Liga Nacional de Básquet
Current season, competition or edition:  2017–18 Liga Nacional de Básquet season | |
 La Liga | |
| Sport | Basketball |
|---|---|
| Founder | León Najnudel |
| Inaugural season | 26 April 1985 (1985-04-26) |
| President | Fabián Borro (AdC) |
| No. of teams | 20 |
| Country |  Argentina |
| Continent |  South America |
| Most recent champion(s) | San Lorenzo |
| Most titles | Atenas (9 titles) |
| TV partner(s) | TyC Sports TyC Max DIRECTV Sports |
| Level on pyramid | First Division |
Relegation to | Torneo Nacional de Ascenso |
| Official website | laliganacional.com.ar |
The Liga Nacional de Básquet (abbreviated LNB, and literally in English, "National Basketball League"), also commonly referred to as "La Liga" ("The League"), is the top-tier level of the Argentine basketball league system. The league is controlled by the Basketball Clubs' Association (in Spanish: Asociación de Clubes de Básquetbol). The LNB's predecessor league is the now defunct Campeonato Argentino de Clubes, which was organized by the Argentine Basketball Federation.
The league was created through the efforts of basketball coach León Najnudel, and sports journalist Osvaldo Orcasitas, in the 1980s, to make Argentine men's club basketball more competitive, through the merging of the many existing local leagues.[1] It is designed like the NBA, with a regular season, all-star game, and playoffs. However, unlike the NBA, the LNB has a promotion and relegation system, with the Torneo Nacional de Ascenso (TNA), the league level that is immediately below the LNB.
A tribute to Najnudel's vision, is the string of successes of the senior men's Argentine national basketball team, culminating with the team's Summer Olympic Games gold medal won at the 2004 Summer Olympics, and the international careers of many players who started in the league.
Contents
1 History
1.1 Creation
1.2 First seasons
2 Competition format
2.1 Liga A
2.2 Top 4
2.3 Torneo Nacional de Ascenso
3 Current teams (2017–18 season)
4 Champions
4.1 List of finals
4.2 Titles by club
5 Awards
6 Statistical leaders
7 Retired numbers
8 References
9 External links
History
Creation
León Najnudel with the ball in the first LNB game ever: Argentino de Firmat v. San Lorenzo (in red uniform), 26 April 1985.
Ferro C. Oeste, the first champion of the LNB.
Before the league was established, the regular tournament was Campeonato Argentino de Clubes where teams from all the provinces took part. The league had a regional format and playoffs.
For the 1984 edition there was 64 teams. The association decided to retire 10 teams, moving them to "Primera Nacional A".[2] Of those teams, 4 were from city of Buenos Aires, and the provinces of Buenos Aires, Córdoba and Santa Fe were represented by 2 teams each.
As a result, a number of 54 teams played the Argentino de clubes. At the end of the tournament, the six best placed team would promote to Primera A, and the rest of the clubs would be relegated to Primera B (second division).[3]
First seasons
The first edition of Liga Nacional was played within 1985, with 16 teams participating although Independiente de Tucumán abandoned the championship for economic reasons. The first game was played on April 26, 1985,[4] when San Lorenzo de Almagro faced Argentino de Firmat at Estadio Obras Sanitarias.
Ferro Carril Oeste was the first LNB champion after defeating Atenas de Córdoba in 3 games. The next season (1986), Ferro Carril Oeste won its second consecutive title, beating Olimpo de Bahía Blanca in 5 games (3-1 on aggregate). The Verdolaga played its third consecutive final series in 1987, but was finally defeated by Atenas, that won the first of 9 titles, being the most winning LNB team to date.
In 1988 Atenas won a second championship beating River Plate and the next year Ferro won another title, being the only title won by León Najnudel as coach.
