List of basketball leagues
This is a list of current and defunct basketball leagues around the world.
Men
Intercontinental
Africa
International leagues
- BAL – Basketball Africa League
National leagues
- ABC Super Division – Algerian Basketball Championship Super Division
- ABL – Angolan Basketball League – first tier
- ABC – Angola Second Division Basketball Championship – second tier
- NPL – Nigerian Premier League
Americas
International leagues
National leagues
- LNB – Liga Nacional de Básquet – first tier
- TNA – Torneo Nacional de Ascenso – second tier
- CBB – Campeonato Brasileiro de Basquete – first tier
- NBB – Novo Basquete Brasil – first tier
- Liga Ouro de Basquete (Brazil) – second tier
- LDB – Liga de Desenvolvimento de Basquete (Under-22 League) – third tier
- NBA – National Basketball Association (Toronto Raptors)
- NBA G League (Raptors 905)
- CEBL – Canadian Elite Basketball League
- BSL-Basketball Super League (North America)
- LBSCR – Liga de Baloncesto Superior de Costa Rica
- LNBP – Liga Nacional de Baloncesto Profesional – first tier
- CIBACOPA – Circuito de Baloncesto de la Costa del Pacífico – second tier
- NBA G League – first tier Minor League
- ACB League
- LNB – Liga Nicaragüense de Baloncesto (2018–present)
- LPB – Liga Profesional de Baloncesto (2015–present)
- LBL – Liga de Basket de Lima
- LNB – Liga Nacional de Basketball
- NBA – National Basketball Association
- ABA – American Basketball Association
- ECBL – East Coast Basketball League
- FBA – Florida Basketball Association
- MBL – Maximum Basketball League
- SBL - Southern Basketball League
- NABL – North American Basketball League
- NNBA – New Nation Basketball Association
- PBL – Premier Basketball League
- TBL – The Basketball League
- UBA – Universal Basketball Association
- UBL – United Basketball League
College and university basketball
- OUA – Wilson Cup
- U Sports – W. P. McGee Trophy
- ACCA – Association of Christian College Athletics
- Bible College NIT
- CCCAA – California Community College Athletic Association
- NAIA Division I – NAIA Men's Division I Basketball Championship
- NAIA Division II – NAIA Men's Division II Basketball Championship
- NCAA Division I – NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Championship
- NCAA Division II – NCAA Men's Division II Basketball Championship
- NCAA Division III – NCAA Men's Division III Basketball Championship
- NCAA Division II – NCAA Men's Division II Basketball Championship
- NCCAA – List of NCCAA men's basketball champions
- NIT – National Invitation Tournament
- NJCAA Division I – NJCAA Men's Division I Basketball Championship
- NJCAA Division II – NJCAA Men's Division II Basketball Championship
- NJCAA Division III – NJCAA Men's Division III Basketball Championship
- NJCAA Division II – NJCAA Men's Division II Basketball Championship
- NWAC – Northwest Athletic Conference
- USCAA – United States Collegiate Athletic Association
Youth leagues
Asia
International leagues
National leagues
- BPL – Bahraini Premier League
- CBA – Chinese Basketball Association – first tier
- NBL – National Basketball League – second tier
- CUBA – Chinese University Basketball Association – third tier
- CHBL – China High School Basketball League – fourth tier
- CUBA – Chinese University Basketball Association – third tier
- NBL – National Basketball League – second tier
- INBC – Indian National Basketball Championship for Men
- INBL - Indian National Basketball League
- EPBL – Elite Pro Basketball League
- KBC – Kazakhstan Basketball Championship – first tier
- KBC – Kazakhstan Basketball Cup – second tier
- B.League – first tier since 2016–17
- B.League Division Two – second tier
- B.League Division Three – third tier
- AJIBC - All Japan Intercollegiate Basketball Championship – fourth tier
- B.League Division Three – third tier
- B.League Division Two – second tier
- JPBL – Jordanian Premier Basketball League - first tier
- First Division - second tier
- FLB League – Lebanese Basketball League
- OBL – Oman Basketball League
Philippines (Philippine basketball is not divided into a tier-like league system)
The Games and Amusements Board (GAB) issues professional licenses for players playing in professional leagues. GAB had instructed amateur leagues that are paying its players to be under its belt. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, this hasn't been applied as the GAB has only allowed professional leagues (of any sport) to operate.
- Professional leagues
- Amateur leagues:
- PBA Developmental League
- Community Basketball Association
- Metro League
- College basketball (many college leagues also offer high school basketball tournaments):
- CESAFI – Cebu Schools Athletic Foundation, Inc.
