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ZZ Leiden Basketball, also known as Zorg en Zekerheid Leiden, is a professional basketball club based in Leiden, Netherlands. The club plays in the BNXT League, the domestic first tier league. Their home games are played at Sportcomplex 1574.[1]

Quick Facts Leagues, Founded ...
ZZ Leiden
ZZ Leiden logo
LeaguesBNXT League
Founded23 September 1958; 66 years ago (1958-09-23)
History
List
  • BS Leiden
    (1958–1967)
    Mercasol Leiden
    (1967-1977)
    Parker Leiden
    (1977–1983)
    Elmex Leiden
    (1983–1986)
    Zorg en Zekerheid Leiden
    (2006–present)
ArenaSportcomplex 1574
Capacity2,435
LocationLeiden, Netherlands
Team colorsBlue, Navy, White, Green
       
Main sponsorZorg en Zekerheid
PresidentMarcel Verburg
Team managerRob van Hooven
Head coachDoug Spradley
2022–23 positionBNXT, 1st of 20 (champions)
Championships2 BNXT League
6 Dutch Championships
4 Dutch Cups
4 Dutch Supercups
Retired numbers1 (6)
Websitewww.eredivisiebasketballleiden.nl
Europe jersey
Team colours
Europe
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ZZ Leiden has won the national championship five times, the NBB Cup four times, the Dutch Supercup a record four times and the BNXT championship twice in a row. Leiden was a European Club Winner's Cup semi-finalist in 1980. They also made the semi-finals of the FIBA Europe Cup in 2022.

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History

The old Leiden team (1958–1986)

Thumb
Tony Parker, Sr. (right) going up against René Ridderhof (left), while playing for Parker Leiden in 1980. In the background: Mitchell 'Mitch' Plaat (#7).

On September 23, 1958, the club was founded as Bona Stars by Ton Kallenberg, a physical education professor at a school in Leiden. In 1967 the club entered the eredivisie, the highest professional basketball league in the Netherlands under the name BS Leiden.

When Parker became the main sponsor of the club in 1977 Leiden won its first national championship (1977/1978). During this era the team finished five times as runners-up in the league. In 1979/1980 Leiden reached the semi-finals of the European Club Winner's Cup (later: Saporta Cup, ULEB Cup or EuroCup), their best European result up till now. In 1986, Leiden was forced to leave the eredivisie, due to the absence of a main sponsor. The team played five years in the Promotiedivisie, the highest non-professional league, before pulling out of the Dutch basketball pyramid.

The Rise of ZZ (2006–2010)

On February 16, 2006, it was announced that Leiden would return at the highest stage in the Netherlands.[2] The team got a new main sponsor in Zorg en Zekerheid and would play its games in the Vijf Meihal.

After being quarter- and semifinalist in a few seasons, Leiden returned to the top of the Netherlands in 2010. Leading players of the ZZ team were Danny Gibson, who was named the DBL Most Valuable Player Award in 2009–10, and Seamus Boxley. The club won its first NBB Cup, by beating ABC Amsterdam in the championship game. In the Semi-final, heavy favorites Groningen were defeated. In the Playoffs Semi-finals, ZZ once again faced Groningen. The team put up a fight against the top seed, but eventually fell short 3–2.

Back at the top of Dutch basketball (2010–present)

In the 2010–11 season, ZZ Leiden came back on top of the Dutch basketball world as best club. In the regular season, the team finished first. The second DBL title was eventually won, after beating Groningen 4–3 in the Finals. The deciding game 7 turned out to be historic, including three overtimes, which ended in 96–95.[3]

The following year the team its second NBB Cup, but was defeated in the Finals of the DBL. ZZ Leiden also reached the Round of 16 in the EuroChallenge 2011-12 after their second place in the first group stage this season. In 2013 the team got its third national championship, by going undefeated in the play-offs and beating Aris Leeuwarden in the Finals.

The 2013–14 was a struggling one for Leiden. The team ended on the 4th place in the regular season and lost in the Semifinals to Groningen. After the end of the season, Leiden decided to part ways with head coach Toon van Helfteren.[4] Van Helfteren eventually won six trophies with Leiden.

Main sponsor Zorg en Zekerheid extended their contract with 3 years in the 2014 offseason,[5] and a new head coach was signed in Eddy Casteels.[6] In the 2014–15 season, Leiden finished 2nd in the regular season, but once again was eliminated by Groningen in the Semi-finals.

In 2019, Leiden won the NBB Cup after defeating Landstede Zwolle 87–69 in the final.[7]

On 17 May 2020, Leiden signed Geert Hammink as its new head coach for the 2020–21 season.[8] Leiden went on to capture its fourth DBL championship.[9] Star players of the team were league MVP Emmanuel Nzekwesi and Playoffs MVP Worthy de Jong.

