Pro Basketball League

Pro Basketball League
Founded	1928
Folded	2021
Replaced by	BNXT League
Country	Belgium
Confederation	FIBA Europe
Number of teams	10
Level on pyramid	1
Domestic cup(s)	Belgian Cup
Supercup	Belgian Supercup
International cup(s)	Champions League; Europe Cup
Last champions	Filou Oostende (22nd title) ; (2020–21)
Most championships	Filou Oostende (22 titles)
President	Arthur Goethals
Website	euromillionsbasketball.be

The Pro Basketball League (PBL),^[1] also known as the EuroMillions Basketball League for sponsorship reasons, was the highest tier level professional basketball league in Belgium for clubs. Since 2021, the league is replaced by the Belgian-Dutch BNXT League.^[2]

Through 2014, for sponsorship reasons, the league was previously known as the Ethias League, and from 2014 to 2016, it was known as the Scoore! League, also for sponsorship reasons. The league is organized by the Basketball League Belgium. The current president of the league is Arthur Goethals.^[3]

The most successful team in the league is Oostende, which holds the record for the most league titles won, with 22, and the now defunct team of Racing Mechelen is second, with 15.

History[]

On 15 March 2020, as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic the season was prematurely cancelled. Based on the standings in the regular season, Filou Oostende was crowned national champions.^[4]

Sponsorship names[]

Until 2014: Ethias League
2014–2016: Scooore! League
2016–present EuroMillions Basketball League^[5]

Ethias League logo
Scooore! League logo (2014–2016)

Format and rules[]

The BLB is played by the international FIBA rules. Since 2014–15 the BLB season has a new format. In the regular season, all teams play each other first home and away. After that first round the league is divided in two groups based on standings; in the first group teams ranked 1–6 play and in the second 7–11. After the split each team plays all others in its group once home and once away. After that the Playoffs are played by eight teams. The quarterfinals consist of best-of-three series and the semi- and finals are played in a best-of-five format.

Licensing[]

Teams that play in the BLB all have to get a license to play in the league. There are three types of licenses:^[6]^[7]

A-license: for teams who have more than a € 1 million budget. A-licensed team can qualify for European competitions.
B-license: teams with at least a €750,000 budget. B-licensed teams can't qualify for European play.
C-licence: given to teams that are on the rise, with a budget of at least €400,000. C-licenses do not allow teams to qualify for European play and have to get replaced by B-licenses after two years.

Current clubs[]

Oostende

Brussels

Location of the 2020–21 Pro Basketball League teams

Club	City	Arena	Capacity
Antwerp Giants	Antwerp	Lotto Arena	5,218
Belfius Mons-Hainaut	Mons	Mons Arena	4,000
Filou Oostende	Ostend	Sleuyter Arena	5,000
Kangoeroes Mechelen	Mechelen	De Winketaai	1,000
Leuven Bears	Leuven	Sportoase	3,400
Limburg United	Hasselt	Alverberg-sporthal	1,730
Okapi Aalst	Aalst	Okapi Forum	2,800
Phoenix Brussels	Brussels	Complexe sportif de Neder-Over-Hembeek	1,200
Spirou	Charleroi	Spiroudome	6,200
VOO Liège	Liège	Country Hall Ethias Liège	5,000

Finals[]

Since 2005, play-offs are played to decide which team is crowned the champion of each season. The finals series are played in a best-of-five format, with the team which had the higher seed in the regular season having home court advantage.

Season	Champions	Score	Runners-up
2004–05	Bree	3–1	Spirou
2005–06	Oostende	3–1	Mons-Hainaut
2006–07	Oostende	3–2	Bree
2007–08	Spirou	3–0	Bree
2008–09	Spirou	3–0	Mons-Hainaut
2009–10	Spirou	3–1	Liège Basket
2010–11	Spirou	3–0	Okapi Aalstar
2011–12	Oostende	3–2	Spirou
2012–13	Oostende	3–0	Mons-Hainaut
2013–14	Oostende	3–2	Okapi Aalstar
2014–15	Oostende	3–1	Mons-Hainaut
2015–16	Oostende	3–1	Okapi Aalstar
2016–17	Oostende	3–1	Brussels
2017–18	Oostende	3–0	Antwerp Giants
2018–19	Oostende	3–1	Antwerp Giants
2019–20	Oostende	Cancelled	Mons-Hainaut
2020–21	Oostende	3–1	Mons-Hainaut

Performances by club (2005–present)[]

Team	Champions	Runners-up	Years champions	Years runners-up
Oostende	10	–	2006, 2007, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020	–
Spirou	4	2	2008, 2009, 2010, 2011	2005, 2012
Bree	1	2	2005	2007, 2008
Mons-Hainaut	–	6	–	2006, 2009, 2013, 2015, 2020, 2021
Okapi Aalstar	–	3	–	2011, 2014, 2016
Antwerp Giants	–	2	–	2018, 2019
Liège	–	1	–	2010
Brussels	–	1	–	2017

Title holders[]

1927–28 Brussels A.C.
1928–29 Daring B.C.
1929–30 Brussels A.C.
1930–31 Brussels A.C.
1931–32 Daring B.C.
1932–33 Brussels A.C.
1933–34 Daring B.C.
1934–35 Amicale Sportive
1935–36 Amicale Sportive
1936–37 Fresh Air
1937–38 Fresh Air
1938–39 Royal IV
1939–41 Not held due to WWII
1941–42 Royal IV
1942–45 Not held due to WWII
1945–46
1946–47
1947–48
1948–49
1949–50
1950–51
1951–52 Royal IV
1953–53 Royal IV
1953–54 Royal IV
1954–55 Hellas Gent
1955–56 Antwerpse
1956–57 Royal IV
1957–58 Royal IV
1958–59 Antwerpse
1959–60 Antwerpse