Competition format
Following a system similar to the European basketball leagues, there are two leves of competition: the Liga A (first division) and the Torneo Nacional de Ascenso (National Promotion Tournament in English ") or TNA (second division). Both tournaments feature promotions and relegations and are organized by the Clubs Association of Argentina. On the 2011–12 season a third level of competition was inaugurated, the Torneo Federal de Básquetbol,[5] which encompasses a wide array of teams from all over the country and is organized by the Argentine Basketball Federation. An additional short tournament between the top seven teams in the first division and a wild card takes place before the start of the regular season.
Liga A
The top tier of the league consists of 20 teams, which are later divided into two Conferences, North and South, according to their geographical location. The regular season is divided in two stages: the first stage consists of a double round-robin between teams on the same Conference only, with standings decided by a points system. On the second stage, each team carries over 100% of the points obtained in the first stage and a new double round-robin starts, this time between all 20 teams, maintaining separate standings for each Conference. After the regular season ends, the standings in each Conference determine different outcomes which are as follows:
- 1st–2nd place – Advance directly to the Conference semifinals.
- 3rd–6th place – Advance to the Conference quarterfinals.
- 10th place from each Conference – Compete in a best-of-five series where the loser is relegated to the Torneo Nacional de Ascenso.
The Championship Playoffs follow a tournament format, where each team plays against the opponent in a best-of-five series in the Conference quarterfinals, semifinals and finals, and a best-of-seven series in the Championship Finals. The Champion and runner-up earn berths to next year's edition of the FIBA Americas League. The runners-up from each Conference final earn berth's to next year's edition of the Liga Sudamericana de Básquetbol.
Top 4
The top two teams from each Conference play in this tournament. The winner earns a berth in the Liga Sudamericana de Básquetbol. If the winner already qualified by merit of reaching the Conference finals the previous year, the next best team overall from both Conferences that hasn't already qualified will get the spot.
Torneo Nacional de Ascenso
The TNA consists of 26 teams, which are divided into four Divisions: North Center North, South and Center South, with 7 teams going to the North and Center South Divisions and 6 teams going to the Center North and South Divisions. The competition format is similar to that of Liga A, with a regular season divided in two stages. On the first stage, teams from the same division compete in a double round-robin format, with standings determined by a points system. Teams from the Center North and South Divisions will play two extra interzone matches.
After the first phase each team carries over 100% of the points obtained to the second stage. On the second stage, two Conferences (North and South) are formed uniting the four divisions, so each Conference has a total of 13 teams each. A new double round-robin series of matches takes place, with the final standings in each conference determined by the same points system of the first stage.
The final stage of the tournament follow a playoff format. The top four teams from each Conference advance directly to the Conference quarterfinals, while the teams ranked from 5th to 12th place in each Conference compete in a separate bracket to allocate the remaining berths for the Conference quarterfinals. Every series in this final stage follow a best-of-five format. The winning team of the Finals will earn a spot in the top tier the following year.