Since the 2021–22 season, Leiden plays in the BNXT League, in which the national leagues of Belgium and the Netherlands have been merged.[10] On 11 June 2022, Leiden won the inaugural BNXT championship.[11] De Jong was named the league's Finals MVP and retired from professional basketball after. Leiden also had its best performance in Europe ever, reaching the semifinals of the 2021–22 FIBA Europe Cup.

After the successful season, coach Hammink signed with Skyliners Frankfurt;[12] star player Worthy de Jong retired from professional basketball. In July 2022, Roberts Štelmahers was acquired as the club's new head coach.[13] However, Stelmahers later signed another contract with Nymburk in the Czech Republic, causing Leiden to seek a replacement.[14] On August 15, Leiden signed Doug Spradley as new head coach to a one-year contract.[15]

On 12 March 2023, ZZ Leiden won their fourth-ever Cup title after beating Landstede Hammers 72–70 in the Landstede Sportcentrum.[16] On 29 May 2023, they won their fifth national title following a Game 5 win over Donar, despite trailing by 16 points 2:40 before the ending of the game. Thomas Rutherford scored two game-winning free throws to seal the championship. The win meant that Leiden won its first national double (both the league and cup titles) in club history.[17]

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Arenas

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Panorama view of the Vijf Meihal

From its re-inception in 2006 to 2023, Leiden used the Vijf Meihal as its home arena. The arena, which is also used for gymnastics of high school students, is nicknamed De Schuur (The Barn) by ZZ Leiden fans.

Move to Sportcomplex 1574

The municipality of Leiden replaced the Vijf Meihal with the newly built Sportcomplex 1574, which was announced to have a capacity of 2,435 people.[18] The new name was later announced to be Sportcomplex 1574, named after the year of the Siege of Leiden after which the city was liberated from Spanish rule.[19] Construction of the €24 million arena began in 2021 and finished in 2023.[20][21] The sporting hall was named the "Aad van der Luit Topsporthal". The decision by the municipality of Leiden to build was heavily criticized by ZZ Leiden as the number of seats is below FIBA's minimum of 3,000 seats for international games. In its first season, ZZ Leiden was forced to withdraw from the Basketball Champions League because of the size of the Sportcomplex 1574.[22] On 15 October 2023, the inaugural basketball game was played at the arena when Leiden played BCM Gravelines-Dunkerque in the FIBA Europe Cup.[23]

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Logos and names

  • Parker Leiden (1977–1983)
  • Elmex Leiden (1983–1986)
  • Zorg en Zekerheid Leiden (2006–present)

Club records

The list only includes records since ZZ Leiden was established in 2006. Bold denotes still active with team. As of the end of the 2019–20 season:

More information Most points scored, Player ...
Most points scored
Player Points
Worthy de Jong5,686
Mohamed Kherrazi2,538
Seamus Boxley2,429
Arvin Slagter1,407
Clayton Vette1,377
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More information Most rebounds, Player ...
Most rebounds
Player Rebounds
Worthy de Jong2,231
Mohamed Kherrazi1,940
Seamus Boxley1,064
Johan Kuijper775
David Chiotti751
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More information Most assists, Player ...
Most assists
Player Assists
Worthy de Jong1,247
Mohamed Kherrazi684
Arvin Slagter540
Rogier Jansen491
J.S. Nash445
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Players

Current roster

Note: Flags indicate national team eligibility at FIBA-sanctioned events. Players may hold other non-FIBA nationalities not displayed.

More information Players, Coaches ...
ZZ Leiden roster
PlayersCoaches
Pos.No.Nat.NameHt.Age
G 0 United States Cook, Aaron 1.88 m (6 ft 2 in) 26 – (1997-12-28)28 December 1997
G 1 Netherlands Melfor, Savior 1.92 m (6 ft 4 in) 19 – (2005-02-12)12 February 2005
G 2 Netherlands Maconda, José Dimitri 1.88 m (6 ft 2 in) 23 – (2001-11-28)28 November 2001
G 4 Netherlands Davis, Jordan 1.91 m (6 ft 3 in) 26 – (1998-12-13)13 December 1998
G 8 Canada Lall, T.J. 1.98 m (6 ft 6 in) 28 – (1996-10-27)27 October 1996
F 9 Netherlands Van den Elzen, Stan 1.96 m (6 ft 5 in) 24 – (2000-05-27)27 May 2000
PF 10 Netherlands Schaftenaar, Roeland 2.11 m (6 ft 11 in) 36 – (1988-07-29)29 July 1988
F 11 Netherlands Bos, Duko 1.95 m (6 ft 5 in) 22 – (2002-08-05)5 August 2002
F 12 Netherlands Sicking, Jibbe 2.05 m (6 ft 9 in) 19 – (2004-12-25)25 December 2004
PF 13 Netherlands Huurman, Sam 2.05 m (6 ft 9 in) 23 – (2001-05-11)11 May 2001
F 17 Netherlands Kruithof, Lucas 2.01 m (6 ft 7 in) 24 – (2000-07-17)17 July 2000
G 21 Netherlands van Zeil, Loek 1.85 m (6 ft 1 in) 18 – (2006-02-09)9 February 2006
C 22 United States Cartier, Patrick 2.04 m (6 ft 8 in) 24 – (2000-01-01)1 January 2000
F 24 Netherlands Ngouateu, Wamba 1.98 m (6 ft 6 in) 18 – (2006-01-10)10 January 2006
C 55 United States Greene, Brad 2.12 m (6 ft 11 in) 26 – (1998-05-20)20 May 1998
Head coach
Assistant coach(es)
  • Netherlands Jan Stalman
  • Netherlands Michael Meskers

