LNB Élite explained

LNB Élite
Current Season:2023–24 Pro A season
Pixels:140px
Countries:France (17 teams)
Monaco (1 team)
Organiser:LNB
Confed:FIBA Europe
Teams:18
Relegation:Pro B
Domest Cup:French Cup
Leaders Cup
Confed Cup:EuroLeague
EuroCup
Champions League
FIBA Europe Cup
Champions:AS Monaco (2nd title)
Season:2023–24
Most Champs:ASVEL (21 titles)
Top Scorer:Hervé Dubuisson (19,013)
Tv:DAZN
La Chaîne L'Equipe
Sport en France
Fanseat (select foreign markets)[1]
NBA App[2]
Website:LNB Pro A

The LNB Élite, currently known for sponsorship reasons as Betclic Élite, is the top-tier men's professional basketball league in France. The competition has existed since 1921. Since 1987, the Ligue Nationale de Basket (LNB) has governed the league.

Formerly known as the LNB Pro A, each season consists of 18 teams. The bottom two placed teams from each season are relegated to the second tier level Pro B. The winner of the play-offs of the league are crowned the French national champions.

Competition format

All 18 Pro A League teams play each other twice during the regular season. At the end of the regular season, the top eight teams qualify for the playoffs. The two teams with the worst regular season records are relegated to the 2nd-tier Pro B.

Through the 1985–86 season, the league championship was determined by a one-off final, or solely by league play. Since then, the format for the league finals has changed many times:[3]

From the 2003–04 season, through the 2006–07 season, the Pro A League had 18 teams. Through the wild-card system, it will have 18 teams again from the 2014–15 season.

Current teams

TeamCityArenaCapacity
ADA Blois Basket 41BloisJeu de Paume2,525
AS Monaco BasketFontvieille, MonacoSalle Gaston Médecin4,560
ASVEL BasketLyon - VilleurbanneAstroballe5,556
BCM Gravelines-DunkerqueGravelinesSportica3,043
Cholet BasketCholetLa Meilleraie5,191
Élan ChalonChalon-sur-SaôneLe Colisée4,540
ESSM Le PortelLe PortelLe Chaudron3,500
JDA Dijon BasketDijonPalais des Sports Jean-Michel Geoffroy4,628
JL Bourg BasketBourg-en-BresseEkinox3,548
Le Mans Sarthe BasketLe MansAntarès6,023
Limoges CSPLimogesBeaublanc5,516
Metropolitans 92Levallois-PerretPalais des Sports Marcel Cerdan3,051
Nanterre 92NanterrePalais des Sports3,000
Paris BasketballParisAdidas Arena8,000
Roanne BasketRoanneHalle André Vacheresse5,020
Saint-Quentin Basket-BallSaint-QuentinPalais des Sports Pierre Ratte3,800
SIG StrasbourgStrasbourgRhénus Sport6,200
SLUC Nancy BasketNancyJean Weille6,027

Arena rules

Currently, LNB Pro A clubs must play in arenas that seat at least 3,000 people.

