FIBA Americas League

FIBA Americas League
Founded 2007 (2007)
First season 2007–08
Number of teams 16
Level on pyramid 1
Relegation to Liga Sudamericana de Básquetbol
Current champions Argentina San Lorenzo (1st title)
Most championships Argentina Peñarol
Venezuela Guaros de Lara (2 titles)
CEO Usie Richards
TV partners DirecTV
Website www.fiba.basketball/ligamericas/2018
2018 FIBA Americas League

The FIBA Americas League (Portuguese: FIBA Liga das Américas, Spanish: FIBA Liga de las Américas), officially abbreviated as the LDA, is the first-tier level continental basketball club competition played annually by clubs of the Americas. It is organized by FIBA Americas. The first edition started on 4 December 2007.[1]

The winner of the Final Four, the culminating tournament of each season's FIBA Americas League, is crowned as the champion of all of the FIBA Americas zone region. The tournament's final is called the Grand Final. It is the first-tier and most important professional international club basketball competition in the regions of South America, Central America, the Caribbean, and Mexico.

In past years, the winner of each season's FIBA Americas tournament, played against the winner of each season's European top-tier level EuroLeague competition, at the FIBA Intercontinental Cup, in order to determine an official club world cup champion. Currently, the champions of the FIBA Americas League contest the FIBA Intercontinental Cup against the champions of the European third-tier level Champions League competition.

History

The Campeonato Sudamericano de Clubes (South American Club Championship), which was founded in 1946, was the first international competition that was played between basketball clubs from South America, and it was the first-tier and most important club competition in South America until 1995, when the new Liga Sudamericana de Básquetbol (South American League) supplanted it in importance from 1996 until 2007. With the emergence of the new FIBA Americas League in December 2007, the South American League became the second-tier international club championship in South America, beginning with the 2008 edition of the competition.

The FIBA Americas League was formed in 2007, as a professional intercontinental men's basketball club competition, under the organization of FIBA Americas, with the goal of creating a world-class top level multinational basketball league in the Americas region. The league was modeled after the EuroLeague, Europe's top-tier multinational club basketball league. The main reason for creating the league was the promotion and growth of the sport, and the increased level of competition that would come from the creation of a multinational super league in the FIBA Americas region.

Another one of the main goals in the creation of the league was to eventually revive the dormant FIBA Intercontinental Cup, so that clubs from the FIBA Americas region could once again directly compete against top EuroLeague teams in official games, and so that an official world cup championship could once again be contested. FIBA World decided to revive the FIBA Intercontinental Cup in 2013, deciding that the champions of the FIBA Americas League would play against the champions of the EuroLeague, to decide on the world club champion. It was then decided by FIBA World that the tournament would be played every year from then on for the foreseeable future.

Another goal in creating the league was to form a league system of teams that could form a partnership with the EuroLeague and NBA on playing friendly games during the preseason, in the same way that the EuroLeague and NBA teams were already playing against each other during the preseason. This was finally realized in the 2014–15 preseason, when teams from the FIBA Americas League played against teams from both the EuroLeague and the NBA.

Names of the top-tier level Latin American competition

Title holders of the top-tier level Latin American competition

Format

Under the original format, 16 participating clubs were divided in four groups, of four teams each. The top two clubs of each group qualified for the quarterfinals. The quarterfinals winners then played a four-team group stage, in a yet to be determined host city.[2]

Under the current format, the 16 participating clubs are divided in four groups, of four teams each. The top two clubs of each group qualify for the semifinals. The semifinals winners qualify to play at the FIBA Americas League Final 4, in a yet to be determined host city. The final four format was held for the first time in 2014. The last game of the tournament is called the Grand Final.