- COSAA – Cagayan de Oro Schools Athletics Association
- CUSA – Colleges and Universities Sports Association
- ISSA – Iloilo Schools Sports Association
- LCUAA – Laguna Colleges and Universities Athletic Association
- MNCAA – Men's National Collegiate Athletic Association
- NAASCU – National Athletic Association of Schools, Colleges and Universities
- NCAA – National Collegiate Athletic Association Basketball Championship
- NCAA South – National Collegiate Athletic Association – South
- NCRAA – National Capital Region Athletic Association
- PCCL – Philippine Collegiate Championship League
- SCUAA – State Colleges and Universities Athletic Association
- UAAP – University Athletic Association of the Philippines Basketball Championship
- UCAA – Universities and Colleges Athletic Association
- UCBL – Universities and Colleges Basketball League
- UCCL – United Calabarzon Collegiate League
- UCLAA – United Central Luzon Athletic Association
- High school basketball:
- PSSBC – Philippine Secondary Schools Basketball Championship
- PRISSAA – Private Secondary Schools Athletics Association
- QBL – Qatari Basketball League
- SPL – Saudi Premier League
- Pro-Am SBL - Pro-Am Singapore Basketball League
- Merlion Cup
- KBL – Korean Basketball League – first tier
- KBL R–League – KBL Reserve League – second tier
- KUBL – Korea University Basketball League – third tier
- KBL R–League – KBL Reserve League – second tier
- SBL – Syrian Basketball League
- PLG – P. League+ – first tier (professional)
- T1 – T1 League – first tier (professional)
- SBL – Super Basketball League – second tier (semi-professional)
- A League – third tier (amateur)
- UBA – University Basketball Alliance – fourth tier
- HBL – High School Basketball League – fifth tier
- UBA – University Basketball Alliance – fourth tier
- A League – third tier (amateur)
- SBL – Super Basketball League – second tier (semi-professional)
College and university basketball
- LIMA – Liga Mahasiswa
Philippines (many college leagues also offer high school basketball tournaments):
- CESAFI – Cebu Schools Athletic Foundation, Inc.
- COSAA – Cagayan de Oro Schools Athletics Association
- CUSA – Colleges and Universities Sports Association
- ISSA – Iloilo Schools Sports Association
- LCUAA – Laguna Colleges and Universities Athletic Association
- MNCAA – Men's National Collegiate Athletic Association
- NAASCU – National Athletic Association of Schools, Colleges and Universities
- NCAA – National Collegiate Athletic Association Basketball Championship
- NCAA South – National Collegiate Athletic Association – South
- NCRAA – National Capital Region Athletic Association
- PCCL – Philippine Collegiate Championship League
- SCUAA – State Colleges and Universities Athletic Association
- UAAP – University Athletic Association of the Philippines Basketball Championship
- UCAA – Universities and Colleges Athletic Association
- UCBL – Universities and Colleges Basketball League
- UCCL – United Calabarzon Collegiate League
- UCLAA – United Central Luzon Athletic Association
- UBA – University Basketball Alliance
Youth leagues
- CHBL – China High School Basketball League
- PSSBC – Philippine Secondary Schools Basketball Championship
- PRISSAA – Private Secondary Schools Athletics Association
- HBL – High School Basketball League
Europe
International leagues
Continental Leagues
Clubs participate pan-European leagues in two ways. Larger clubs play in Euroleague Basketball's system, with several of them having long-term licenses and others having annual licenses (irrespective of domestic league results), akin to the franchise model in North American sports. The Basketball Champions League (BCL) is the other way clubs participate, which is mostly based on sporting merit. A club usually opts to play in the EuroLeague instead of the BCL if it's eligible for both.
