ABA League

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ABA League
ABA League.png
ABA League JTD logo
Founded2001; 20 years ago (2001)
First season2001–02
Country
  •  Bosnia and Herzegovina
  •  Croatia
  •  Montenegro
  •  North Macedonia
  •  Serbia
  •  Slovenia
Other club(s) from
  •  Bulgaria (2014–15)
  •  Czech Republic (2010–11)
  •  Hungary (2012–2015)
  •  Israel (2002–03, 2011–12)
ConfederationFIBA Europe
Number of teams14
Level on pyramid1st
Relegation toABA Second Division
SupercupABA Super Cup
International cup(s)
Current championsSerbia Crvena zvezda
(5th title)
(2020–21)
Most championshipsSerbia Partizan
(6 titles)
TV partnersArena Sport, TV B92
WebsiteABA-Liga.com
2021–22 season

The ABA League, renamed to the ABA League First Division in 2017, is the 1st-tier regional men's professional basketball league that originally featured clubs from the former Yugoslavia (Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Serbia and Slovenia). Due to sponsorship reasons, the league was also known as the Goodyear League from 2001 to 2006, and as the NLB League from 2006 to 2011.

The league coexists alongside scaled-down national leagues in Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, North Macedonia, Montenegro, Serbia, and Slovenia. All but one of Adriatic League clubs join their country's own competitions in late spring after the Adriatic League regular season and post-season have been completed. In the past, the league has also consisted of clubs from Bulgaria (Levski), the Czech Republic (ČEZ Nymburk), Hungary (Szolnoki Olaj), and Israel (Maccabi Tel Aviv) that received wild card invitations.

The Adriatic League is a private venture, founded in 2001 and run until 2015 by the Sidro, a Slovenian limited liability company. Since 2015, the league has been operated by ABA League JTD, a Zagreb-based general partnership for organizing sports competitions. Adriatic Basketball Association is the body that organizes the league and is a full member of ULEB, as well as a voting member of Euroleague Basketball's board.

History[]

At various points throughout mid-to-late 1990s, in the years following the breakup of SFR Yugoslavia and ensuing Yugoslav Wars, different basketball administrators from the newly independent Balkan states floated and informally discussed the idea of re-assembling a joint basketball competition to fill the void left by the dissolution of the former Yugoslav Basketball League whose last season was 1991–92.[1]

However, no concrete action towards that end was taken before the summer 2000 ULEB-supported creation of Euroleague Basketball Company under the leadership of Jordi Bertomeu that immediately confronted FIBA Europe, then proceeded to take a handful of top European clubs into its new competition for the 2000–01 season thereby opening an organizational split in European club basketball. During the 2000–01 split in the continent's top club competition, local Balkan basketball administrators from the ULEB-affiliated clubs Cibona, Olimpija, and Budućnost (that already competed in this new 'breakaway' Euroleague competition) shifted the discussions of creating a regional Balkan-wide basketball league into higher gear.[citation needed]

On the public relations front, Adriatic League was met with strong and mixed reactions. Though many hailed it as an important step for the development of club basketball in the Balkans region, many others felt that it brings no new quality and that it's not worth dismantling three domestic leagues. There was a lot of negative reaction from political circles, especially in Croatia, with even TV panel discussions being broadcast on Croatian state television. A very vociferous opinion in the country saw the league's formation as a political attempt to reinstate Yugoslavia.[2] The league organizers for their part did their best to appease the Croatian public with statements such as the one delivered by Radovan Lorbek in Slobodna Dalmacija in September 2001:

This is not a Yugoslav league, and it will never become a Yugoslav league. The Adriatic League has no clubs from Serbia and Macedonia, therefore the Adriatic League and Yugoslav league are not the same thing.[3][4]

Ten years later, in a 2011 interview for the Serbian newspaper Press, Roman Lisac explained the league's behind the scenes strategy during its nascent stages was actually quite different:

I'm convinced the league would've never been able to survive without Serbian clubs. Getting Crvena zvezda and Partizan to join the league was something that we worked on from day one. However, the situation ten years ago was not that simple. Too much antagonistic post-war politics was still all around us, and it made our task all the more difficult. Everything that smelled of old Yugoslavia caused a lot of resistance both in Croatia and in Serbia. I repeat, the idea of having both Crvena zvezda and Partizan in the league was there from the very beginning, but we avoided talking about it publicly because of politics.[5]

On 28 September 2001, the league announced a five-year sponsorship deal with Slovenian company Sava Tires from Kranj, a subsidiary of Goodyear Tire and Rubber Company. The deal also included naming rights, hence from 2001 until 2006, the competition was known as the Goodyear League.

