The Basketball Bundesliga (BBL) is Germany's top professional basketball league. Every year, 18 teams compete for the German championship (Deutscher Meister). The top 8 teams at the end of the league stage qualify for the playoffs which are played in "Best of five" format. The winner of the playoffs wins the champinship of that season. The teams on place 17 and 18 are relegated to the 2. Liga, the next lower league.
Previous champions include: EWE Baskets Oldenburg, Alba Berlin, Brose Baskets, RheinEnergie Köln, GHP Bamberg, OPEL Skyliners Frankfurt, TSV Bayer 04 Leverkusen, BG Steiner Bayreuth, BSC Saturn Köln, ASC Göttingen, and others.