Legend
  • (C) Team captain
  • Injured Injured

Updated: November 3, 2024
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Retired numbers

More information N°, Player ...
ZZ Leiden retired numbers
Player Position Tenure Ceremony date
6Worthy de JongSG2010–2016, 2017–2022October 22, 2022[24]
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Notable players

Note: Flags indicate national team eligibility at FIBA-sanctioned events. Players may hold other non-FIBA nationalities not displayed.

More information Criteria ...
Criteria

To appear in this section a player must have either:

  • Set a club record or won an individual award while at the club
  • Played at least one official international match for their national team at any time
  • Played at least one official NBA match at any time.
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Individual awards

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Trophies

National competitions

Regional competitions

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Season by season

More information Season, Tier ...
Season Tier League Pos. Cup Supercup BNXT League European competitions
1967–68 1 Eredivisie 6th
1968–69 1 Eredivisie 8th
1969–70 1 Eredivisie 5th
1970–71 1 Eredivisie 3rd
1971–72 1 Eredivisie 8th
1972–73 1 Eredivisie 6th
1973–74 1 Eredivisie 7th
1974–75 1 Eredivisie 5th
1975–76 1 Eredivisie 10th
1976–77 1 Eredivisie 10th
1977–78 1 Eredivisie 1st
1978–79 1 Eredivisie 2nd 1 Champions Cup
1979–80 1 Eredivisie 2nd 2 Saporta Cup
1980–81 1 Eredivisie 2nd 2 Saporta Cup
1981–82 1 Eredivisie 3rd 2 Saporta Cup
1982–83 1 Eredivisie 3rd 3 Korac Cup
1983–84 1 Eredivisie 2nd
1984–85 1 Eredivisie
2nd
1985–86 1 Eredivisie 4th
1986–91 Five seasons in Promotiedivisie
1991–06 Inactivity
2006–07 1 Eredivisie 8th Quarterfinalist
2007–08 1 Eredivisie 9th
2008–09 1 Eredivisie 8th
2009–10 1 Eredivisie 3rd Champion
2010–11 1 DBL 1st Champion 3 EuroChallenge
2011–12 1 DBL 2nd Fourth round Champion 3 EuroChallenge
2012–13 1 DBL
1st
Semifinalist Champion
2013–14 1 DBL
4th
Runner-up Runner-up 3 EuroChallenge
2014–15 1 DBL
3rd
Semifinalist Runner–up
2015–16 1 DBL
3rd
Runner-up 3 FIBA Europe Cup
2016–17 1 DBL
3rd
Quarterfinalist
2017–18 1 DBL 2nd Runners-up
2018–19 1 DBL 3rd Champions Runner-up 4 FIBA Europe Cup
2019–20 1 DBL 5th[a] Quarterfinals Runner-up 4 FIBA Europe Cup
2020–21 1 DBL 1st Quarterfinals
2021–22 1 BNXT 3rd Semifinalist Champion 3 Champions League
4 FIBA Europe Cup
2022–23 1 BNXT Winner
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  1. The 2019–20 season was curtailed due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
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International record

ZZ Leiden made its debut in the European stage in 1978 when it entered the European Champions Cup. In 1982, Leiden played in the FIBA Intercontinental Cup, qualifying as hosts of the competition.