Current teams (2017–18 season)
Conferencia Norte | ||||
| Team | City | Seasons | Arena | Capacity |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Atenas | Córdoba | 30 | Carlos Cerutti | 3,730 |
| Ciclista Olímpico | La Banda | 9 | Vicente Rosales | 3,964 |
| Estudiantes (C) | Concordia | 4 | Gigante Verde | 1,610 |
| Atlético Echagüe Club | Paraná | 8 | Luis Butta | 2,300 |
| Regatas (Ctes) | Corrientes | 10 | José Jorge Contte | 4,000 |
| San Martín (C) | Corrientes | 2 | Raúl A. Ortiz | 2,500 |
| Instituto (C) | Córdoba | 2 | Angel Sandrin | 2,000 |
| Comunicaciones | Mercedes, Corrientes | 1 | Estadio Cubierto Comunicaciones | 4,000 |
| Quimsa | Santiago del Estero | 8 | Estadio Ciudad | 5,200 |
| La Unión | Formosa | 6 | Cincuentenario | 4,500 |
Conferencia Sur | ||||
| Team | City | Seasons | Arena | Capacity |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Argentino de Junín | Junín | 6 | El Fortín de las Morochas | 1,465 |
| Boca Juniors | Buenos Aires | 25 | Luis Conde | 2,000 |
| Estudiantes (BB) | Bahía Blanca | 26 | Estadio Osvaldo Casanova | 3,950 |
| Ferro Carril Oeste | Buenos Aires | 20 | Estadio Héctor Etchart | 4,500 |
| Gimnasia y Esgrima (CR) | Comodoro Rivadavia | 25 | Socios Fundadores | 2,276 |
| Hispano Americano | Rio Gallegos | 2 | Boxing Club | 2,000 |
| Obras Sanitarias | Buenos Aires | 17 | Estadio Obras (Templo del Rock) | 3,000 |
| Peñarol (MdP) | Mar del Plata | 27 | Islas Malvinas | 8,000 |
| San Lorenzo | Buenos Aires | 3 | Polideportivo Roberto Pando | 2,700 |
| Quilmes | Mar del Plata | 20 | Once Unidos | 3,000 |
Champions
List of finals
| Season | Champion | Runner-Up | Result | Winning Coach |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1985 | Ferro Carril Oeste | Atenas | 2–1 | Luis Martínez |
| 1986 | Ferro Carril Oeste | Olimpo | 3–1 | Luis Martínez |
| 1987 | Atenas | Ferro Carril Oeste | 3–1 | Walter Garrone |
| 1988 | Atenas | River Plate | 3–0 | Walter Garrone |
| 1989 | Ferro Carril Oeste | Atenas | 3–2 | León Najnudel |
| 1990 | Atenas | Cañadense | 3–0 | Walter Garrone |
| 1990–91 | GEPU | Estudiantes (BB) | 4–2 | Daniel Rodríguez |
| 1991–92 | Atenas | GEPU | 4–1 | Rubén Magnano |
| 1992–93 | GEPU | Atenas | 4–2 | Orlando Ferratto |
| 1993–94 | Peñarol (MDP) | Independiente (GP) | 4–1 | Néstor García |
| 1994–95 | Independiente (GP) | Olimpia (VT) | 4–1 | Mario Guzmán |
| 1995–96 | Olimpia (VT) | Atenas | 4–3 | Horacio Seguí |
| 1996–97 | Boca Juniors | Independiente (GP) | 4–1 | Julio Lamas |
| 1997–98 | Atenas | Boca Juniors | 4–0 | Rubén Magnano |
| 1998–99 | Atenas | Independiente (GP) | 4–3 | Rubén Magnano |
| 1999–00 | Estudiantes (O) | Atenas | 4–3 | Sergio Hernández |
| 2000–01 | Estudiantes (O) | Libertad | 4–1 | Sergio Hernández |
| 2001–02 | Atenas | Estudiantes (O) | 4–1 | Horacio Seguí |
| 2002–03 | Atenas | Boca Juniors | 4–2 | Oscar Sánchez |
| 2003–04 | Boca Juniors | Gimnasia y Esgrima (LP) | 4–2 | Sergio Hernández |
| 2004–05 | Ben Hur | Boca Juniors | 4–1 | Julio Lamas |
| 2005–06 | Gimnasia y Esgrima (CR) | Libertad | 4–2 | Fernando Duró |