French League history

Title holders

Performance by club

ClubChampionsWinning years
ASVELalign=center 211949–50, 1950–51, 1951–52, 1954–55, 1955–56, 1956–57, 1963–64, 1965–66, 1967–68, 1968–69, 1970–71, 1971–72, 1974–75, 1976–77, 1980–81, 2001–02, 2008–09, 2015–16, 2018–19, 2020–21, 2021–22
Limoges CSPalign=center 111982–83, 1983–84, 1984–85, 1987–88, 1988–89, 1989–90, 1992–93, 1993–94, 1999–00, 2013–14, 2014–15
Pau-Lacq-Orthezalign=center 91985–86, 1986–87, 1991–92, 1995–96, 1997–98, 1998–99, 2000–01, 2002–03, 2003–04
FAMalign=center 71923–24, 1924–25, 1925–26, 1927–28, 1928–29, 1929–30, 1930–31
Le Mans Sarthealign=center 51977–78, 1978–79, 1981–82, 2005–06, 2017–18
Racing Parisalign=center 41950–51, 1952–53, 1953–54, 1996–97
Alsace de Bagnoletalign=center 31960–61, 1961–62, 1966–67
Olympique Antibesalign=center 31969–70, 1990–91, 1994–95
Stade Françaisalign=center 21920–21, 1926–27
CAUFA Reimsalign=center 21931–32, 1932–33
CAMalign=center 21934–35, 1936–37
SCPOalign=center 21935–36, 1937–38
Métroalign=center 21938–39, 1941–42
Grenoblealign=center 21942–43, 1943–44
Étoile Charleville-Mézièresalign=center 21957–58, 1959–60
PUCalign=center 21946–47, 1962–63
Berckalign=center 21972–73, 1973–74
ASPO Toursalign=center 21975–76, 1979–80
Chorale Roannealign=center 21958–59, 2006–07
SLUC Nancyalign=center 22007–08, 2010–11
Élan Chalonalign=center 22011–12, 2016–17
AS Monacoalign=center 22022–23, 2023-24
ICAM Lillealign=center 11921–22
École Normale Arrasalign=center 11922–23
Olympique Lilloisalign=center 11933–34
Championnet Sportsalign=center 11944–45
ESSMG Lyonalign=center 11945–46
Marseillealign=center 11947–48
Denain Voltairealign=center 11964–65
SIGalign=center 12004–05
Choletalign=center 12009–10
Nanterre 92align=center 12012–13

Finals

SeasonHome court advantageResultHome court disadvantage1st of Regular SeasonRecord
align=center 1987–88Limoges CSPalign=center 2–0CholetLimoges CSPalign=center 26–4
align=center 1988–89Limoges CSPalign=center 2–0OrthezLimoges CSPalign=center 28–2
align=center 1989–90Limoges CSPalign=center 2–1Olympique AntibesLimoges CSPalign=center 33–1
align=center 1990–91Olympique Antibesalign=center 2–1Limoges CSPOlympique Antibesalign=center 22–8
align=center 1991–92Limoges CSPalign=center 0–2Pau-OrthezLimoges CSPalign=center 27–3
align=center 1992–93Limoges CSPalign=center 3–1Pau-OrthezLimoges CSPalign=center 25–1
align=center 1993–94Limoges CSPalign=center 2–0Olympique AntibesLimoges CSPalign=center 23–3
align=center 1994–95Olympique Antibesalign=center 3–1Pau-OrthezOlympique Antibesalign=center 21–5
align=center 1995–96Pau-Orthezalign=center 3–2ASVELPau-Orthezalign=center 27–3
align=center 1996–97ASVELalign=center 0–2PSG RacingPau-Orthezalign=center 24–6
align=center 1997–98Pau-Orthezalign=center 2–0Limoges CSPASVELalign=center 24–6
align=center 1998–99Pau-Orthezalign=center 2–0ASVELPau-Orthezalign=center 27–3
align=center 1999–00ASVELalign=center 1–2Limoges CSPASVELalign=center 24–6
align=center 2000–01ASVELalign=center 0–2Pau-OrthezASVELalign=center 24–6
align=center 2001–02Pau-Orthezalign=center 0–2ASVELPau-Orthezalign=center 24–6
align=center 2002–03Pau-Orthezalign=center 2–1ASVELPau-Orthezalign=center 27–3
align=center 2003–04Pau-Orthezalign=center 2–0BCM GravelinesLe Mans Sarthealign=center 27–7
align=center 2004–05SIGalign=center 1–0 (72–68)SLUC NancyLe Mans Sarthealign=center 25–9
align=center 2005–06SLUC Nancyalign=center 0–1 (88–93)Le Mans SarthePau-Orthezalign=center 26–8
align=center 2006–07SLUC Nancyalign=center 0–1 (74–81)Chorale RoanneSLUC Nancyalign=center 25–9
align=center 2007–08SLUC Nancyalign=center 1–0 (84–53)Chorale RoanneLe Mans Sarthealign=center 23–7
align=center 2008–09ASVELalign=center 1–0 (55–41)Entente Orléanaise LoiretASVELalign=center 22–8
align=center 2009–10Choletalign=center 1–0 (81–65)Le Mans SartheCholetalign=center 23–7
align=center 2010–11Choletalign=center 0–1 (74–76)SLUC NancyCholetalign=center 22–8
align=center 2011–12Élan Chalonalign=center 1–0 (95–76)Le Mans SartheBCM Gravelinesalign=center 27–3
align=center 2012–13SIGalign=center 1–3JSF NanterreBCM Gravelinesalign=center 21–9
align=center 2013–14SIGalign=center 0–3Limoges CSPSIGalign=center 20–10
align=center 2014–15SIGalign=center 1–3Limoges CSPSIGalign=center 30–4
align=center 2015–16SIGalign=center 2–3ASVELMonacoalign=center 27–7
align=center 2016–17Élan Chalonalign=center 3–2SIGMonacoalign=center 30–4
align=center 2017–18Monacoalign=center 2–3Le MansMonacoalign=center 25–9
align=center 2018–19LDLC ASVELalign=center 3–2MonacoLDLC ASVELalign=center 35–10
align=center 2019–20Not awarded due to the COVID-19 pandemicMonacoalign=center 21–3
align=center 2020–21LDLC ASVELalign=center 87–74JDA DijonJDA Dijonalign=center 30–7
align=center 2021–22LDLC ASVELalign=center 3–2MonacoLDLC ASVELalign=center 34–11
align=center 2022–23Monacoalign=center 3–0Metropolitans 92Monacoalign=center 26–8
align=center 2023–24Monacoalign=center 3–1Paris BasketballMonacoalign=center 29–5