More information Competition, GP ...
Record
Competition GP W D L %
1 FIBA Champions Cup / EuroLeague651.833
2 FIBA Saporta Cup / ULEB Cup / Eurocup281612.571
3 Basketball Champions League / Korac Cup / EuroChallenge321022.313
4 FIBA Europe Cup (since 2016/2017)462323.500
Total1125458.482
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Key

  • (N) = Neutral venue
More information Season, Competition ...
Season Competition Round Club Home Away Advanced
1978–79 European Champions Cup England Crystal Palace Chevrons 125–89 88–96
Spain Joventut Badalona 101–89 97–82
Sweden Södertälje 115–86 76–77
1979–80 European Cup Winners′ Cup France Caen 106–77 81–92
Greece Panathinaikos 95–86 88–86
Italy Gabetti Cantù 112–108 100–86
Italy Emerson Varese 87–89 95–87
1980–81 European Cup Winners′ Cup Israel Hapoel Ramat-Gan 92–87 97–96
Belgium Verviers-Pepinster 93–73 70–83
Italy Turisanda Varese 85-84 92–74
Spain FC Barcelona 76-97 105-90
Turkey Efes Pilsen 91-72 86-90
1981–82 European Cup Winners′ Cup Luxembourg Soleuvre 107–50 57–94
Greece AEK Athens 102–67 78–89
Soviet Union Stroitel Kyiv 69-72 74–76
Czech Republic Inter Slovnaft Brastislava 86-83 83-96
Spain Real Madrid 90-98 97-90
1982 FIBA Intercontinental Cup RS Argentina Ferro Carril Oeste 68–81 6th (of 6)
Italy Cantù 75–92
Netherlands EBBC Den Bosch 64–71
United States Air Force Falcons 95–86
Israel Maccabi Tel Aviv 79–92
1982–83 Korać Cup Greece Olympiacos 92–69 71-70
France Tours 68–67 84-80
2010–11 EuroChallenge Turkey Karşıyaka 65–87 77–63
2011–12 EuroChallenge Turkey Beşiktaş Milangaz 58–86 76–69
Georgia (country) Mgzavrebi-Armia Tbilisi 76–59 74–71
Germany Göttingen 80–71 71–80
Latvia Ventspils 57–60 69–73
Germany EWE Baskets Oldenburg 76–71 85–62
France Chorale Roanne 63–68 91–56
2013–14 EuroChallenge Finland Kataja 72–58 77–63
Denmark Bakken Bears 61–62 79–81
France Cholet 67–76 74–52
2015–16 EuroChallenge Germany Skyliners Frankfurt 51–76 63–58
Slovenia Krka 78–86 79–51
Portugal FC Porto 77–51 62–70
2018–19 FIBA Europe Cup
QR1
Austria Kapfenberg Bulls 68–57 62–79
RS Germany s.Oliver Würzburg 65–75 87–61
Turkey Sakarya Büyükşehir 99–97 56–59
Romania Oradea 90–76 72–76
R2 Finland Kataja 87–72 92–80
Russia Avtodor Saratov 72–97 105–81
Denmark Bakken Bears 89–85 111–71
R16
Italy Dinamo Sassari 93–97 94–68
2019–20 FIBA Europe Cup
QR1
Bulgaria Beroe 108–86 86–71
RS Portugal Benfica 84–68 103–99
Slovakia Inter Bratislava 80–67 79–88
Hungary Pécsi VSK-Veolia 105–100 87–77
R2 Turkey Pınar Karşıyaka 65–105 112–67
Turkey Bahçeşehir Koleji 87–89 93–71
Russia Enisey 89–83 96–84
2021–22 Champions League
QR1
Belgium Belfius Mons-Hainaut 76–74 (N)
QR2
Belarus Tsmoki-Minsk 67–69 (N)
FIBA Europe Cup
RS
Greece Iraklis Saloniki 71–63 83–92
Montenegro Mornar Bar 78–73 87–74
Turkey Bahçeşehir Koleji 69–79 84–61
R2
Germany Medi Bayreuth 98–93 84–89
Russia Parma Perm Parimatch 79–75 88–91
Poland Legia Warsaw 78–90 59–77
QF
Germany Hakro Merlins Crailsheim 85–77 71–68
SF
Turkey Bahçeşehir Koleji 71–77 90–82
2022–23 FIBA Europe Cup QR1 Poland Czarni Słupsk 78–74 (N)
QR2 France Cholet 59–71 (N)
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List of head coaches

Thumb
Club symbol Toon van Helfteren played for and coached the team
More information Coach, From ...
Coach From To Honours
Netherlands Henry Blom19751981
Netherlands Ton Boot1981
Netherlands Theo Kinsbergen1982
Netherlands Ruud Harrewijn19831986
Netherlands Ivo Boom20062008
Netherlands Toon van Helfteren200820142 Dutch Basketball Leagues, 2 NBB Cups, 2 Dutch Supercups
Belgium Eddy Casteels20142016
Belgium Paul Vervaeck20162018
Netherlands Rolf Franke201820201 Dutch Cup
Netherlands Geert Hammink202020221 BNXT League, 1 Supercup DBL,1 Dutch Basketball League
United States Germany Doug Spradley 2022 present 1 Dutch Cup
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References

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