| 2006–07 | Boca Juniors | Peñarol | 4–2 | Gabriel Piccato |
| 2007–08 | Libertad | Quimsa | 4–0 | Julio Lamas |
| 2008–09 | Atenas | Peñarol | 4–2 | Rubén Magnano |
| 2009–10 | Peñarol (MDP) | Atenas | 4–1 | Sergio Hernández |
| 2010–11 | Peñarol (MDP) | Atenas | 4–1 | Sergio Hernández |
| 2011–12 | Peñarol (MDP) | Obras Sanitarias | 4–2 | Sergio Hernández |
| 2012–13 | Regatas (C) | Lanús | 4–0 | Nicolás Casalánguida |
| 2013–14 | Peñarol (MDP) | Regatas | 4–2 | Fernando Rivero |
| 2014–15 | Quimsa | Gimnasia y Esgrima (CR) | 4–2 | Silvio Santander |
| 2015–16 | San Lorenzo | La Unión | 4–0 | Julio Lamas |
| 2016–17 | San Lorenzo | Regatas | 4–1 | Julio Lamas |
| 2017–18 | San Lorenzo | San Martín (C) | 4–2 | Gonzalo García |
Source: LNB website.[6]
Titles by club
| Titles | Club | Years won |
|---|---|---|
| 9 | Atenas | 1987, 1988, 1990, 1991–92, 1997–98, 1998–99, 2001–02, 2002–03, 2008–09 |
| 5 | Peñarol | 1993–94, 2009–10, 2010–11, 2011–12, 2013–14 |
| 3 | Boca Juniors | 1996–97, 2003–04, 2006–07 |
| Ferro Carril Oeste | 1985, 1986, 1989 | |
| San Lorenzo | 2015–16, 2016–17, 2017–18 | |
| 2 | GEPU | 1990–91, 1992–93 |
| Estudiantes (O) | 1999–00, 2000–01 | |
| 1 | Independiente | 1994–95 |
| Olimpia | 1995–96 | |
| Ben Hur | 2004–05 | |
| Gimnasia y Esgrima (CR) | 2005–06 | |
| Libertad | 2007–08 | |
| Regatas Corrientes | 2012–13 | |
| Quimsa | 2014–15 |
Awards
The are the yearly individual awards are given by the league as a recognition to the most valuable player (in both, regular season and finals) and the top scorer. Leonardo Gutiérrez was chosen finals MVP a record of 4 times, while Héctor Campana is the most times top scorer (4 seasons).
Statistical leaders
Retired numbers
As of June 2017, 11 players have their jerseys retired. Atenas was the team which started this practice (in 2002, with legendary Marcelo Milanesio's #9).[7][8][9]
| N° | Club | Player | Pos. | Tenure | Num. Retirement | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 9 | Atenas | Marcelo Milanesio | PG | 1987–1988, 1991–1992, 1996–2000, 2002–2004 | 2002 | [8] |
| 14 | Estudiantes (BB) | Alberto Cabrera | PG | 1961–1984 | 2004 | [10][11] |
| 5 | Atenas | Héctor Campana | SG | 1982–2002 | 2005 | [8][12] |
| 4 | Quilmes (MdP) | Eduardo Dominé | SG | 1990, 1991–2001 | 2009 | [9] |
| 11 | Atenas | Diego Osella | C | 1988–1992, 1993–2001, 2003–2010 | 2011 | [13][14][15] |
| 11 | Quimsa | Miguel Cortijo | PG | (None) [note 1] | ? | [9] |
| 8 | Peñarol (MDP) | Tato Rodríguez | PG | 1994–1998, 1999–2003, 2004–2011 | 2011 | [16][17] |
| 10 | Estudiantes (BB) | Juan Espil | SG/SF | 1988–1992, 2010–2012 | 2013 | [18][19] |
| 8 | Quilmes (MdP) | Guillermo García Oyaga | 1970s–80s [9] | 2013 | [9] | |
| 7 | Quilmes (MdP) | Esteban De la Fuente | SG/SF | 1991–93, 1995–97, 2004–05 | 2013 | [9] |
| 7 | Atenas | Bruno Lábaque | PG | 1994–2003, 2006–09, 2010–17 | 2017 | [20] |
- Notes
^ Although Cortijo never played for the club, the #11 jersey was retired honoring him as a native of Santiago del Estero, where Quimsa is located in.
