A | B | C | D | E | F | G | H | CH | I | J | K | L | M | N | O | P | Q | R | S | T | U | V | W | X | Y | Z | 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9
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Sport | Basketball |
---|---|
Founded | 1921 |
No. of teams | 18 |
Countries | France (17 teams) Monaco (1 team) |
Confederation | FIBA Europe |
Most recent champion(s) | LDLC ASVEL (21st title) (2021–22) |
Most titles | ASVEL (21 titles) |
TV partner(s) | La Chaîne L'Equipe Sport en France Fanseat (select foreign markets)[1] NBA App[2] |
Relegation to | Pro B |
International cup(s) | EuroLeague EuroCup Champions League FIBA Europe Cup |
Official website | LNB Pro A |
The LNB Pro A, currently known for sponsorship reasons as Betclic Élite,[3] is the top-tier men's professional basketball league in France. The competition has existed since 1921. Since 1987, the Ligue Nationale de Basket has governed the league. The bottom two placed teams from each season are relegated to the second tier level Pro B. The winner of the play-offs of the Pro A is crowned the French national champion.
Competition format
All 16 Pro A League teams play each other twice during the regular season. At the end of the regular season, the top eight teams qualify for the playoffs. The two teams with the worst regular season records are relegated to the 2nd-tier Pro B.
Through the 1985–86 season, the league championship was determined by a one-off final, or solely by league play. Since then, the format for the league finals has changed many times:[4]
- 1987–1992: Best-of-3 series
- 1993: Best-of-5
- 1994: Best-of-3
- 1995–1996: Best-of-5
- 1997–2004: Best-of-3
- 2005–2012: Single match (at Palais Omnisports de Paris-Bercy in Paris)
- 2013–present: Best-of-5
- 2021 only: Single match due to COVID-19 issues[5]
From the 2003–04 season, through the 2006–07 season, the Pro A League had 18 teams. Through the wild-card system, it will have 18 teams again from 2014–15 season. From the 2023–24 season, the league will be reduced to 16 teams.[6]
Current teams
Team | City | Arena | Capacity |
---|---|---|---|
ADA Blois Basket 41 | Blois | Jeu de Paume | 2,525 |
AS Monaco Basket | Fontvieille, Monaco | Salle Gaston Médecin | 3,700 |
ASVEL Basket | Lyon - Villeurbanne | Astroballe | 5,556 |
BCM Gravelines-Dunkerque | Gravelines | Sportica | 3,043 |
Cholet Basket | Cholet | La Meilleraie | 5,191 |
Élan Béarnais Pau-Lacq-Orthez | Pau | Palais des Sports de Pau | 7,707 |
ESSM Le Portel | Le Portel | Chaudron | 3,500 |
Fos Provence Basket | Fos-sur-Mer | Complexe sportif Parsemain | 2,000 |
JDA Dijon Basket | Dijon | Palais des Sports Jean-Michel Geoffroy | 4,628 |
JL Bourg Basket | Bourg-en-Bresse | Ekinox | 3,548 |
Le Mans Sarthe Basket | Le Mans | Antarès | 6,023 |
Limoges CSP | Limoges | Beaublanc | 5,516 |
Metropolitans 92 | Levallois-Perret | Palais des Sports Marcel Cerdan | 3,051 |
Nanterre 92 | Nanterre | Palais des Sports | 3,000 |
Paris Basketball | Paris | Halle Georges Carpentier | 5,009 |
Roanne | Roanne | Halle André Vacheresse | 5,020 |
SIG Strasbourg | Strasbourg | Rhénus Sport | 6,200 |
SLUC Nancy Basket | Nancy | Jean Weille | 6,027 |
Arena rules
Currently, LNB Pro A clubs must play in arenas that seat at least 3,000 people.