Debut season[]

With twelve clubs taking part in the inaugural 2001–02 season, the competition commenced in fall 2001 with four teams from Slovenia, four teams from Croatia, three teams from Bosnia-Herzegovina, and one team from FR Yugoslavia. The very first game was contested in Ljubljana between Olimpija and Široki on Saturday, 29 September 2001 at 5:30pm.[6]

Though the competition purported to gather the strongest sides from former Yugoslavia, as mentioned, teams from Serbia were noticeably absent, particularly Belgrade powerhouses and biggest regional crowd draws Partizan and Crvena zvezda. In addition to no clubs from Serbia proper, the league had no Serb-dominated clubs from Bosnia-Herzegovina either. Since the league founders mostly avoided talking about the issue due to fears of media backlash, the fact that no invitations were extended to Serbian clubs was generally explained through security issues due to organizers' fears of crowd trouble if Croatian and Serbian clubs were to start playing again in the same competition. Then in early February 2002, the public got a preview of just that when Cibona and Partizan met in Zagreb as part of that season's EuroLeague group stage. In a nationalistically charged and incident-filled encounter, Croatian fans peppered the Partizan players with rocks, flares, and even ceramic tiles before physically assaulting Partizan head coach Duško Vujošević in the guest team dressing room after the game.[6]

The Adriatic League debut season was marked by dwindling attendances and lukewarm media support. Still the league did receive a bit of a shot in the arm on 24 February 2002, when its managing body ABA got accepted as full member of ULEB.[7]

Second season[]

For the 2002–03 season, the league remained at the total number of 12 teams, while it went through major re-tooling internally. By the time season started, four teams dropped out (Sloboda Dita, Budućnost, Triglav, and Geoplin Slovan) to be replaced by: Israeli powerhouse Maccabi Tel Aviv, Crvena zvezda (the first team from Serbia in the competition), the Bosnian outfit KK Borac, and Croatian club KK Zagreb.

It was important for the league's long-term business to negotiate acceptable terms for the Serbian clubs to join the competition. To that end, Lorbek and Lisac went to Belgrade in early April 2002 with an offer of taking in three clubs from FR Yugoslavia for the Adriatic League's 2002–03 season.[8] The offer was flatly rejected initially by the representatives of five YUBA Liga clubs – Partizan, Crvena zvezda, Hemofarm, FMP, and Budućnost – as their unified platform was either all five or nothing. Taking in all five required expanding the league to 14 teams, which was something the league organizers weren't prepared to do due to the associated increase in operating costs. The negotiated agreement thus fell through for the time being. However, it didn't take long for dents to appear in the unified front put forth by five YUBA league clubs – in May 2002 Crvena zvezda's management (three businessmen close to the ruling Democratic Party in Serbia: , , and Goran Vesić) hired Zmago Sagadin to be the club's new general manager – and soon after, in June 2002, the club broke the ranks by negotiating terms on its own thus agreeing to join the Adriatic League for the 2002–03 season.[8]

Competition[]

Competition system[]

As of the 2013–14 season the league comprises a 26-game regular season, with the top 4 sides making the play-offs.[9]

From 2002 through 2004, four teams qualified, and the playoffs were termed the "Final Four"; starting in 2005, eight teams advanced to the "Final Eight" round. All playoff rounds consist of one-off knockout matches, unusual among European leagues. However, since all Adriatic League clubs play in domestic leagues at the same time, and many also play in the EuroLeague, the current format has the virtue of limiting fixture congestion for the playoff sides.

In 2017, the ABA League Second Division was created. The last qualified team from ABA League would be relegated to the Second Division and replaced by the winner of this one.

