Bayer Giants Leverkusen

Bayer Giants Leverkusen is a professional basketball club, part of the TSV Bayer 04 Leverkusen sports club based in Leverkusen, Germany. It currently plays in ProA, the second division of German basketball.

Based on the number of titles, Bayer Leverkusen is the most successful team in the history of German Basketball with a record-14 championships and 10 Cups.^[1] In 2009, the Bayer company cut down sponsorship and the club went down to Germany's ProB (third division) to restructure. The license for the Basketball Bundesliga was transferred to the newly formed Giants Düsseldorf.

The team is currently coached by two of its legends: Hansi Gnad and Michael Koch.^[2]

History

Founded as TuS Bayer 04 Leverkusen in 1961, the club moved up to first division Basketball Bundesliga in 1968. The club won 5 national championships and 4 German 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.^[3]

The first success came in 1970 when TuS 04 won the double under coach Günter Hagedorn with more Trophies and participations in European competitions following during the 1970s. From 1970 until 1977 the club played in 5 Cup Finals winning four titles. In 1985 and 1986 Bayer won the German Championship again before establishing itself as a powerhouse in the 1990s with constant presence in the FIBA Euroleague after winning 7 championships in a row (1990–96) with coach Dirk Bauermann.

After the team lost three of its key players on a free transfer in the summer of 1996 (Michael Koch, Chris Welp and Henning Harnisch) Alba Berlin was the team that broke Bayer's dominance with the last success being the 2nd place in the league in 2000. The last participation in Europe's top competition was in the 2000-01 season when the club as German's runners-up played in the Suproleague.

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 football operations and amateur athletics. 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 4th Division Regionalliga to restructure. Thousands of club supporters gathered in the streets of Leverkusen to protest the company's move.^[4][5] Giants won the Regionalliga and promotion to the ProB in their first season.

In 2013, the club promoted to the ProA League, but it was relegated to the ProB two years later. In 2019 Bayer returned to the ProA, German basketball's second tier, but relegated in 2023. In the 2024/25 season, the Giants lost only one of their 34 games. The club ultimately won the ProB championship against the SBB Baskets. They subsequently moved up to the ProA.^[6]

Season by season

1. ^ Sold its place to Giants Düsseldorf.

Honours

• German Champions
  • Winners (14-record): 1970, 1971, 1972, 1976, 1979, 1985, 1986, 1990, 1991, 1992, 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996
  • Runners-up (6): 1977, 1980, 1987, 1988, 1989, 2000
• German Cup:
  • Winners (10): 1970, 1971, 1974, 1976, 1986, 1987, 1990, 1991, 1993, 1995
  • Runners-up (2): 1977, 1989
• ProA
  • Runners-up (1): 2021
• ProB
  • Winners (3-record): 2013, 2019, 2025
• 1. Regionalliga
  • Winners (1): 2009

European participations

The club has competed for 21 seasons in European competitions organized by FIBA Europe from 1970 until 2003.^[7]

• FIBA Euroleague/Suproleague : 11 times (1970–71, 1971–72, 1972–73, 1990–91, 1991–92, 1992–93, 1993–94, 1994–95, 1995–96, 1996–97, 2000–01)
• Cup Winners' Cup: 4 times (1974–75, 1987–88, 1989–90, 1997–98)
• Korac Cup: 5 times (1975–76, 1988–89, 1998–99, 1999–00, 2001–02)
• FIBA Regional Conference: 1 time (2002–03)

Players

Notable players

To appear in this section a player must have played at least two seasons for the club AND either:

– Set a club record or won an individual award as a professional player.
– Played at least one official international match for his senior national team at any time.

• Stephan Baeck 4 seasons: '83–'85, '90–'92
• Gunther Behnke 11 seasons: '81–'92
• John Ecker 12 seasons: '71–'83
• Hansi Gnad 4 seasons: '95–'97, '99–'01
• Demond Greene 3 seasons: '02–'05
• Henning Harnisch 8 seasons: '88–'96
• Steven Hutchinson 3 seasons: '99–'02
• Rudi Kleen 11 seasons: '70–'81
• Moritz Kleine-Brockhoff 6 seasons: '88–'94
• Michael Koch 5 seasons: '91–'96
• Dieter Kuprella 9 seasons: '68–'77
• Michael Pappert 4 seasons: '85–'89
• Jochen Pollex 3 seasons: '69–'72
• Sven Schultze 3 seasons: '02–'05
• Norbert Thimm 10 seasons: '69–'72,'74–'81
• Christian Welp 5 seasons: '91–'96
• Denis Wucherer 9 seasons: '92–'98, '02–'05
• Kristjan Kangur 2 seasons: '04–'06
• John Best 3 seasons: '00–'03
• Tony Dawson 2 seasons: '95–'97
• Nate Fox 5 seasons: '02–'03, '05–'08
• Tom Garrick 2 seasons: '93–'95
• Nick Hornsby 2 seasons: '18–'20
• Kannard Johnson 4 seasons: '89–'93
• J. J. Mann 2 seasons: '20–'22
• Clinton Wheeler 4 seasons: '89–'93

Head coaches

See also

• TSV Bayer 04 Leverkusen (handball)
• Bayer 04 Leverkusen (football)

References

1. ^ "Leverkusen, Bayer04: Bayer-Giants". Archived from the original on January 28, 2013.
2. ^ Koch returns, 20 October 2023
3. ^ "Leverkusen, Bayer04: Bayer-Giants". Archived from the original on January 28, 2013.
4. ^ "Leverkusen: Giants-Fants buhen Dezernenten aus". www.rp-online.de. Archived from the original on 9 September 2012. Retrieved 22 May 2022.
5. ^ "Rettet die Giants! - Fans wollen Giants behalten (RP, 13.02.08)". Archived from the original on 2014-12-30. Retrieved 2010-03-31.
6. ^ "Grenzenloser Jubel nach dem Meistertitel - Giants TSV Bayer 04 Leverkusen". 26 May 2025.
7. ^ German clubs in Europe - sathanasias

External links

• Team Homepage (in German)