Sheffield Sharks bring top-flight basketball and community spirit to the city

Sheffield has been home to professional basketball for more than three decades, and the Sheffield Sharks remain one of the best-known names in the British game.

The club began life in 1991 as the Sheffield Forgers, joining National Basketball League Division 2. In 1994 it was bought by the Chrysalis Group and renamed the Sheffield Sharks, joining the top-tier British Basketball League that same year. Since then the Sharks have collected league championships, play-off titles, cups and trophies.

One of the most memorable recent days came on 9 March 2025. At Nottingham Arena, the Sharks beat Surrey 89ers 105-97 to win the Super League Basketball Cup, bringing silverware to Sheffield for the first time in nine years. They followed that with a third-placed finish in the 2024-25 Super League Basketball season, winning 22 of 32 games and reaching the play-off semi-finals.

The 2025-26 season brought a fourth-placed finish and a run to the play-off quarter-finals, and head coach Atiba Lyons has now led the team into 2026-27. The new campaign started brightly, with the Sharks opening their home season with a win over the Gladiators, and Alihodzic and Ocherobia named as club captains for the year.

Home games are played at the Canon Medical Arena, which has a capacity of 2,500 and has been the club's base since 2023. The club's home court is known as the Tank, and the Sharks are back there on Sunday 8 November to face Cheshire Phoenix.

What makes the club special is its work away from the court. The Sharks run a Performance Pathway for young players, a Blended Learning Programme, the RESPECT and RESPECT TOO programmes and Alternative Provision support, using basketball to open doors for young people across the city. This autumn the club also launched a monthly club lottery to help support its future, giving fans another way to back their team.

For families looking for an affordable, fast-paced sporting night out, a Sharks game is hard to beat, and a chance to cheer on a club with real history.

Fixtures, tickets and details of the community programmes are on the Sheffield Sharks website.