References
^ Matías Ron Ares (2010-03-14). "LNB: la historia de su origen" (in Spanish). In Deportes. Archived from the original on 2011-07-06. Retrieved 2010-10-19..mw-parser-output cite.citation{font-style:inherit}.mw-parser-output q{quotes:"""""""'""'"}.mw-parser-output code.cs1-code{color:inherit;background:inherit;border:inherit;padding:inherit}.mw-parser-output .cs1-lock-free a{background:url("//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/6/65/Lock-green.svg/9px-Lock-green.svg.png")no-repeat;background-position:right .1em center}.mw-parser-output .cs1-lock-limited a,.mw-parser-output .cs1-lock-registration a{background:url("//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/d/d6/Lock-gray-alt-2.svg/9px-Lock-gray-alt-2.svg.png")no-repeat;background-position:right .1em center}.mw-parser-output .cs1-lock-subscription a{background:url("//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/a/aa/Lock-red-alt-2.svg/9px-Lock-red-alt-2.svg.png")no-repeat;background-position:right .1em center}.mw-parser-output .cs1-subscription,.mw-parser-output .cs1-registration{color:#555}.mw-parser-output .cs1-subscription span,.mw-parser-output .cs1-registration span{border-bottom:1px dotted;cursor:help}.mw-parser-output .cs1-hidden-error{display:none;font-size:100%}.mw-parser-output .cs1-visible-error{font-size:100%}.mw-parser-output .cs1-subscription,.mw-parser-output .cs1-registration,.mw-parser-output .cs1-format{font-size:95%}.mw-parser-output .cs1-kern-left,.mw-parser-output .cs1-kern-wl-left{padding-left:0.2em}.mw-parser-output .cs1-kern-right,.mw-parser-output .cs1-kern-wl-right{padding-right:0.2em}
^ Resolución de 1983 para el Campeonato Argentino de Clubes
^ REGLAMENTO PARA LA ETAPA DE TRANSICION COMPETENCIA AÑO 1984
^ "Se cumplen 30 años del primer partido oficial de la LNB", Basquet Plus, 26 Apr 2015
^ Torneo Federal de Básquetbol Archived 2012-03-17 at the Wayback Machine., Official site. (in Spanish)
^ "Historial de Campeones de la Liga" (in Spanish). LNB official website. Retrieved 2010-09-27.
^ "Peñarol de Mar del Plata retiró la camiseta de 'Tato' Rodríguez", La Voz, 2011-11-23
^ abc Milanesio y Campana homenajeados con el retiro de las míticas "9" y "5" Pick and Roll website, 2005-11-05
^ abcdef Dorsales retirados que marcaron historia by Mariano Blanco, Diario Epoca, 11 May 2015
^ "La 14 inmortal" Pick and Roll site, 2004-10-04 (Archive)
^ Ordenanza Nº 14604, declarando "Sitio de Interés Cultural e Histórico" al Estadio Osvaldo Casanova 2008-01-08
^ Atenas retira la camiseta de Héctor "Pichi" Campana, Infobae, 2005-07-12
^ Atenas retiró el 11 de Diego Osella, Gualeguaychú a Diario webpage
^ Atenas retirará la camiseta 11 en homenaje a Diego Osella Archived 2012-04-01 at the Wayback Machine., La Mañana de Cordoba website
^ Atenas retira la camiseta 11 de Osella, Día a Día Deportes
^ "Peñarol retiró la camiseta de 'Tato' Rodríguez", La Voz del Interior, 2011-11-24
^ "La camiseta de Tato dijo hasta siempre", Pickandroll.com.ar, 2011-11-24 (Archive)
^ "Espil tuvo su merecido homenaje en Bahía", Clarín, 23 February 2013
^ "Espil vivió su noche soñada" at CanchaLlena.com, 22 February 2013
^ Se retiró Lábaque con una derrota frente a Instituto, LNB website, 12 May 2017
External links
Official website (in Spanish) (in French) (in English) (in Chinese)
Pick and Roll (news, info & statistics) (in Spanish)
- Argentinian league on Latinabasket.com
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