Russian Professional Basketball Championship Explained

The Russian Professional Basketball Championship is the top-tier level men's professional club basketball competition in Russia. Over the years, there have been 3 different incarnations of the Russian Basketball Championship. The Russian Super League 1, from the 1991–92 to 2009–10 seasons, the Russian Professional League (PBL), from the 2010–11 to 2011–13 seasons, and the VTB United League, from the 2013–14 season to the present. During the Soviet Union era, the USSR Premier League served as the national championship for Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic clubs.

History

From the 1991–92 to 2009–10 seasons, the winner of the Super League 1 was awarded the top-level Russian national championship. For three seasons, the PBL was Russia's highest tier, and in the 2013–14 season, the VTB United League, a regional league for Eastern Europe, was named the new top-level national domestic competition for Russian clubs.

Champions

Key
§Denotes the team won the Russian Cup as well
Team (X)Denotes the number of times the club won the title
SeasonLeagueChampionScoreRunner-upThird place
1991–92Russia Super League A
(national)
CSKA Moscow (1)Stroitel SamaraAvtodor Saratov
1992–93CSKA Moscow (2)Spartak Saint PetersburgStroitel Samara
1993–94CSKA Moscow (3)Avtodor SaratovCSK VVS Samara
1994–95CSKA Moscow (4)3–0Dynamo MoscowCSK VVS Samara
1995–96CSKA Moscow (5)3–2Dynamo MoscowAvtodor Saratov
1996–97CSKA Moscow (6)3–2Avtodor SaratovBC Samara
1997–98CSKA Moscow (7)3–1Avtodor SaratovBC Samara
1998–99CSKA Moscow (8)2–0Avtodor SaratovArsenal
1999–2000CSKA Moscow (9)3–0Ural Great PermUNICS
2000–01Ural Great Perm (1)3–0UNICSLokomotiv-Kuban
2001–02Ural Great Perm (2)3–1UNICSLokomotiv-Kuban
2002–03bgcolor=CFECEC CSKA Moscow§ (10)3–1Ural Great PermUNICS
2003–04CSKA Moscow (11)3–1UNICSDynamo Moscow
2004–05bgcolor=CFECEC CSKA Moscow§ (12)3–1Dynamo MoscowUNICS
2005–06bgcolor=CFECEC CSKA Moscow§ (13)3–0KhimkiDynamo Saint Petersburg
2006–07bgcolor=CFECEC CSKA Moscow§ (14)3–0UNICSKhimki
2007–08CSKA Moscow (15)3–0KhimkiDynamo Moscow
2008–09CSKA Moscow (16)3–1KhimkiUNICS
2009–10bgcolor=CFECEC CSKA Moscow§ (17)3–0KhimkiUNICS
2010–11Russia PBL
(national)
CSKA Moscow (18)3–1KhimkiUNICS
2011–12CSKA Moscow (19)2–0KhimkiLokomotiv-Kuban
2012–13CSKA Moscow (20)KhimkiSpartak Saint Petersburg
2013–14VTB United League
(international)
CSKA Moscow (21)3–0Nizhny NovgorodUNICS
2014–15CSKA Moscow (22)3–0KhimkiLokomotiv-Kuban
2015–16CSKA Moscow (23)3–1UNICSZenit Saint Petersburg
2016–17CSKA Moscow (24)3–0KhimkiZenit Saint Petersburg
2017–18CSKA Moscow (25)95:84KhimkiZenit Saint Petersburg
2018–19CSKA Moscow (26)3–0KhimkiUNICS
2019–20Cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic - no champion announced.
2020–21CSKA Moscow (27)3–0UNICSZenit Saint Petersburg
2021–22Zenit Saint Petersburg 4–3CSKA MoscowUNICS
2022–23UNICS 4–1Lokomotiv KubanCSKA Moscow
2023–24

Awards

See main article: Russian Gold Basket Awards.

Year200420052006200720082009
Russian Super League A Player of the Year Ramūnas Šiškauskas
Year200420052006200720082009
Russian Super League A Coach of the Year Ettore Messina

Medals by club

scope=colClubscope=colscope=colscope=colscope=colTotal
scope=rowCSKA Moscow271129
scope=rowUral Great Perm2204
scope=rowUNICS16916
scope=rowZenit Saint Petersburg10 45
scope=rowKhimki011112
scope=rowAvtodor Saratov0426
scope=rowDynamo Moscow0325
scope=rowLokomotiv Kuban0145
scope=rowSamara0134
scope=rowSpartak Saint Petersburg0112
scope=rowNizhny Novgorod0101
scope=rowCSK VVS0022
scope=rowArsenal0011
scope=rowDynamo Saint Petersburg0011

All–time national champions

Total number of national champions won by Russian clubs. Table includes titles won during the USSR Premier Basketball League (1923–1992).

ClubTrophiesYears won
CSKA Moscow1944–45, 1959–60, 1960–61, 1961–62, 1963–64, 1964–65, 1965–66, 1968–69, 1969–70, 1970–71, 1971–72, 1972–73, 1973–74, 1975–76, 1976–77, 1977–78, 1978–79, 1979–80, 1980–81, 1981–82, 1982–83, 1983–84, 1987–88, 1989–90, 1992, 1992–93, 1993–94, 1994–95, 1995–96, 1996–97, 1997–98, 1998–99, 1999–00, 2002–03, 2003–04, 2004–05, 2005–06, 2006–07, 2007–08, 2008–09, 2009–10, 2010–11, 2011–12, 2012–13, 2013–14, 2014–15, 2015–16, 2016–17, 2017–18, 2018–19, 2020–21
Burevestnik Leningrad1937–38, 1939–40
Dynamo Moscow1936–37, 1947–48
Spartak Saint Petersburg1974–75, 1991–92
Ural Great Perm2000–01, 2001–02
Lokomotiv Moscow1938–39
VVS Moscow1951–52
Zenit Saint Petersburg2021–22
UNICS2022–23

See also