Current clubs[]

The following 14 clubs are competing in the 2021–22 ABA season:[10]

Serbia Borac Montenegro Buducnost Slovenia Cedevita Olimpija Croatia Cibona
Serbia Crvena Zvezda Serbia FMP Bosnia and Herzegovina Igokea Slovenia Krka
Serbia Mega Bemax Montenegro Mornar Bar Serbia Partizan NIS Croatia Split
Montenegro Studentski centar Croatia Zadar

Finals[]

Year Final Semifinalists
Champions Score Runners-up
2001–02
Details
Slovenia
Union Olimpija
73–59 Slovenia
Krka
Slovenia
Pivovarna Laško
Croatia
Cibona VIP
2002–03
Details
Croatia
Zadar
91–88 Israel
Maccabi Elite Tel Aviv
Serbia and Montenegro
Crvena zvezda
Slovenia
Union Olimpija
2003–04
Details
Serbia and Montenegro
Reflex
71–70 Croatia
Cibona VIP
Serbia and Montenegro
Crvena zvezda
Slovenia
Union Olimpija
2004–05
Details
Serbia and Montenegro
Hemofarm
89–76 Serbia and Montenegro
Partizan Pivara MB
Serbia and Montenegro
Reflex
Serbia and Montenegro
Crvena zvezda
2005–06
Details
Serbia and Montenegro
FMP
73–72 Serbia and Montenegro
Partizan Pivara MB
Serbia and Montenegro
Crvena zvezda
Serbia and Montenegro
Hemofarm
2006–07
Details
Serbia
Partizan
2–0
playoffs
Serbia
FMP
Croatia
Cibona VIP
Serbia
Hemofarm
2007–08
Details
Serbia
Partizan Igokea
69–51 Serbia
Hemofarm
Slovenia
Union Olimpija
Croatia
Zadar
2008–09
Details
Serbia
Partizan Igokea
63–49 Croatia
Cibona VIP
Serbia
Crvena zvezda
Serbia
Hemofarm
2009–10
Details
Serbia
Partizan
75–74 (OT) Croatia
Cibona VIP
Serbia
Hemofarm
Slovenia
Union Olimpija
2010–11
Details
Serbia
Partizan
77–74 Slovenia
Union Olimpija
Montenegro
Budućnost m:tel
Slovenia
Krka
2011–12
Details
Israel
Maccabi Electra Tel Aviv
87–77 Croatia
Cedevita
Montenegro
Budućnost VOLI
Serbia
Partizan mt:s
2012–13
Details
Serbia
Partizan mt:s
71–63 Serbia
Crvena zvezda Telekom
Bosnia and Herzegovina
Igokea
Serbia
Radnički Kragujevac
2013–14
Details
Croatia
Cibona
72–59 Croatia
Cedevita
Serbia
Crvena zvezda Telekom
Serbia
Partizan
2014–15
Details
Serbia
Crvena zvezda Telekom
3–1
playoffs
Croatia
Cedevita
Serbia
Partizan NIS
Montenegro
Budućnost VOLI
2015–16
Details
Serbia
Crvena zvezda Telekom
3–0
playoffs
Serbia
Mega Leks
Croatia
Cedevita
Montenegro
Budućnost VOLI
2016–17
Details
Serbia
Crvena zvezda mts
3–0
playoffs
Croatia
Cedevita
Montenegro
Budućnost VOLI
Serbia
Partizan NIS
2017–18
Details
Montenegro
Budućnost VOLI
3–1
playoffs
Serbia
Crvena zvezda mts
Croatia
Cedevita
Montenegro
Mornar
2018–19
Details
Serbia
Crvena zvezda mts
3–2
playoffs
Montenegro
Budućnost VOLI
Serbia
Partizan NIS
Croatia
Cedevita
2019–20
Details
Canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic - no champion announced
2020–21
Details
Serbia
Crvena zvezda mts
3–2
playoffs
Montenegro
Budućnost VOLI
Montenegro
Mornar
Bosnia and Herzegovina
Igokea

All-time participants[]

The following is a list of clubs who have played in the Adriatic League at any time since its formation in 2001 to the current season. A total of 41 teams from 10 countries have played in the League.[citation needed]

