Liga Sudamericana de Baloncesto

Liga Sudamericana de Baloncesto
South American Basketball League
Founded1996; 28 years ago (1996)
First season1996
CountryABASU members
ConfederationFIBA Americas
Number of teams16
Level on pyramid2 (1996–2000, 2008–Present)
1 (2000–2007)
Promotion toChampions League
Americas
Related competitionsBasketball Champions League Americas
Current championsArgentina Instituto
(1st title)
Most championshipsArgentina Atenas
Brazil Brasília
(3 titles each)
TV partnersDirecTV
Websitewww.fiba.basketball/ligasudamericana/2023
2024 Liga Sudamericana de Básquetbol

The Liga Sudamericana de Baloncesto (LSB), or FIBA Liga Sudamericana de Baloncesto (Portuguese: Liga Sul-Americana de Basquete, English: South American Basketball League), also commonly known as FIBA South American League, is the second-tier level South American professional basketball competition at the club level, with the first-tier level now considered the panamerican competition of the Champions League. The competition is organized by the South American Basketball Association (ABASU), which operates as a regional sub-zone of FIBA Americas. The winner of each year's competition gets a place at the upcoming edition of the Basketball Champions League Americas.

The league usually includes some national domestic champions, and some runners-up, from the best national leagues and basketball countries on the South American continent. Depending on the country, places may be awarded on the basis of performance in the previous season's national domestic league, or over the previous two or three national domestic seasons. The tournament has been played since 1996, aside from 2003, 2020 and 2021.

History

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Basketball's 2nd all-time top scorer, Oscar Schmidt, played in the FIBA South American League Grand Finals twice, in 1996 and 1997.

The South American Championship of Champions Clubs, which was founded in 1946, was the first international club tournament played between basketball clubs from South America, and it was the first-tier and most important club competition in South America. In 1993, the Pan American Club Championship was launched including also Central American teams and was held annually until 2000.
The FIBA South American League was founded in 1996 and became the top South American competition, with the historical South American Basketball Championship becoming now the second tier. The champions of the FIBA South American League would automatically earn a spot to the biennial World club competition of the McDonald's Championship which was supported by FIBA. Atenas in 1997 and Vasco da Gama in 1999 were the only two teams that represented South America in the competition which also included NBA champions. Atenas also represented South America as champions in the 1996 FIBA Intercontinental Cup.

With the emergence of the new panamerican competition called the FIBA Americas League, in December 2007, the FIBA South American League became the second-tier international club championship in South America, beginning with the 2008 edition of the competition. The winner was also allocated a spot in the following year's FIBA Americas League.

On 24 September 2019, FIBA launched the competition, which derives its name and branding from the European Basketball Champions League. The competition replaced the FIBA Americas League as premier league in the Americas. The competition will consist of twelve teams, which have to qualify through their domestic leagues. The inaugural season is expected to start in October 2019.

The 2020 and 2021 seasons were cancelled because of the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic.[1] In 2022, the league returned.

FIBA South American League levels on the South American pyramid

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  • 1st-tier: (2001 – 2007)
  • 2nd-tier: (1996 – 2000, 2008 – Present)

