in 2008 the Bayer
Bayer
Bayer AG is a chemical and pharmaceutical company founded in Barmen , Germany in 1863. It is headquartered in Leverkusen, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany and well known for its original brand of aspirin.-History:...
company decided to make dramatic cuts in its sponsorship for the team and simply focus on its soccer operations. This move forced the club's basketball team to cede its Basketball Bundesliga
Basketball Bundesliga
The Basketball Bundesliga — commonly abbreviated BBL — is the highest level league of club basketball in Germany. The league comprises 18 teams. A BBL season is split into a league stage and a playoff stage...
license to the newly formed Giants Düsseldorf
Giants Düsseldorf
Gloria Giants Düsseldorf is a professional basketball club based in Düsseldorf, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. The team was formed in 2008, when the Bayer company decided to dramatically decrease its sponsorship for its Bayer Giants Leverkusen. As a result, the Bayer Giants went down to...
and move down to Germany’s 3rd Division Pro B to restructure.
Thousands of club supporters gathered in the streets of Leverkusen
Leverkusen
Leverkusen is a city in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany on the eastern bank of the Rhine. To the South, Leverkusen borders the city of Cologne and to the North is the state capital Düsseldorf....
to protest the company’s move.
2009-2010 Roster
| 4 |  |
Florian Trmal | Small Forward Small forward The small forward, or colloquially known as three, is one of the five positions in a regulation basketball game. Small forwards are typically somewhat shorter, quicker, and leaner than power forwards and centers, but on occasion are just as tall... |
| 5 |  |
Max Brauer | Shooting Guard Shooting guard The shooting guard , also known as the two or off guard, is one of five traditional positions on a basketball team. Players of the position are often shorter, leaner, and quicker than forwards. A shooting guard's main objective is to score points for his team... |
| 7 | |
Tom Spöler | Small Forward Small forward The small forward, or colloquially known as three, is one of the five positions in a regulation basketball game. Small forwards are typically somewhat shorter, quicker, and leaner than power forwards and centers, but on occasion are just as tall... |
| 9 | |
Farid Sadek | Shooting Guard Shooting guard The shooting guard , also known as the two or off guard, is one of five traditional positions on a basketball team. Players of the position are often shorter, leaner, and quicker than forwards. A shooting guard's main objective is to score points for his team... |
| 10 |  |
Rodney Foster | Point Guard Point guard Point guard , also called the play maker or "the ball-handler", is one of the standard positions in a regulation basketball game. A point guard has perhaps the most specialized role of any position – essentially, he is expected to run the team's offense by controlling the ball and making sure that... |
| 12 | |
Ben Spöler | Center Center (basketball) The center, colloquially known as the five or the post, is one of the standard positions in a regulation basketball game. The center is normally the tallest player on the team, and often has a great deal of strength and body mass as well... |
| 13 | |
Lennard Jördell | Power Forward Power forward (basketball) Power forward is a position in the sport of basketball. The position is referred to in playbook terms as the four position and is commonly abbreviated "PF". It has also been referred to as the "post" position. Power forwards play a role similar to that of center in what is called the "post" or "low... |
| 13 | |
Matthias Wojdyla | Small Forward Small forward The small forward, or colloquially known as three, is one of the five positions in a regulation basketball game. Small forwards are typically somewhat shorter, quicker, and leaner than power forwards and centers, but on occasion are just as tall... |
| 15 | |
Moritz Thimm | Center Center (basketball) The center, colloquially known as the five or the post, is one of the standard positions in a regulation basketball game. The center is normally the tallest player on the team, and often has a great deal of strength and body mass as well... |
| 17 | |
Sven Hartmann | Shooting Guard Shooting guard The shooting guard , also known as the two or off guard, is one of five traditional positions on a basketball team. Players of the position are often shorter, leaner, and quicker than forwards. A shooting guard's main objective is to score points for his team... |
| 20 | |