2D Played in the Second Division
Canceled Season was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic
Defunct Defunct teams
Restricted Teams out of the Adriatic area
Suspended Suspended teams
1st Champions
2nd Runners-up
SF Semi-finalists
Bold Teams playing in the 2020–21 season
R Regular season champions
Team 02 03 04 05 06 07 08 09 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20[a] 21 22 Total
seasons
Highest
finish
Bosnia and Herzegovina Borac Banja Luka 11th 13th 2D 2 11th
Bosnia and Herzegovina Bosna 12th 12th QF QF 10th 7th 13th 2D 7 Quarter-finals
Bosnia and Herzegovina Igokea 11th SFR 6th 12th 9th 5th 10th 8th Cn. SF TBA 11 Semi-finals
Bosnia and Herzegovina Sloboda Tuzla 5th 1 5th
Bosnia and Herzegovina Široki 6th 9th 12th 13th 11th 11th 12th 10th 9th 5th 10th 14th 2D 2D 12 5th
Bulgaria Levski Sofia 14th Restricted 1 14th
Croatia Cedevita 7th 7th 2nd 6th 2nd 2nd SF 2nd SF SF 10 2nd
Croatia Cibona SF 5th 2ndR QF QF SF QF 2nd 2ndR 12th 7th 11th 1st 11th 8th 7th 11th 7th Cn. 9th TBA 21 1st
Croatia Split 8th 10th 9th 15th 14th 10th 10th 14th 2D 2D 2D 13th TBA 10 8th
Croatia Šibenik 11th Defunct 1 11th
Croatia Triglav Osiguranje 10th Defunct 1 10th
Croatia Zadar 7th 1st 8th QF QF 7th SF 5th 8th 14th 12th 13th 8th 6th 12th 6th 11th Cn. 10th TBA 20 1st
Croatia Zagreb 6th 11th 12th 13th 12th 11th 13th 6th 5th 9th - Defunct 10 5th
Czech Republic Nymburk 8th Restricted 1 8th
Hungary Szolnoki Olaj 13th 12th 7th Restricted 3 7th
Israel Maccabi Tel Aviv 2nd 1stR Restricted 2 1st
Montenegro Budućnost 9th 5th 14th 5th QF 6th 5th SF SF 5th 5th SF SFR SF 1st 2nd Cn. 2nd TBA 19 1st
Montenegro Lovćen 14th 2D 2D 2D 2D 1 14th
Montenegro Mornar 8th SF 9th Cn. SF TBA 6 Semi-finals
Montenegro Studentski centar 2D TBA 1 TBA
Montenegro Sutjeska 13th 2D 2D 2D 1 13th
North Macedonia Karpoš Sokoli 10th Suspended[b] 1 10th
North Macedonia MZT Skopje 7th 9th 13th 10th 13th 12th 2D 2D 2D 6 7th
Serbia Borac Čačak 2D 2D 2D 11th TBA 2 11th
Serbia Crvena zvezda SFR SF SF SF 6th QF SF 9th 13th 10th 2nd SFR 1stR 1st 1stR 2ndR 1stR Cn. 1stR TBA 20 1st
Serbia FMP 9th 8th 6th Cn. 8th TBA 6 6th
Serbia FMP Železnik 1st SF 1st 2ndR QF 8th 12th Defunct 7 1st
Serbia Mega 8th 10th 2nd 6th 9th 5th Cn. 6th TBA 9 2nd
Serbia Metalac Valjevo 6th 11th 2 6th
Serbia Partizan 2nd 2ndR 1st 1stR 1stR 1st 1stR SF 1st SF SF 5th SF 5th SF Cn. 7th TBA 18 1st
Serbia Radnički Kragujevac 11th 10th 8th SF 11th Defunct 5 Semi-finals
Serbia Vojvodina Srbijagas QF 9th 14th Defunct 3 Quarter-finals
Serbia Vršac 1stR SF SF 2nd SF SF 6th 12th 2D 2D 8 1st
Slovenia Cedevita Olimpija Unfounded Cn. 5th TBA 3 5th
Slovenia Helios Suns 16th 12th 8th 13th 12th 14th 13th 2D 2D 2D 7 8th
Slovenia Koper Primorska Unfounded 2D 2D Cn. 14th 2 14th
Slovenia Krka 2nd 7th 7th 11th SF 11th 9th 7th 9th 12th 14th 2D 10th Cn. 12th TBA 15 2nd
Slovenia Olimpija 1stR SF SF QF 10th 9th SF 9th SF 2nd 6th 8th 10th 5th 7th 11th 7th 12th Defunct 18 1st
Slovenia Slovan 11th 10th 10th 9th 13th 14th 6 9th
Slovenia Tajfun 14th 1 14th
Slovenia Zlatorog Laško SF 8th 6th 9th 14th 14th 6 Semi-finals