- BCL – Basketball Champions League – organized by FIBA Europe
- FIBA Europe Cup – organized by FIBA Europe
- EuroLeague – organized by Euroleague Basketball
- EuroCup – organized by Euroleague Basketball
Subregional leagues
- AAC – Alpe Adria Cup – featuring teams from Austria, Croatia, Czechia (Czech Republic), Hungary, Poland, Romania, Slovakia and Slovenia
- ABA League (also known as the Adriatic League) – first tier league featuring teams from Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Serbia and Slovenia
- ABA League Second Division – second tier
- BIBL – Balkan International Basketball League – featuring teams from Albania, Bulgaria, Israel, Kosovo, Montenegro and North Macedonia
- VTB–League – VTB United League – featuring teams from Belarus, Kazakhstan, and Russia
National leagues
- ABSL – Albanian Basketball Superliga – first tier
- ABFD – Albanian Basketball First Division – second tier
- BNXT League – first tier in both countries from 2021-22 season onward
- BCBH – Basketball Championship of Bosnia and Herzegovina – first tier
- A1 Liga – second tier
- NBL – National Basketball League, also called the Kooperativa NBL for sponsorship reasons
- DBL – Danish Basketball League
- KML – Korvpalli Meistriliiga
- Korisliiga – first tier
- I Division – second tier
- LNB Pro A – Ligue Nationale de Basketball Pro A – first tier
- LNB Pro B – Ligue Nationale de Basket Pro B – second tier
- GSL – Georgian Superliga
- BBL – Basketball Bundesliga – first tier
- GBL – Greek Basket League – first tier
- GBL A2 – Greek A2 Basket League – second tier
- GBL B – Greek B Basket League – third tier
- GBL C – Greek C Basket League – fourth tier
- GBL B – Greek B Basket League – third tier
- GBL A2 – Greek A2 Basket League – second tier
- IBPL – Israeli Basketball Premier League – first tier
- Liga Leumit – second tier
- Liga Artzit – third tier
- Liga Leumit – second tier
- Serie A – first tier
- KBSL – Kosovo Basketball Superleague – first tier
- KBFL – Kosovo Basketball First League – second tier
- LBL – Latvijas Basketbola līga
- LKL – Lietuvos Krepšinio Lyga – first tier
- NKL – Nacionalinė Krepšinio Lyga – second tier
- RKL – Regioninė Krepšinio Lyga – third tier
- NKL – Nacionalinė Krepšinio Lyga – second tier
- MFL – Macedonian First League
- Promotiedivisie – second tier; top purely domestic level from 2021 to 2022
- PLK – Polska Liga Koszykówki (Polish Basketball League) – first tier
- I Liga – second tier
- II Liga – third tier
- I Liga – second tier
- VTB–League – VTB United League – first tier since the 2012–13 season (also featuring teams from Belarus, Estonia, Kazakhstan and Poland)
- BSL 1 – Basketball Super League 1 – second tier; was the first tier league from 1992 to 2010
- BSL 2 – Basketball Super League 2 – third tier
- First League – fourth tier
- VTB-League U21 – fifth tier
- First League – fourth tier
- BSL 2 – Basketball Super League 2 – third tier
- BSL 1 – Basketball Super League 1 – second tier; was the first tier league from 1992 to 2010
- BLS – Basketball League of Serbia – first tier
- BLS B – Basketball League of Serbia B – second tier
- RBL First Division – Regional Basketball League First Division – third tier
- RBL Second Division – Regional Basketball League Second Division – fourth tier
- RBL First Division – Regional Basketball League First Division – third tier
- BLS B – Basketball League of Serbia B – second tier
- SEL Slovak Extraliga
- 1. A SKL – Premier A Slovenian Basketball League (also known for sponsorship reasons as Liga Telemach) – first tier
- SSBL – Slovenian Second Basketball League – second tier
- SBL – School Basketball League – third tier
- SSBL – Slovenian Second Basketball League – second tier
- Liga Endesa – first tier
- LEB Oro – second tier
- LEB Plata – third tier
- Liga EBA – fourth tier
- Primera División – fifth tier
- Liga EBA – fourth tier
- LEB Plata – third tier
- LEB Oro – second tier
- SBL – Swedish Basketball League (Ligan) – first tier
- Basketettan – second tier
- LNBA – Swiss Basketball League – first tier
- Championnat LNB – second tier
- BSL – Turkish Basketball Super League – first tier
- TBL – Turkish Basketball First League – second tier
- TB2L – Turkish Basketball Second League – third tier
- TRBL – Turkish Regional Basketball League – fourth tier
- TB2L – Turkish Basketball Second League – third tier
- TBL – Turkish Basketball First League – second tier
- UBSL – Ukrainian Basketball Superleague – first tier
- Higher League – second tier
- BBL – British Basketball League – First Tier
- NBL - National Basketball League – Second Tier
