Liga Española de Baloncesto (1957–1983)

Spanish Basketball League
Liga Española de Baloncesto

Sport	Basketball
Founded	1957
Inaugural season	1957
Ceased	1982–83 season (renamed as Liga ACB)
No. of teams	14
Country	Spain
Continent	FIBA Europe (Europe)
Most titles	Real Madrid (22 titles)
TV partner(s)	TVE
Level on pyramid	1st tier
Related competitions	Spanish King's Cup

The Liga Española de Baloncesto (English: Spanish Basketball League), whose top division was known as Primera División (English: First Division), was the old 1st Tier level basketball league in Spain, from 1957 to the 1982–83 season. It was organized by the Spanish Basketball Federation, and it was contested by the best clubs of the country. In 1983, the clubs decided to create the Basketball Clubs Association, and transformed the top division into the new Liga ACB, although that league was also named Primera División until 1988.

Format[]

The league was played in a double round-robin format without playoffs. Two points were conceded for a winning game, one for a draw, and no points for the loser. The worst teams of each season were relegated to the second division (Segunda División, called Primera División B since 1978). The winner of the league qualified for the FIBA European Champions Cup (now called EuroLeague).

History[]

The league was created in 1957 with the aim of publicising the basketball in Spain. In its first edition composed by six teams, two from Madrid (Real Madrid and Estudiantes) and four from the province of Barcelona (Barcelona, Joventut Badalona, Aismalíbar from Montcada i Reixac and Orillo Verde from Sabadell), and played with a double round-robin format. The league was played in 49 days at only two venues: Frontón Vista Alegre in Madrid and Palacio de Deportes de Montjuic in Barcelona.^[1]

Two years later, teams from other regions first entered in the league.

Winners[]

Source^[2]

Titles[]

Liga Nacional Primera División Top Scorers by season[]

Season	Top Scorer	Club	Scoring Average / Total Points
1957	Alfonso Martínez	Real Madrid	18.0
1958	Alfonso Martínez (2)	Real Madrid	17.2
1958–59	Johnny Báez	Real Madrid	19.9
1959–60	Alfonso Martínez (average) (3) Johnny Báez (total points) (2)	Barcelona Real Madrid	20.2 439 points
1960–61			20.4
1961–62	Wayne Hightower	Real Madrid	19.7
1962–63	Emiliano Rodríguez	Real Madrid	19.9
1963–64	Emiliano Rodríguez (2)	Real Madrid	22.7
1964–65	Lorenzo Alocén		24.2
1965–66	Miles Aiken		23.9
1966–67	Alfonso Martínez (4)	Joventut Badalona	22.1
1967–68	Clifford Luyk	Real Madrid	24.3
1968–69			25.6
1969–70	(2)		24.1
1970–71		Breogán	27.1
1971–72	Gonzalo Sagi-Vela	Estudiantes	21.6
1972–73	(2)	Breogán	23.2
1973–74	John Coughran		31.7
1974–75		Baskonia	32.2
1975–76	Walter Szczerbiak (average) (total points)	Real Madrid Breogán	30.9 968 points
1976–77	Bob Guyette	Barcelona	32.0
1977–78	Essie Hollis	Askatuak	41.0
1978–79	(average) (total points)	Askatuak Baskonia	34.5 730 points
1979–80	(2)	Valladolid	29.7
1980–81	Lars Hansen	OAR Ferrol	27.4
1981–82	Larry McNeill	Canarias	34.4
1982–83	Claude Gregory	Baskonia	30.6

References[]

See also[]

• Liga ACB
• Asociación de Clubs de Baloncesto
• Basketball in Spain
• Liga Española de Baloncesto