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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 ProB, the third division of German basketball.

Based on the number of titles, Leverkusen is the most successful team in the history of German Basketball with a record-14 championships and 10 Cups. 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 as his assistant.

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.

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.

Dirk Bauermann guided Bayer to 7 straight titles

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. 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.

バイエル・ジャイアンツ・レバークーゼン(ドイツ語: Bayer Giants Leverkusen)は、ドイツのノルトライン=ヴェストファーレン州レバークーゼンを拠点とするプロバスケットボールチームである。ブンデスリーガで3度の優勝経験がある。

チームは1960年に創設され、1986年にブンデスリーガに初昇格した。1991年には初優勝を果たし、1992年と1993年も連覇を果たした。しかし、その後は優勝から遠ざかり、2008年に2部リーグに降格した。2010年に1部リーグに復帰したが、2013年に再び2部リーグに降格した。2016年に1部リーグに復帰し、2018年にはカップ戦で優勝した。

チームのホームアリーナは、5,000人収容のバイ・アレーナである。チームのメインカラーは、青と白である。

チームの主要なライバルは、アルバ・ベルリン、ブローゼ・バスケッツ、ラティオファーム・ウルムである。