Baltic Basketball League, BBL Sweden ). In the 2011/12 season, the Lyubertsy Triumph participated in the BBL [1] It was formed in September 2004 and became a kind of replacement for the North European Basketball League , where teams from Lithuania held a special place. Due to the significant difference in the level of basketball development in the Baltic States, Lithuanian clubs dominate in the BBL. All tournaments were won by Lithuanian teams альalgiris and Lietuvos Rytas (Vilnius) , and until 2010 only these two teams participated in the final matches. According to the Latvian media, BBL is actually the open championship of Lithuania . Because of this, the attention of fans to BBL is practically reduced to zero [2] . BBL served as a model for organizing a similar football league in 2007 [3] .
| Baltic Basketball League | |
|---|---|
 Current season:Baltic Basketball League 2017/2018 | |
 | |
| Kind of sport | basketball |
| Founded by | 2004 in sports |
| Number of teams | 14 |
| A country |  Belarus Kazakhstan Latvia Lithuania Estonia |
| Continent |  FIBA Europe |
| Last champion | Peno Zhvaygdes (1) |
| Most titles | Альalgiris (5) |
| TV partner (s) | Viasat Sport Baltic |
| Official site | http://www.bbl.net |
Formula
The first BBL tournament took place in 2005. After two rounds were played in the national championships of the three Baltic countries, the best clubs (three Latvian, five Lithuanian and two Estonian) started in the regular season of the BBL. At the same time, the results of matches previously played by clubs of one country in national championships were taken into account. After the two-round tournament, the best teams in the final of four played the title of BBL champion. The championship started in January, and ended in April. In addition, matches were held in parallel in the second division, which amounted to five Latvian, four Lithuanian and five Estonian clubs [4] .
The following season (2005/2006) the division into divisions was canceled. The tournament, which started in early October, was attended by 17 teams (eight Lithuanian, five Latvian and four Estonian). At the end of the two-round tournament, six best teams were determined. In the quarter finals, the third team played against the sixth, the fourth against the fifth. The winners played in the semifinals against the first and second teams [5] .
After that, the organizers of the tournament returned to the idea of dividing into two divisions. In the first division - 10 teams, in the second - up to 16 (in the 2008/2009 season). Six teams enter the playoffs. Quarter finals are played until two victories at home and away (third team versus sixth, fourth versus fifth). The winners of the quarter finals, as well as the two best teams of the regular championship, appear in the final of four, which takes place in turn in each of the three Baltic countries.
BBL Tournament Winners
| Season | The participants and results of the finals of four | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| City, arena | Champion | Result | Vice champion | 3rd place | Result | 4th place | ||
| 2004/05 | Vilnius , Siemens Arena | Альalgiris | 64 - 60 | Lietuvos Rytas | Šiauliai | 97 - 87 | Ventspils | |
| 2005/06 | Tallinn , Saku Suurhall | Lietuvos Rytas | 86 - 74 | Альalgiris | Šiauliai | 76 - 59 | Nevezis | |
| 2006/07 | Riga , Arena Riga | Lietuvos Rytas | 81 - 77 | Альalgiris | Ventspils | 94 - 88 | Šiauliai | |
| 2007/08 | Šiauliai , Šiauliai Arena | Альalgiris | 86 - 84 | Lietuvos Rytas | ASK | 96 - 82 | Barons | |
| 2008/09 | Tartu , Tartu Julicooli Spordijoone | Lietuvos Rytas | 97 - 74 | Альalgiris | Tartu Yulikool / Rock | 77 - 68 | ASK | |
| 2009/10 | Vilnius , Siemens Arena | Альalgiris | 73 - 66 | Lietuvos Rytas | Šiauliai | 84 - 83 1 | Ventspils | |
| 2010/11 | Kaunas , Siemens Arena | Альalgiris | 75 - 67 | WEF Riga | Lietuvos Rytas | 84 - 80 | Ventspils | |
| 2011/12 | Šiauliai , Šiauliai Arena | Альalgiris | 74 - 70 | Lietuvos Rytas | WEF Riga | 92 - 75 | Šiauliai | |
1 Third place was awarded to both clubs [1]
Notes
- ↑ BK "Ventspils" saņēmis oficiālu atbildi no Baltijas Basketbola līgas (Latvian) . Date of treatment May 7, 2010. Archived March 29, 2012.
See also
- Baltic Women's Basketball League