The 2018–19 Greek betshop.gr Basket League was the 79th season of the Greek Basket League, the top-tier level professional club basketball league in Greece. The season started on 7 October 2018, and ended on 15 June 2019. Panathinaikos OPAP won the Greek Basket League championship for a record 37th time, after beating Promitheas Patras 3–0 in the Finals.
The season infamously featured a major feud between traditional rivals Panathinaikos and Olympiacos over refereeing decisions in the 2019 Greek Cup semifinals game between the two teams,[1] which eventually culminated in Olympiacos also forfeiting their playoffs. Finally, Olympiacos withdrew from the championship.[2]
The first club that was promoted was Peristeri, which won its third A2 Basket League championship, after finishing with a 29–1 record, in the 2017–18 season.[5] The second team to be promoted was Holargos, as the winners of the promotion play-offs.[6] Holargos defeated Apollon Patras 3–0, in the finals of the play-offs.
^Panathinaikos OPAP did not receive a point for their forfeited loss to Kymi. As a punishment for forfeiting the game, Panathinaikos was deducted 6 points in the league standings.
^ abcdAris, Rethymno Cretan Kings, Panionios, and Kymi finished tied with 34 points. The tie breakers resulted with Aris in 9th place, Rethymno in 10th place, Panionios in 11th place, and Kymi in 12th place.
Qualification to the EuroLeague *Club qualified for EuroLeague by having a contract
NOTES:
Holargos was faced financial problems. The club's registered place in the top-tier Greek Basket League was purchased by Kolossos Rodou, which thus avoided being relegated.
Kymi was faced financial problems. The club's registered place in the top-tier Greek Basket League was purchased by Lavrio, which thus avoided being relegated.
Olympiacos was relegated on 22 May 2019, following a meeting of the Hellenic Basketball Clubs Association's Board of Directors.[2] This was due to the club refusing to play in its playoff series against Panathinaikos, which marked its third forfeited game of the season, and which resulted in an automatic relegation, per league rules. The league also stripped the team of all of its season wins, as a further punishment.[33]
^Olympiacos did not play against Panathinaikos in playoffs and will be relegated to the second division, and all results were voided by league officials."Olympiacos will forfeit the match against Panathinaikos". TalkBasket.net. 20 May 2019. Retrieved 21 May 2019.