Matthias Mauksch | Shooting Guard Shooting guard The shooting guard , also known as the two or off guard, is one of five traditional positions on a basketball team. Players of the position are often shorter, leaner, and quicker than forwards. A shooting guard's main objective is to score points for his team... |
| 22 | |
Mathis Mönninghoff | Shooting Guard Shooting guard The shooting guard , also known as the two or off guard, is one of five traditional positions on a basketball team. Players of the position are often shorter, leaner, and quicker than forwards. A shooting guard's main objective is to score points for his team... |
| 24 | |
Mostafa Shukoor | Shooting Guard Shooting guard The shooting guard , also known as the two or off guard, is one of five traditional positions on a basketball team. Players of the position are often shorter, leaner, and quicker than forwards. A shooting guard's main objective is to score points for his team... |
| 40 | |
Hunter Henry | Power Forward Power forward (basketball) Power forward is a position in the sport of basketball. The position is referred to in playbook terms as the four position and is commonly abbreviated "PF". It has also been referred to as the "post" position. Power forwards play a role similar to that of center in what is called the "post" or "low... |
Roster updated 03-31-2010
Notable players
| Michael Pappert 4 seasons: '85-'89 Jochen Pollex 3 seasons: '69-'72 Sven Schultze Sven Schultze Sven Schultze is a German professional basketball power forward/center. He is 2.08 m in height and he weighs 111 kg . He currently plays with the German club ALBA Berlin.-German national team:... 3 seasons: '02-'05 Derrick Taylor 2 seasons: '97-'99 Norbert ThimmNorbert Thimm Norbert Thimm is a retired German professional basketball player. He is 2.05 m tall and played the Center position. He currently works for the sports management company T.E.A.M... 10 seasons: '69-'72,'74-'81 Lutz Wadehn 3 seasons: '86-'89 Christian Welp Christian Welp Christian Ansgar Welp is a retired German professional basketball player. Welp, a 213 cm , 111 kg center, became the leading scorer in Washington Huskies history as a college basketball player... 5 seasons: '91-'96 Denis Wucherer Denis Wucherer Denis Wucherer is a retired German professional basketball player. He is 1.96 m tall and played shooting guard... 9 seasons: '92-'98, '02-'05 Mike Hansen 3 seasons: '99-'02 Kristjan Kangur Kristjan Kangur Kristjan Kangur is an Estonian professional basketball player currently playing for Italian Lega Basket Serie A club Pallacanestro Varese. He plays the Power forward position.-Estonia and Germany:... 2 seasons: '04-'06 |
Eric Taylor 2 seasons: '06-'08 John Best 3 seasons: '00-'03 Carl Brown 2 seasons: '03-'05 Chris CorchianiChris Corchiani Christopher Corchiani is a retired American professional basketball player. Corchiani's college career lasted from 1988 to 1991 at North Carolina State University.... 1 season: '95-'96 Tony Dawson Tony Dawson For the British actor see Anthony Dawson.Tony Dawson is a retired American professional basketball player. A 6'7" and 210 lb. small forward, he played college basketball at Gulf Coast Community College and Florida State University. He played a handful of NBA games during the 1990s... 2 seasons: '95-'97 Nate Fox Nate Fox Nate Fox is an American basketball player who plays for Okapi Aalstar in Belgium.Fox played college basketball in Maine Black Bears averaging 17.5 points and 7.5 rebounds in his senior year.... 5 seasons: '02-'03, '05-'08 Tom Garrick Tom Garrick Thomas S. Garrick is an American former professional basketball player who was selected by the Los Angeles Clippers in the 2nd round of the 1988 NBA Draft. He played guard in four NBA seasons, mainly for the Clippers... 2 seasons: '93-'95 Kevin Pritchard Kevin Pritchard Kevin Lee Pritchard is a retired American professional basketball player.- College career :Pritchard played college basketball for the University of Kansas, where he was the starting point guard on the Jayhawks team that defeated the Oklahoma Sooners for the 1988 NCAA Division I men's basketball... 1 season: '96-'97 Rahsaan Smith Rahsaan Smith Rahsaan Smith is a US-American professional basketball player. He is 2.08m in height and he weighs 106kg . He plays the Center position. His last team was Galgos de Tijuana of the Mexican League.-College career:... 1 season: '97-'98 Milton Wagner 1 season: '97-'98 Clinton Wheeler Clinton Wheeler Clinton Wheeler is a retired American professional basketball player. He was a 6'1" 185 lb point guard and played collegiately at Division III's William Paterson University... 4 seasons: '89-'93 |