Names of the top-tier level South American / Latin American competition

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Title holders

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Grand Finals

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Year Grand Final Semifinalists
Champion Score Second place
1996
Details
Argentina
Olimpia BBC
2–0 series Brazil
Corinthians
Brazil
Dharma Yara Franca
Brazil
Rio Claro Basquete
1997
Details
Argentina
Atenas
2–1 series Brazil
Corinthians
Argentina
Olimpia BBC
Brazil
Marathon Franca
1998
Details
Argentina
Atenas
2–0 series Brazil
Marathon Franca
Argentina
Boca Juniors
Argentina
Independent de General Pico
1999
Details
Brazil
Vasco da Gama
2–0 Series Argentina
Boca Juniors
Argentina
Independent de General Pico
Uruguay
Welcome
2000
Details
Brazil
Vasco da Gama
3–2 series Argentina
Atenas
Brazil
Marathon Franca
Uruguay
Welcome
2001
Details
Argentina
Estudiantes de Olavarría
3–1 series Argentina
GECR
Argentina
Atenas
Brazil
Flamengo
2002
Details
Argentina
Libertad de Sunchales
3–1 series Brazil
Vasco da Gama
Venezuela
Cocodrilos de Caracas
Argentina
Estudiantes de Olavarría
2004
Details
Argentina
Atenas
3–2 series Brazil
Unitri Uberlândia
Argentina
Boca Juniors
Argentina
Libertad
2005
Details
Brazil
Unitri Uberlândia
3–1 series Brazil
Universo Ajax
Argentina
Boca Juniors
Venezuela
Cocodrilos de Caracas
2006
Details
Argentina
Ben Hur
3–1 series Brazil
COC Ribeirão Preto
Brazil
Unitri Uberlândia
Argentina
Libertad
2007
Details
Argentina
Libertad de Sunchales
3–2 series Brazil
Unimed Franca
Argentina
Ben Hur
Argentina
GECR
2008
Details
Argentina
Regatas Corrientes
3–2 series Brazil
Flamengo
Argentina
Boca Juniors
Brazil
Lobos Brasília
2009 (I)
Details
Brazil
Flamengo
Final group Argentina
Quimsa
Colombia
Norte
Argentina
Regatas Corrientes
2009 (II)
Details
Argentina
Quimsa
Final group Argentina
Libertad de Sunchales
Argentina
Juventud Sionista
Brazil
Minas Tênis Clube
2010
Details
Brazil
Lobos Brasília
98-86 Brazil
Flamengo
Argentina
Boca Juniors
Argentina
Quimsa
2011
Details
Argentina
Obras Sanitarias
88-73 Brazil
Pinheiros Sky
Brazil
Lobos Brasília
Argentina
Atenas
2012
Details
Argentina
Regatas Corrientes
Final group Brazil
Lobos Brasília
Brazil
Flamengo
Argentina
Peñarol de Mar del Plata
2013
Details
Brazil
Lobos Brasília
93–81 Uruguay
Aguada
Brazil
Paschoalotto Bauru
Argentina
Boca Juniors
2014
Details
Brazil
Paschoalotto Bauru
79–53 Brazil
Mogi das Cruzes
Argentina
Boca Juniors
Uruguay
Malvín
2015
Details
Brazil
Brasília
2–0 series Argentina
San Martín de Corrientes
Semifinal groups
2016
Details
Brazil
Mogi das Cruzes
3–0 series Argentina
Bahía Basket
Semifinal groups
2017
Details
Venezuela
Guaros de Lara
3–1 series Argentina
Estudiantes Concordia
Semifinal groups
2018
Details
Brazil
Franca
2–1 series Argentina
Instituto
Semifinal groups
2019
Details
Brazil
Botafogo
2–1 series Brazil
Corinthians
Semifinal groups
2020 Not played due to the COVID-19 pandemic[1]
2021
2022
Details
Brazil
Bauru
66–57 Argentina
San Martín de Corrientes
Colombia
Titanes de Barranquilla
Argentina
Oberá
2023
Details
Argentina
Instituto
81–72 Colombia
Titanes de Barranquilla
Argentina
Gimnasia y Esgrima (CR)
Colombia
Caribbean Storm

Titles by club

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Titles Club Years
3 Argentina Atenas 1997, 1998, 2004
Brazil Lobos Brasília 2010, 2013, 2015
2 Brazil Vasco da Gama 1999, 2000
Brazil Bauru 2014, 2022
Argentina Libertad 2002, 2007
Argentina Regatas Corrientes 2008, 2012
1 Argentina Olimpia 1996
Argentina Estudiantes 2001
Brazil Uberlândia 2005
Argentina Ben Hur 2006
Brazil Flamengo 2009 (I)
Argentina Quimsa 2009 (II)
Argentina Obras Sanitarias 2011
Brazil Mogi das Cruzes 2016
Venezuela Guaros de Lara 2017
Brazil Franca 2018
Brazil Botafogo 2019
Argentina Instituto 2023

Titles by country

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Titles Country
13 Argentina Argentina
12 Brazil Brazil
1 Venezuela Venezuela

Awards

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See also

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References

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  1. ^ a b "Urgente: FIBA canceló las Ligas Sudamericanas masculina y femenina". Basquet Plus (in Spanish). 2021-09-02. Retrieved 2022-08-10.
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