Awards[]

Records[]

Source:[11]

Players[]

Clubs[]

  • Longest winning streak
  • Longest losing streak
  • Biggest Winning Margin
    • 58 points by Cedevita playing vs Zadar for the 2016–17 season
  • Most Won Games in a Season
    • Crvena zvezda won 25 out of 26 games for the 2016–17 season
  • Most Lost Games in a Season
    • Bosna lost 21 out of 22 games for the 2002–03 season
  • Most Points scored in a Season
    • Hemofarm scored 2591 points in 30 games for the 2004–05 season
    • Crvena zvezda scored 2325 points in 26 games for the 2006–07 season
  • Lowest Scored Points in a Season

All-time leaders[]

From the 2001–02 to the 2020–21 season:

Accumulated
Points Bosnia and Herzegovina Nemanja Gordić[12] 3,005[c]
Field goals Croatia Marin Rozić[13] 1,052[d]
3 Points Croatia Siniša Štemberger[14] 403[e]
Defensive Rebounds Croatia Marin Rozić[15] 1,032[f]
Total Rebounds Croatia Marin Rozić[16] 1,323[g]
Assists Bosnia and Herzegovina Nemanja Gordić[17] 1,001[h]
Steals Slovenia Nebojša Joksimović 355
Blocks Montenegro Slavko Vraneš[12] 272[c]
Index Ratings North Macedonia Todor Gečevski 3,212
Games Played Croatia Marin Rozić[18] 377[i]

Notable players[]

Well-known basketball players who have played in the Adriatic League include:[citation needed]

See also[]

  • List of current ABA Liga team rosters

Notes[]

  1. ^ Season was canceled due to COVID-19 pandemic
  2. ^ Team is suspended until 2022
  3. ^ Jump up to: a b Updated 4 March 2021
  4. ^ Updated 30 October 2020
  5. ^ Updated 6 January 2020
  6. ^ Updated 29 January 2020
  7. ^ Updated 10 February 2020
  8. ^ Updated 15 March 2021
  9. ^ Updated 20 October 2020

References[]

  1. ^ Mitrović: Bogosavljev je dao ideju;Press, 11 July 2011
  2. ^ Jadranska liga ili samoubistvo pod obručima;NSPM, 31 December 2008
  3. ^ Deset godina NLB lige: Kako je Partizan gurnut u Jadran;Press, 15 July 2011
  4. ^ Bibić, Milorad (28 September 2001). "Jadranska liga donosi košarkašku REVOLUCIJU!". Slobodna Dalmacija. Archived from the original on 2 August 2017. Retrieved 25 May 2019.
  5. ^ Lisac: Jadranska liga bi propala bez Srba;Press, 23 July 2011
  6. ^ Jump up to: a b Deset godina NLB lige: Huligani odložili ulazak Partizana;Press, 12 July 2011
  7. ^ Deset godina Jadranske lige: Košarka nas je održala;Press, 10 July 2011
  8. ^ Jump up to: a b Deset godina NLB lige: Zvezdin izlazak na Jadran;Press, 13 July 2011
  9. ^ "ADRIATIC LEAGUE – Players showing off World Cup credentials". FIBA. 10 December 2013. Retrieved 29 December 2013.
  10. ^ "Conclusions of the ABA League j.t.d. Assembly". aba-liga.com. Retrieved 29 June 2020.
  11. ^ "ABA League – interesting facts and figures". abaliga.com. Archived from the original on 2 October 2014. Retrieved 2 October 2014.
  12. ^ Jump up to: a b "The World of Stats: Record-breaking week for Nemanja Gordić". aba-liga.com. 4 March 2021.
  13. ^ "The World of Stats: Nemanja Gordić joins the 1,000 FG Made club". aba-liga.com. 30 October 2020.
  14. ^ "The World of Stats - Suad Šehović eying the top place on the ABA All-Time 3-point list". aba-liga.com. 8 January 2020.
  15. ^ "The World of Stats: Marin Rozić - The ABA League Top Rebounder". aba-liga.com. 29 January 2020.
  16. ^ "ABA All time rebounds". aba-liga.com. 10 February 2020.
  17. ^ "ABA All time assists". ABA Liga official Twitter account. 15 March 2021.
  18. ^ "Most apps". twitter.com. 20 October 2020.

External links[]

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