Lebanese Basketball League

XXL Lebanese Basketball League (XXL FLB League)
Current season, competition or edition:
Current sports event 2017–18 Lebanese Basketball League season
Sport Basketball
Founded 1992 (new format)
CEO Akram halabi
No. of teams 10
Country  Lebanon
Continent FIBA Asia (Asia)
Most recent
champion(s)		 Homenetmen
Most titles Sporting Al Riyadi Beirut (14 titles)
TV partner(s) LBCI, TL
Official website FLBB.com

The Lebanese Basketball League or 'FLB League' or 'XXL Lebanese Basketball League' (formerly known as 'Pepsi Lebanese Basketball League') is the top-tier professional men's basketball league in Lebanon and one of the top leagues in Asia. It is organized annually as a national championship with playoffs and a national cup by the Lebanese Basketball Federation (FLB).

Currently the Men's Division A league is made up of ten teams and is called the XXL Lebanese Basketball League.

History

The initial Lebanese basketball league was formed in as early as the 1950s; however, it was stopped during the Lebanese Civil War. In 1992, the league was reformed into a fully professional format.

In 1997, Sporting Club (Al Riyadi) finished as Lebanese champions, allowing them to participate in the 1998 FIBA Asia Champions Cup . There, they finished 3rd place. On their return to Beirut, the Lebanese fans were on the streets to celebrate this achievement. That same year, Al Riyadi lost the Lebanese championship to their big rivals Sagesse Club (Hekmeh).

In 1998, Beirut hosted the Arab Club Championship. Hekmeh won, the first ever basketball trophy for Lebanon. The next day, all the schools were closed as a national holiday.

In 1999, Beirut hosted the Arab Club Championship again. Hekmeh repeated as champions.

Al Riyadi has its greatest success in the Arab Club Championship during the 2000s. They won the title in 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, and 2010. In 2009, they defeated their fellow Lebanese team Hekmeh in the final, the first time two Lebanese teams met in the final. The 2009 tournament was held in Beirut.

Overview

The league is known due to the success of the Lebanese teams in the Asian competitions such as the FIBA Asia Champions Cup, Arab Club Championship, and West Asian Basketball League. Many undrafted and free agent players from Europe and the NBA play in the Lebanese league.

The league is the first division in Lebanese basketball. The team that finishes last each season is relegated to the Second Division, while the Second Division's top four teams compete in a play-off system. The team that wins is promoted for the next season.

Competition

There are 10 teams in the league. They play a round-robin format; each team plays all other teams once home and once away. At the end of the regular season, the top eight teams enter the playoffs and play a best of 5 series in the quarterfinals. The winners of the quarterfinals advance to the best of seven series in the semifinals. The two teams that advance play a best of seven series in the final, and the winner is the league champion.

FLB League (Standings since 1993)

SeasonChampionRunner-up
1992–1993Al RiyadiKahraba Zouk Mikael
1993–1994SagesseKahraba Zouk Mikael
1994–1995Al RiyadiKahraba Zouk Mikael
1995–1996
League Cancelled
1996–1997Al RiyadiTadamon Zouk
1997–1998SagesseTadamon Zouk
1998–1999SagesseTadamon Zouk
1999–2000SagesseAntranik Beirut
2000–2001SagesseChampville
2001–2002SagesseChampville
2002–2003SagesseAl Riyadi
2003–2004SagesseAl Riyadi
2004–2005Al RiyadiSagesse
2005–2006Al RiyadiSagesse
2006–2007Al RiyadiBlue Stars
2007–2008Al RiyadiMouttahed
2008–2009Al RiyadiMouttahed
2009–2010Al RiyadiChampville
2010–2011Al RiyadiChampville
2011–2012ChampvilleAnibal
2012–2013
League Cancelled
2013–2014Al RiyadiSagesse
2014–2015Al RiyadiByblos Club
2015–2016Al RiyadiSagesse
2016–2017Al RiyadiHomenetmen
2017–2018HomenetmenAl Riyadi

Rivalries

The Big Rivalry

  • Al Riyadi vs Sagesse Club. It is the Biggest Rivalry in the league, a classical match up since 1994 between the two most successful teams in Lebanon and two of the most successful clubs in the Arab world and Asia, it is also known as the Derby of Beirut.

Other Rivalries

Statistics Leaders

Single Season, Individual (May Not Be Fully Accurate)

RecordNum.PlayerTeamSeason
Rebounds521[]Sporting Al Riyadi Beirut2010–11
Assists211Hekmeh BC2013–14
3-pointers114[[]]Hekmeh BC2015–16
Blocks65[[]]Hekmeh BC2013–14
Steals[1]

Division A Women

2017–18 teams:

Notable players

Notable coaches

Notable women players

  • Miramara Mokdad
  • Shada Nasr
  • Nayla Alameddine Jaroudi
  • Aida Bakhos
  • Nisrine Dandan
  • Rebecca Akl
  • Nathalie Sevadjian
  • Emma Eskedjian
  • Sandra Najm

Notable coaches of women teams

  • Elie Nasr
  • Tigran Nochkatdjian
  • Vicken Eskedjian
  • Nemanja Bjedov
  • Patrick Saba

See also

References

  1. ↑ "LBCI Lebanon - Lebanese Basketball League -احصاءات". www.lbcgroup.tv. Retrieved 2 April 2018.
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