French League history
- 1920–21 to 1948–49 Excellence
- 1949–50 to 1962–63 Nationale
- 1963–64 to 1964–65 Première Division
- 1965–66 to 1986–87 Nationale 1
- 1987–88 to 1991–92 Nationale 1A
- 1992–93 Nationale A1
- 1993–94 to 2017–18 Pro A
- 2017–18 to 2020–21 Jeep Élite (title sponsorship took effect in the later stages of the 2017–18 season)[7]
- 2021–22 to present: Betclic Elite[3]
Title holders
- 1920–21: Stade Français
- 1921–22: Lille
- 1922–23: École Normale Arras
- 1923–24: FAM
- 1924–25: FAM
- 1925–26: FAM
- 1926–27: Stade Français
- 1927–28: FAM
- 1928–29: FAM
- 1929–30: FAM
- 1930–31: FAM
- 1931–32: CAUFA Reims
- 1932–33: CAUFA Reims
- 1933–34: Olympique Lillois
- 1934–35: CAM
- 1935–36: SCPO
- 1936–37: CAM
- 1937–38: SCPO
- 1938–39: Métro
- 1939–41: Not held due to WWII
- 1941–42: Métro
- 1942–43: Grenoble
- 1943–44: Grenoble
- 1944–45: Championnet Sports
- 1945–46: ESSMG Lyon
- 1946–47: PUC
- 1947–48: Union athlétique de Marseille
- 1948–49: ASVEL
- 1949–50: ASVEL
- 1950–51: Racing Club de France
- 1951–52: ASVEL
- 1952–53: Racing Club de France
- 1953–54: Racing Club de France
- 1954–55: ASVEL
- 1955–56: ASVEL
- 1956–57: ASVEL
- 1957–58: Étoile Charleville-Mézières
- 1958–59: Chorale Mulsant
- 1959–60: Étoile Charleville-Mézières
- 1960–61: Alsace de Bagnolet
- 1961–62: Alsace de Bagnolet
- 1962–63: PUC
- 1963–64: ASVEL
- 1964–65: Denain Voltaire
- 1965–66: ASVEL
- 1966–67: Alsace de Bagnolet
- 1967–68: ASVEL
- 1968–69: ASVEL
- 1969–70: Olympique Antibes
- 1970–71: ASVEL
- 1971–72: ASVEL
- 1972–73: Berck
- 1973–74: Berck
- 1974–75: ASVEL
- 1975–76: ASPO Tours
- 1976–77: ASVEL
- 1977–78: Moderne
- 1978–79: Moderne
- 1979–80: ASPO Tours
- 1980–81: ASVEL
- 1981–82: Moderne
- 1982–83: Limoges CSP
- 1983–84: Limoges CSP
- 1984–85: Limoges CSP
- 1985–86: Orthez
- 1986–87: Orthez
- 1987–88: Limoges CSP
- 1988–89: Limoges CSP
- 1989–90: Limoges CSP
- 1990–91: Olympique Antibes
- 1991–92: Pau-Orthez
- 1992–93: Limoges CSP
- 1993–94: Limoges CSP
- 1994–95: Olympique Antibes
- 1995–96: Pau-Orthez
- 1996–97: PSG Racing
- 1997–98: Pau-Orthez
- 1998–99: Pau-Orthez
- 1999–00: Limoges CSP
- 2000–01: Pau-Orthez
- 2001–02: ASVEL
- 2002–03: Pau-Orthez
- 2003–04: Pau-Orthez
- 2004–05: SIG Strasbourg
- 2005–06: Le Mans Sarthe
- 2006–07: Chorale Roanne
- 2007–08: SLUC Nancy
- 2008–09: ASVEL
- 2009–10: Cholet
- 2010–11: SLUC Nancy
- 2011–12: Élan Chalon
- 2012–13: JSF Nanterre
- 2013–14: Limoges CSP
- 2014–15: Limoges CSP
- 2015–16: ASVEL
- 2016–17: Élan Chalon
- 2017–18: Le Mans Sarthe
- 2018–19: LDLC ASVEL
- 2019–20: No championship awarded (COVID-19)
- 2020–21: LDLC ASVEL
- 2021–22: LDLC ASVEL
Performance by club
Club | Champions | Winning years |
---|---|---|
ASVEL | 21 | 1949–50, 1950–51, 1951–52, 1954–55, 1955–56, 1956–57, 1963–64, 1965–66, 1967–68, 1968–69, 1970–71, 1971–72, 1974–75, 1976–77, 1980–81, 2001–02, 2008–09, 2015–16, 2018–19, 2020–21, 2021–22 |
Limoges CSP | 11 | 1982–83, 1983–84, 1984–85, 1987–88, 1988–89, 1989–90, 1992–93, 1993–94, 1999–00, 2013–14, 2014–15 |
Pau-Lacq-Orthez | 9 | 1985–86, 1986–87, 1991–92, 1995–96, 1997–98, 1998–99, 2000–01, 2002–03, 2003–04 |
FAM | 7 | 1923–24, 1924–25, 1925–26, 1927–28, 1928–29, 1929–30, 1930–31 |
Le Mans Sarthe | 5 | 1977–78, 1978–79, 1981–82, 2005–06, 2017–18 |
Racing Paris | 4 | 1950–51, 1952–53, 1953–54, 1996–97 |
Alsace de Bagnolet | 3 | 1960–61, 1961–62, 1966–67 |
Olympique Antibes | 3 | 1969–70, 1990–91, 1994–95 |
Stade Français | 2 | 1920–21, 1926–27 |
CAUFA Reims | 2 | 1931–32, 1932–33 |
CAM | 2 | 1934–35, 1936–37 |
SCPO | 2 | 1935–36, 1937–38 |
Métro | 2 | 1938–39, 1941–42 |
Grenoble | 2 | 1942–43, 1943–44 |
Étoile Charleville-Mézières | 2 | 1957–58, 1959–60 |
PUC | 2 | 1946–47, 1962–63 |
Berck | 2 | 1972–73, 1973–74 |
ASPO Tours | 2 | 1975–76, 1979–80 |
Chorale Roanne | 2 | 1958–59, 2006–07 |
SLUC Nancy | 2 | 2007–08, 2010–11 |
Élan Chalon | 2 | 2011–12, 2016–17 |
ICAM Lille | 1 | 1921–22 |
École Normale Arras | 1 | 1922–23 |
Olympique Lillois | 1 | 1933–34 |
Championnet Sports | 1 | 1944–45 |
ESSMG Lyon | 1 | 1945–46 |
Marseille | 1 | 1947–48 |
Denain Voltaire | 1 | 1964–65 |
SIG | 1 | 2004–05 |
Cholet | 1 | 2009–10 |
Nanterre 92 | 1 | 2012–13 |