- SBC – Scottish Basketball Championship – Second Tier
Oceania
- NBL – National Basketball League – Major League
Women
Africa
National leagues
Americas
College basketball
- NCAA Division I women's basketball tournament (NCAA Division I Women's)
- NCAA Division II women's basketball tournament (NCAA Division II Women's)
- NCAA Division III women's basketball tournament (NCAA Division III Women's)
- Women's National Invitation Tournament (WNIT)
- NAIA Division I Women's Basketball Championships (NAIA Division I Women's)
- NAIA Division II Women's Basketball Championships (NAIA Division II Women's)
- Association of Christian College Athletics
- NCCAA Women's Basketball (NCCAA Women's)
- NJCAA Division I Women's Basketball Championship (NJCAA Division I Women's)
- NJCAA Division II Women's Basketball Championship (NJCAA Division II Women's)
- NJCAA Division III Women's Basketball Championship (NJCAA Division III Women's)
- USCAA Women's Basketball (USCAA Women's)
Youth leagues
University basketball
Asia
- WCBA - Women's Chinese Basketball Association - first tier
- WCUBA - Women's Chinese University Basketball Association - second tier
- Srikandi Cup
- Women's Next5Hoops
- WNBL — Women's National Basketball League
Filipino College Basketball
- UAAP - University Athletic Association of the Philippines
- WNCAA - Women's National Collegiate Athletic Association
- NAASCU - National Athletic Association of Schools, Colleges and Universities
- WTBL - Women's Thailand Basketball League
Europe
- Prva ženska liga - Croatian First Women's Basketball League
- Cyprus Women's Basketball Division A
- Kadınlar Basketbol Ligi - Women's Basketball League
- Česká ženská basketbalová liga - Czech Women's Basketball League
- Greek Women's Basket - first tier
- Greek A2 Women's Basket - second tier
- Úrvalsdeild kvenna - Premier league women
- LegA Basket Femminile Serie A1 - first tier
- Serie A2 - second tier
- Serie B d'Eccellenza - third tier
- Serie A2 - second tier
- BLK – Basket Liga Kobiet (first tier)
- I Liga (second tier)
- Russian Women's Basketball Premier League
- Superleague
- Higher League
- Superleague
- LFB – Liga Femenina de Baloncesto Ligue Féminine de Basketball
- LF2B - Liga Femenina 2 de Baloncesto Ligue Féminine 2 de Basketball
Oceania
- Tauihi Basketball Aotearoa – first tier
- D-League – Women's Development League – second tier
Defunct leagues
Men
World
- McDonald's Championship, 1987–1999
Africa
- FIBA Africa Clubs Champions Cup, (1972-2019)
Americas
- FIBA Americas League, (2007-2019)
- Campeonato Panamericano de Clubes de Básquetbol, (1993-2000)
Subregional Leagues
- Campeonato Sudamericano de Clubes, (1946-2008)
- Liga Centroamericana de clubes de baloncesto, (2014-2018)
National Leagues
- National Basketball League (NBL), 1993–94
- Canadian National Basketball League (CNBL), 2002–2004
- National Basketball League of Canada (NBLC). 2011-2023
- Amateur Athletic Association Basketball (AAU), 1897–1982
- National Basketball League (NBL), 1898–99 to 1903-04
- Philadelphia Basketball League (PBL), 1902–1909
- New England Basketball League (NEBL), 1903–1904
- Western Massachusetts Basketball League (WMBL), 1903–1904
- Western Pennsylvania Basketball League (WPBL), 1903–1904; 1912–1913; 1914–1915
- New England Basketball Association (NEBA), 1904–1905
- Mohawk Valley League (MVL), 1906–1910
- Central Basketball League (CBL), 1906–1912
- Hudson River League (HRL), 1909–12
- Eastern Basketball League (EBL), 1909–1933
- New York State League (NYSL), 1911–23
- Pennsylvania State League (PSL), 1914–1921
- Interstate Basketball League (IBL), 1915–1920
- Interstate League (IL), 1919–1923
- Metropolitan Basketball League (MBL), 1921–1928
- American Basketball League (ABL), 1925–1955
- National Basketball League (NBL), 1926–27
- National Basketball League (NBL), 1929–30
- National Basketball League (NBL), 1932–33
- Midwest Basketball Conference (MBC), 1935–1937; became National Basketball League with 1937–38 season.
- National Basketball League (NBL), 1937–1949; merged with the Basketball Association of America to become the National Basketball Association.
- World Professional Basketball Tournament (WPBT), 1939–1948
- Eastern Pro League (EPL)
- Pacific Coast Professional Basketball League (PCPBL), 1946–1948
- Basketball Association of America (BAA), 1946–1949; merged with the National Basketball League to become the National Basketball Association.
- New York State Professional Basketball League (NYSPL), 1946–1949
- Continental Basketball Association (CBA), 1946–2009;[1] originally named Eastern Pennsylvania Basketball League, then Eastern Professional Basketball League.
