| Liga de Baloncesto Puertorriqueña | |
| Country: | Puerto Rico |
| Fed: | Puerto Rican Basketball Federation |
| Confed: | FIBA Americas |
| Founded: | (as La Liga del Pueblo) |
| Divisions: | 4 |
| Levels: | 2 |
| Confed Cup: | Champions League |
| Champions: | Capitalinos de San Juan (3rd title) |
| Tv: | Telemundo WAPA 2 Deportes DirecTV Puerto Rico |
The Liga de Baloncesto Puertorriqueña (LBP) is the second tier of professional basketball in Puerto Rico. It is a FIBA-sanctioned league, founded by the Puerto Rican Basketball Federation. The current champions are the Capitalinos de San Juan.
Founded in 1984 as “La Liga del Pueblo”, the second-tier league in Puerto Rico was intended as a place to develop local players who would represent their communities with pride.[1] [2] There was originally an age limit of 20–30.[3] The success of the Baloncesto Superior Nacional in the 1980s prompted this demand. Soon the league would spread from coast-to-coast and include up to 48 teams, garnering a TV deal with Northstar Communications, and leaguewide sponsorships from Toyota and Popular, Inc.
For the 2021–2022 season which begins 12/1/2021, there are 44 teams.[4] These teams are grouped into four divisions, Norte (North), Este (East), Sur (South), and Oeste (West).[5] Many reflect the first-tier clubs that share the city; i.e. Cariduros de Fajardo being the designation for both the Baloncesto Superior Nacional team and the LBP team.[6]