2024 BNL season

2024 BNL season
LeagueBasketball National League
SportBasketball
DurationJune 22 – September 28, 2024 (group stage)
October 12–20, 2024 (final round)
Number of teams11
Season MVPSifiso Gininda (Marlins)
Playoffs
Finals championsKwaZulu Marlins (2nd title)
  Runners-upMpumalanga Rhinos
Seasons

The 2024 BNL season was the 11th season of the Basketball National League (BNL), the top-flight basketball league in South Africa. The season began on June 22, 2024, and ended with the last game of the finals series on October 20, 2024.

The Cape Town Tigers were the defending champions, but were unable to defend their title as they withdrew from the league.

The KwaZulu Marlins won their second championship, its first in 27 years, as they had won their first title in the Premier League of 1997.[1]

Team changes

[edit]

The league existed out of 11 teams. The BNL decided to enforce a promotion and relegation system and as such the last-ranked Eastern Cape Windbreakers were not part of the league this season, and MBB from Johannesburg joined the league. The defending champions Cape Town Tigers withdrew from the league, citing budgetary constraints.[2]

Group stage

[edit]

The schedule was announced on June 9, 2024.[3]

Group A

[edit]
Pos Team Pld W L GF GA GD Pts Qualification
1 Mpumalanga Rhinos 4 4 0 279 218 +61 8 Advance to semi-finals
2 Limpopo Pride 4 3 1 228 213 +15 7
3 MBB 4 2 2 235 237 −2 6 Advance to semi-finals
4 Soweto Panthers 4 1 3 217 251 −34 5
5 Free State Warriors 4 0 4 207 247 −40 4
6 Northwest Eagles 4 0 4 248 323 −75 4

Group B

[edit]

Multiple games in Group B were not played and technical defeats were given.

Pos Team Pld W L GF GA GD Pts Qualification
1 KwaZulu Marlins 5 5 0 399 309 +90 10 Advance to semi-finals
2 Western Cape Mountaineers 5 3 2 375 334 +41 8
3 Egoli Magic 3 2 1 178 174 +4 5
4 Tshwane Suns 5 2 3 345 360 −15 7 Advance to semi-finals
5 Northern Cape Zebras 4 1 3 243 288 −45 5

Playoffs

[edit]

The playoffs began with the semifinals on October 12 and 13, 2024, in Johannesburg.[4]

 
Semi-finalsFinal
 
          
 
 
 
 
Mpumalanga6766133
 
 
 
Tshwane Suns6842 110
 
Mpumalanga Rhinos5568123
 
 
 
KwaZulu Marlins8671 157
 
KwaZulu Marlins7874152
 
 
MBB5967 126
 

References

[edit]
  1. ^ @bnlsa (20 October 2024). "Kwa-Zulu Marlins are the 2024 Men's Champions! [...]" – via Instagram.
  2. ^ Basketball National League [@bnlsa] (14 June 2024). "We're thrilled to share the revised 2024 BNL fixture with you! Note that Cape Town Tigers are excluded, and EC Windbreakers have been relegated. Stay tuned for more updates and let the games begin!" – via Instagram.
  3. ^ Basketball National League [@bnlsa] (9 June 2024). "BNL Schedule 2024" – via Instagram.
  4. ^ "Stats – Basketball National League". Retrieved 14 October 2024.