Historical players

Players with the most French League championships won

PlayerClub(s)Number of Titles Won
Richard DacouryLimoges CSP (8), Racing Paris (1)9
Alain GillesASVEL8
Frédéric FauthouxPau-Lacq-Orthez7
Didier GadouPau-Lacq-Orthez7
Henri GrangeASVEL7
Jean-Michel SénégalASVEL (2), ASPO Tours (2), Limoges CSP (3)7
André BuffièreÉveil Lyon (1), Marseille (1), ASVEL (4)6
Laurent FoirestOlympique Antibes (2), Pau-Lacq-Orthez (3), ASVEL (1)6
Raymond SahyASVEL6

French basketball clubs in European and worldwide competitions

See main article: French basketball clubs in European and worldwide competitions.

Individual awards

In each Pro A season, individual honors are given to players and head coaches in the Pro A Awards ceremony who performed well during a given season. The awards that are handed out include:

LNB All-Star Game

See main article: LNB All-Star Game.

Broadcasting

In July 2024, the LNB accounced it had signed an agreement until 2029 with DAZN which becomes the exclusive broadcaster for the Pro A.[7] DAZN will broadcast all games, as well as the Leaders Cup and All-Star Game. The league's games are also accessible through the FIBA-operated Courtside 1891 platform.

See also

External links

Notes and References

  1. Web site: French Basketball League . . fanseat.com . Spring Media . October 2, 2021.
  2. Web site: NBA APP TO STREAM ALL LNB GAMES WITH TOP DRAFT PROSPECT VICTOR WEMBANYAMA FOR FREE . . 2022-10-27.
  3. Web site: 2006–07 French League . . 2007-05-29.
  4. La Phase Finale de la Saison de Jeep® ÉLITE 2020-21 Officialisée . Ligue Nationale de Basket . French . 1 June 2021 . 2 June 2021.
  5. News: La PRO A devient la Jeep® ELITE. The PRO A becomes the Jeep® ELITE. 2 March 2018. 2 March 2018. Msb.fr.
  6. News: Betclic nouveau partenaire et namer du championnat de France Élite . 24 June 2021 . L'Équipe . fr.
  7. Web site: 2024-07-03 . DAZN, nouveau diffuseur officiel et exclusif du championnat Betclic ELITE jusqu'en 2029 . 2024-08-03 . Betclic ELITE . fr.

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