Lebanese Basketball League

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XXL Lebanese Basketball League (XXL FLB League)
Current season, competition or edition:
Current sports event 2017–18 Lebanese Basketball League season
SportBasketball
Founded1992 (new format)
CEOAkram halabi
No. of teams10
Country Lebanon
ContinentFIBA Asia (Asia)
Most recent
champion(s)		Homenetmen
Most titlesSporting Al Riyadi Beirut (14 titles)
TV partner(s)LBCI, TL
Official websiteFLBB.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)

Season Champion Runner-up
1992–1993 Al Riyadi Kahraba Zouk Mikael
1993–1994 Sagesse Kahraba Zouk Mikael
1994–1995 Al Riyadi Kahraba Zouk Mikael
1995–1996
League Cancelled
1996–1997 Al Riyadi Tadamon Zouk
1997–1998 Sagesse Tadamon Zouk
1998–1999 Sagesse Tadamon Zouk
1999–2000 Sagesse Antranik Beirut
2000–2001 Sagesse Champville
2001–2002 Sagesse Champville
2002–2003 Sagesse Al Riyadi
2003–2004 Sagesse Al Riyadi
2004–2005 Al Riyadi Sagesse
2005–2006 Al Riyadi Sagesse
2006–2007 Al Riyadi Blue Stars
2007–2008 Al Riyadi Mouttahed
2008–2009 Al Riyadi Mouttahed
2009–2010 Al Riyadi Champville
2010–2011 Al Riyadi Champville
2011–2012 Champville Anibal
2012–2013
League Cancelled
2013–2014 Al Riyadi Sagesse
2014–2015 Al Riyadi Byblos Club
2015–2016 Al Riyadi Sagesse
2016–2017 Al Riyadi Homenetmen
2017–2018 Homenetmen Al 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

Team City, Region Arena Head Coach
Current Teams
Champville SC Dik El Mehdi Champville Basketball Arena Lebanon Ghassan Sarkis
Sporting Al Riyadi Beirut Beirut Saeb Salam Arena Lebanon Ahmad Farran
Sagesse Club Ghazir Ghazir Club Court Lebanon Fouad Abou Chacra
Universite Antonines Baabda Antonieh Court Lebanon Ralf Sarkis
Byblos Club Byblos Michel Sleiman Sports Complex Serbia Nenad Vučinić
Al Mouttahed Tripoli Tripoli Al-Safadi Sports Center Bosnia and Herzegovina Alan Abaz
Tadamon Zouk Zouk Mikael Nouhad Nawfal Arena Lebanon Elie Sfeir
Homenetmen Beirut Mezher Adom and Sella Tenjoukian Arena Lebanon Joe Moujaes
Louaize Club Zouk Mosbeh Fouad Chehab Sports Complex Lebanon Marwan Khalil
Beirut Club Beirut Chiyah Forum Sports Court Lebanon Patrick Saba

Single Season, Individual (May Not Be Fully Accurate)

Record Num. Player Team Season
Rebounds 521 [] Sporting Al Riyadi Beirut 2010–11
Assists 211 Hekmeh BC 2013–14
3-pointers 114 [[]] Hekmeh BC 2015–16
Blocks 65 [[]] Hekmeh BC 2013–14
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.

External links

Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Lebanese_Basketball_League&oldid=863794879"