Final Fours and Grand Finals (2007–present)

Year Grand Final Final Four
Champion Score Second Place Third Place Fourth Place
2007–08
Details
Argentina
Peñarol
League stage Mexico
Soles de Mexicali
United States
Miami Tropics
Brazil
Minas
2008–09
Details
Brazil
Brasília
League stage Mexico
Halcones UV Xalapa
Uruguay
Biguá
Brazil
Minas
2009–10
Details
Argentina
Peñarol
League stage Venezuela
Espartanos de Margarita
Mexico
Halcones UV Xalapa
Argentina
Quimsa
2010–11
Details
Argentina
Regatas Corrientes
League stage Puerto Rico
Capitanes de Arecibo
Mexico
Halcones UV Xalapa
Mexico
Halcones Rojos
2012
Details
Mexico
Pioneros de Quintana Roo
League stage Argentina
La Unión
Argentina
Obras Sanitarias
Brazil
Brasília
2013
Details
Brazil
Pinheiros
League stage Argentina
Lanús
Puerto Rico
Capitanes de Arecibo
Brazil
Brasília
2014
Details
Brazil
Flamengo
85–78 Brazil
Pinheiros
Uruguay
Aguada
Mexico
Halcones UV Xalapa
2015
Details
Brazil
Bauru
86–72 Mexico
Pioneros de Quintana Roo
Brazil
Flamengo
Argentina
Peñarol
2016
Details
Venezuela
Guaros de Lara
84–79 Brazil
Bauru
Brazil
Mogi das Cruzes
Brazil
Flamengo
2017
Details
Venezuela
Guaros de Lara
88–65 Argentina
Weber Bahía Blanca
Puerto Rico
Leones de Ponce
Mexico
Fuerza Regia
2018
Details
Argentina
San Lorenzo
79–71 Brazil
Mogi das Cruzes
Argentina
Regatas Corrientes
Argentina
Estudiantes Concordia

Performances

By club

Team Winners Runners-Up Third Place Fourth Place
Argentina Peñarol2 (2007–08, 2009–10)001 (2015)
Venezuela Guaros de Lara2 (2016, 2017)000
Brazil Bauru1 (2015)1 (2016)00
Brazil Pinheiros1 (2013)1 (2014)00
Mexico Pioneros de Quintana Roo1 (2012)1 (2015)00
Brazil Flamengo1 (2014)01 (2015)1 (2016)
Argentina Regatas Corrientes1 (2010–11)01 (2018)0
Brazil Brasília1 (2008–09)002 (2012, 2013)
Argentina San Lorenzo de Almagro1 (2018)000
Mexico Halcones UV Xalapa01 (2008–09)2 (2009–10, 2010–11)1 (2014)
Puerto Rico Capitanes de Arecibo01 (2010–11)1 (2013)0
Brazil Mogi das Cruzes01 (2018)1 (2016)0
Mexico Soles de Mexicali01 (2007–08)00
Venezuela Espartanos de Margarita01 (2009–10)00
Argentina La Unión de Formosa01 (2012)00
Argentina Lanús01 (2013)00
Argentina Weber Bahía Blanca01 (2017)00
United States Miami Tropics001 (2007–08)0
Uruguay Biguá001 (2008–09)0
Argentina Obras Sanitarias001 (2012)0
Uruguay Aguada001 (2014)0
Puerto Rico Leones de Ponce001 (2017)0
Brazil Minas0002 (2007–08, 2008–09)
Argentina Quimsa0001 (2009–10)
Mexico Halcones Rojos0001 (2010–11)
Mexico Fuerza Regia0001 (2017)
Argentina Estudiantes Concordia0001 (2018)

By country

Nation Winners Runners-up Third Place Fourth Place
Brazil Brazil4325
Argentina Argentina4323
Venezuela Venezuela2100
Mexico Mexico1323
Puerto Rico Puerto Rico0120
Uruguay Uruguay0020
United States United States0010

FIBA Americas League awards

See also

References

  1. "FIBA Americas League - Clubs gear up for tip off". FIBA. Retrieved 2007-12-05.
  2. "Três clubes brasucas na Liga das Américas" (in Portuguese). Globo Esporte. Retrieved 2007-12-05.
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.