It's one thing to beat the best, it's another thing to actually be the best. Season 18 is unquestionably the Philosopher Kings' most successful season in franchise history. Between Beanz Odyssey and the then reigning Naismith champion Genso Suikoden II, Season 18 featured some powerhouse Naismith teams, but it was the Philosopher Kings who were the undisputed top dog. The team was coming off back-to-back Canada Cup victories along with a semi-finals finish in the past season's BuzzerBeater's Best tournament. Expectations were sky high for the team heading into the season and they didn't disappoint. A lack of depth was the team's biggest weakness and it showed most prominently during league play as the Kings finished the season with a 17-5 record. Four of those five losses came as a result of the team benching star players in order to make sure those same players were fully rested for cup games. Speaking of the cup, the Philosopher Kings steamrolled their competition en route to their third straight Canada Cup, completing the threepeat. Their closest game came in the cup final where they defeated the Montreal 67s by seventeen points.
Success at the national level is great and all, but it was what the Philosopher Kings accomplished on the world stage that solidified Season 18 as the team's best ever. It's pretty safe to say that the ultimate goal for most general managers is to see their team win the BuzzerBeater's Best tournament. For most managers, that goal is nothing more than a pipe dream, but the Philosopher Kings had a real shot at making that dream a reality. The Kings cruised to a B3 best 8-0 record during round robin play and they were determined to do their best in the Final 32 elimination portion of play. After four more straight wins that included victories over a couple of franchises commonly regarded as two of the greatest ever in Lake Merritt Arrows and Thrylos BC, the Philosopher Kings were set to face the Chinese juggernaut Dionysus. It was far from the most highly anticipated B3 final in history, but it delivered what was arguably the most exciting game. With the lead changing hands multiple times and players from both teams performing like it was their last game ever, the Season 18 B3 Final was an intense one that came right down to the wire. As time ran down in the fourth quarter both teams had chances to pull away from the other, but neither team managed to hit that one big shot or make that one last stop. Regular time ended with the score tied; the game was heading to overtime. The overtime period got under way and it was apparent that the Philosopher Kings had expended all their energy in the previous four quarters. The players on Dionysus made use of what little gas they had left in the tank and managed to win the game by a final score of 112 - 105. The Philosopher Kings came up just short in the final game of their journey to the top, but they had good reason to keep their heads held high. This was a team that was one overtime away from achieving the gold trophy that signifies the world's best. Each player on the team walked away with a silver medal and they had nothing to be ashamed of. No fan of the Philosopher Kings will ever forget Season 18.