1960–61 Antwerpse
1961–62 Antwerpse
1962–63 Antwerpse
1963–64 Antwerpse
1964–65 Racing Mechelen
1965–66 Racing Mechelen
1966–67 Racing Mechelen
1967–68 Standard Liège
1968–69 Racing Bell Mechelen
1969–70 Standard Liège
1970–71 Bus Fruit Lier
1971–72 Bus Fruit Lier
1972–73 Racing Antwerpen
1973–74 Maes Pils
1974–75 Maes Pils
1975–76 Maes Pils
1976–77 Standard Liège
1977–78 Fresh Air
1978–79 Fresh Air
1979–80 Maes Pils
1980–81 Sunair Oostende
1981–82 Sunair Oostende
1982–83 Sunair Oostende
1983–84 Sunair Oostende
1984–85 Sunair Oostende
1985–86 Sunair Oostende
1986–87 Maes Pils
1987–88 Sunair Oostende
1988–89 Maes Pils
1989–90 Maes Pils

1990–91 Maes Pils
1991–92 Maes Pils
1992–93 Maes Pils
1993–94 Maes Pils
1994–95 Sunair Oostende
1995–96 Spirou
1996–97 Spirou
1997–98 Spirou
1998–99 Spirou
1999–00 Telindus Racing Antwerpen
2000–01 Telindus Oostende
2001–02 Telindus Oostende
2002–03 Spirou
2003–04 Spirou
2004–05 Euphony Bree
2005–06 Telindus Oostende
2006–07 Telindus Oostende
2007–08 Spirou
2008–09 Spirou
2009–10 Spirou
2010–11 Spirou
2011–12 Telenet Oostende
2012–13 Telenet Oostende
2013–14 Telenet Oostende
2014–15 Telenet Oostende
2015–16 Telenet Oostende
2016–17 Telenet Oostende
2017–18 Telenet Oostende
2018–19 Filou Oostende
2019–20 Filou Oostende
2020-21 Filou Oostende

Performance by club[]

Key
+	Denotes a team that has been dissolved.

Titles	Team	Seasons
22	Oostende	1981, 1982, 1983, 1984, 1985, 1986, 1988, 1995, 2001, 2002, 2006, 2007, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020,
15	Racing Mechelen⁺	1965, 1966, 1967, 1969, 1974, 1975, 1976, 1980, 1987, 1989, 1990, 1991, 1992, 1993, 1994
10	Spirou	1996, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2003, 2004, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011
8	Antwerpse⁺	1956, 1959, 1960, 1961, 1962, 1963, 1964, 1973
7	Royal IV⁺	1939, 1942, 1952, 1953, 1954, 1957, 1958
6	Semailles⁺	1946, 1947, 1948, 1949, 1950, 1951
4	Fresh Air	1937, 1938, 1978, 1979
4	Brussels A.C.⁺	1928, 1930, 1931, 1933
3	Daring B.C.⁺	1929, 1932, 1934
3	Standard Liège⁺	1968, 1970, 1977
2	Lier⁺	1971, 1972
2	Amicale Sportive⁺	1935, 1936
1	Bree⁺	2005
1	Antwerp Giants	2000
1	Hellas Gent⁺	1955

Individual awards[]

Not all awards are official ones handed out by the league itself, but all are regarded and respected as BLB awards. As example the Belgian Player of the Year award is handed out by the Belgian newspaper Het Nieuwsblad, but the league itself reports the winner on its website.

Belgian Basketball Player of the year
Coach of the Year
MVP
Star of the Coaches
Young Player of the Year
Lifetime Achievement Award

References[]

^ "Statuten Pro Basketball League" (PDF) (in Dutch). Retrieved 30 May 2018.
^ "The Pro Basketball League and Dutch Basketball League about to launch BeNeLeague as of the 2021–2022 season". Pro Basketball League. 10 December 2020. Retrieved 5 January 2021.
^ "Arthur Goethals nieuwe voorzitter Pro Basketball League". Het Nieuwsblad.
^ "Basketbalcompetitie bij mannen definitief stopgezet: Oostende is weer kampioen". Sporza.be. 14 March 2020. Retrieved 15 March 2020.
^ "Scooore! League makes way for Euromillions Basketball League". Scooore! League. 6 September 2016. Retrieved 6 September 2016.
^ "A, B en C-licentie in 2009-2010 in Ethias League". Nieuwsblad.be. 12 March 2009.
^ "Licentiereglement vzw BLB ter deelname aan competitie – Types van licentie" (PDF). BLB. Archived from the original (PDF) on 14 July 2014. Retrieved 7 July 2014.

External links[]

[1] "Statuten Pro Basketball League" (PDF) (in Dutch). Retrieved 30 May 2018.

[announcement-2] "The Pro Basketball League and Dutch Basketball League about to launch BeNeLeague as of the 2021–2022 season". Pro Basketball League. 10 December 2020. Retrieved 5 January 2021.

[3] "Arthur Goethals nieuwe voorzitter Pro Basketball League". Het Nieuwsblad.

[4] "Basketbalcompetitie bij mannen definitief stopgezet: Oostende is weer kampioen". Sporza.be. 14 March 2020. Retrieved 15 March 2020.

[5] "Scooore! League makes way for Euromillions Basketball League". Scooore! League. 6 September 2016. Retrieved 6 September 2016.

[6] "A, B en C-licentie in 2009-2010 in Ethias League". Nieuwsblad.be. 12 March 2009.

[7] "Licentiereglement vzw BLB ter deelname aan competitie – Types van licentie" (PDF). BLB. Archived from the original (PDF) on 14 July 2014. Retrieved 7 July 2014.

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