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Lebanese Basketball League

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For the current season, see 2016–17 Lebanese Basketball League season.
XXL Lebanese Basketball League (XXL FLB League)
Current season, competition or edition:
Current sports event 2016–17 Lebanese Basketball League season
SportBasketball
Founded1992 (new format)
CEOPierre Kakhia
Claim to fame"The pre-eminent professional men's basketball league in Western Asia"
No. of teams10
Country Lebanon
ContinentFIBA Asia (Asia)
Most recent
champion(s)		Sporting Al Riyadi Beirut (15 titles)
Most titlesSporting Al Riyadi Beirut(15 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 organised 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 it is named the XXL LEBANESE BASKETBALL LEAGUE due to sponsorship reasons.

History

The initial Lebanese basketball league was formed in as early as the 1950s and was stopped during the civil war. After the war ended, in 1994 the league was totally reformed in a new fully professional format that is being since the foundation of the league today.

A short glimps to the start of the golden days and rise to fame: in 1997 Sporting Club (Al Riyadi) finished as Lebanese champions, the next season they went to participate in the Asian championship they reached the 3rd place and on their return to Beirut the Lebanese fans were on the streets to celebrate this achievement. The same year in 1998 Riyadi lost the Lebanese championship to their big rivals Sagesse Club (Hekmeh). Lebanon hosted a big tournament, the Arab club Championship Which Sagesse won to be the 1st ever trophy for Lebanon. Beirut did not sleep that night all over the country people were on the roads partying till dawn, the next day all the schools were closed as a national holiday. In 1999 Beirut hosted the Asian Championship for clubs, Sagesse managed to win the first ever Asian title for any Lebanese or Arab team, celebrations were all over the country. This same year Sagesse managed to retain their title in the Arab club Championship which was held for the second consecutive time in Beirut. In May 2000, Lebanon once more hosted the Asian Championship for clubs and again Sagesse Club won it and created history for being the only team to win the championship two consecutive times.

Overview

The league itself is most known in Asia 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 in a season is relegated to the Division 2, while the Second Division's top 4 teams compete in a play-off system right after the end of the regular season, with the team that reaches the finals series being promoted to the Lebanese League for the following season.

The Competition

There are 10 teams in the league and they play against each other twice in the league, once at their home and the other away. At the end of those two rounds, the final 8 teams enter to the playoffs they play three games series. The winners of the Quarterfinals advance to the best of four game series Semifinals. The two teams that advance play best of four games in the Final to determine the league champion. The season starts in December and ends in May

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 Al Riyadi Tadamon Zouk
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 UBA
2015-2016 Al Riyadi Sagesse
2016-2017 Al Riyadi Homenetmen

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

Current clubs

Team City, Region Arena Head Coach
Current Teams
Champville SC Dik El Mehdi Champville School Stadium Lebanon Ghassan Sarkis
Sporting Al Riyadi Beirut Beirut Saeb Salam Arena Lebanon Ahmad Farran
Sagesse Club Ghazir Ghazir Club Court Lebanon Fouad Abou Chacra
Hoops Club Jdeideh Michel Murr Stadium Lebanon Patrick Saba
Byblos Club Byblos Byblos Stadium Serbia Nenad Vučinić
Al Mouttahed Tripoli Tripoli Al Safadi Stadium Bosnia and Herzegovina Alan Abaz
Tadamon Zouk Zouk Mikael Nouhad Nawfal Stadium United States Paul Coughter
Homenetmen Beirut Mezher Tenjoukian Stadium Lebanon Joe Moujaes
Louaize Club Zouk Mosbeh Club Central Jounieh Stadium Lebanon Marwan Khalil
Mayrouba Club Mayrouba Fouad Shehab Stadium Lebanon Elie Nasr

Single Season, Individual (May Not Be Fully Accurate)

Record Num. Player Team Season
Points 1356 Terrell Stoglin Hekmeh BC 2014–15
Rebounds 521 Loren Woods Sporting Al Riyadi Beirut 2010–11
Assists 211 Rodrigue Akl Hekmeh BC 2013–14
3-pointers 114 Terrell Stoglin Hekmeh BC 2015–16
Blocks 65 Julian Khazzouh Hekmeh BC 2013–14
Steals 232 Ali Mahmoud Sporting Al Riyadi Beirut 2004–05

Division A Women

Notable players

Notable coaches

Notable women players

  • Fay Prince
  • Shada Nasr
  • Nayla Alameddine Jaroudi
  • Aida Bakhos
  • Nisrine Dandan
  • Rebecca Akl
  • Nathalie Sevadjian
  • Emma Eskedjian

Notable coaches of women teams

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

See also

Lebanon futsal league

References

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