- Professional Basketball League of America (PBLA), 1947–1948
- National Industrial Basketball League (NIBL), 1947–1961
- National Professional Basketball League (NPBL), 1950–1951
- American Basketball League (ABL), 1961–1963
- Midwest Professional Basketball League (MPBL) (1961-1964)
- North American Basketball League (1964-1968), (NABL) 1964–1968
- American Basketball Association (ABA), 1967–1976, Merged with NBA, four teams now in NBA.
- All-American Basketball Alliance (AABA), 1977–78
- Western Basketball Association (WBA), 1978–79
- World Basketball League (WBL), 1988–1992; was founded as the International Basketball Association in November 1987, before changing its name prior to the 1988 season.
- Global Basketball Association (GBA), 1991-92 - December 1992; league folded midway through 1992–93 season.
- International Basketball Association (IBA), 1995–2001
- International Basketball League (IBL), 1999–2001
- National Rookie League (NRL), 2000
- All-American Professional Basketball League (AAPBL), 2005
- United States Basketball League (USBL)
- National Professional Basketball League (NPBL)
- All-American Basketball Alliance (2010)
- Global Professional Basketball League (GPBL)
- Global Professional Basketball League 2 (GPBL 2)
- United Regions Basketball League (URBL)
- National Alliance Basketball League (NABL)
- National Athletic Basketball League (NABL)
- Universal Basketball League (UBL)
- Minor League Basketball Association (MLBA)
- Continental Basketball League (CBL)
- American Basketball League (ABL)
- Eastern Basketball Alliance (EBA)
- West Coast Pro Basketball League (WCBL)
- International Basketball League (IBL)
Asia
Subregional Leagues
- WABA – WABA Champions Cup, (1998-2019)
National Leagues
- Chinese New Basketball Alliance (CNBA), 1996–97
- Chinese University Basketball Super League (CUBS), 2004–15
- UBA Pro Basketball League, 2015–17
- bj league - Basketball Japan League, 2005–16
- JBL - Japan Basketball League, 2007–2013
- NBL - National Basketball League, 2013–16
- MNBL - Malaysia National Basketball League, 1981–2013
- Philippine Basketball League (PBL), 1983–2011
- Manila Industrial and Commercial Athletic Association (MICAA), 1938-1981
- Metropolitan Basketball Association (MBA), 1998–2002
- Liga Pilipinas (LP), 2008–2011
- Chinese Basketball Alliance (CBA), 1995–1999
Europe
Subregional leagues
- BBL – Baltic Basketball League - teams from the Baltic states of Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania plus Sweden
- CEBL – Central European Basketball League
National leagues
- Pro Basketball League (PBL), 1925–2021; replaced by the BNXT League
- National Basketball League (NBL), 1972–2003
- Dutch Basketball League (DBL), 1960–2021; replaced by the BNXT League
- Professional Basketball League (PBL), 2010–2013; superseded by the VTB United League
Oceania
- Australian Basketball Association (ABA), 1965–2008
- South East Australian Basketball League (SEABL), 1981–2018
- Conference Basketball League (CBL), 1981–2010
Women
Americas
- Women's Professional Basketball Association (WPBA), 1975; the league folded before it ever started.
- Women's Professional Basketball League (WBL), 1978–1981
- Ladies Professional Basketball Association (LPBA), 1980–81; formed as a rival league to the WBL when the WBL began to experience financial problems. The league was poorly organized and played only five (or seven) games before disbanding with three teams never playing a game.
- Women's American Basketball Association (WABA), 1984
- National Women's Basketball Association (NWBA), 1986; the league folded right before the season was supposed to start.
- Liberty Basketball Association (LBA), 1991; played one pre-season exhibition game on February 10, 1991, before disbanding.
- Women's Basketball Association (WBA), 1993-1995
- American Basketball League (ABL), 1996–1998
- National Women's Basketball League (NWBL), 1998–2007
- Women's American Basketball Association (WABA), 2002
- Women's Minor League Basketball Association (WMLBA), 2016–2020
Asia
- Women's Chinese University Basketball Super League (WCUBS), 2004–15
- Pinay Ballers League (2014-2018)
- Women's Philippine Basketball League (WPBL)
Oceania
- Women's Basketball Championship (WBC)
- Women's Basketball Championship Division Two (WBC Division Two)
- Women's National Basketball League (WNBL)
- Women's Basketball League (WBL), conference-based second-tier league
References
- ^ "Continental Basketball Association Confronts an Uncertain Future". New York Times. 8 February 2009.