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Latvian–Estonian Basketball League

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Paf Latvian-Estonian Basketball League
Founded2018; 6 years ago (2018)
First season2018–19
CountriesEstonia Estonia (8 teams)
Latvia Latvia (7 teams)
ConfederationFIBA Europe
Number of teams15
Current championsUkraine BC Prometey
(2nd title)
Most championshipsUkraine BC Prometey
(2 titles)
TV partnersDelfi TV, Inspira, LTV7, TV4
Websiteestlatbl.com
2024–25 season

The Latvian-Estonian Basketball League, known as Paf Latvian-Estonian Basketball League for sponsorship reasons, is the top-tier men's basketball league in Latvia and Estonia. The competition was introduced in 2018 and is organised by the Estonian Basketball Association and the Latvian Basketball Association.

History

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Following the demise of the Baltic Basketball League, the LEBL was established in 2018 when the Latvijas Basketbola līga (LBL) and the Korvpalli Meistriliiga (KML) largely merged. In its inaugural season, 15 teams participated in the league.[1] After a Final Four is played to determine the winner of the league, there are playoffs to decide the national champions of Latvia and Estonia. The first game was played on 28 September 2018, with Estonian champions BC Kalev/Cramo hosting a game against the Latvian champions BK Ventspils. On 9 April 2019, BK Ventspils won the first league championship.[2] On 19 November 2021, representatives of the Latvian Basketball Association and the Estonian Basketball Association agreed to continue the development of a joint league for the next three years. Both parties acknowledged that the league promotes the development of players and coaches, attracts basketball fans and inspires young people to focus on basketball.[3]

In June 2022, Ukrainian club BC Prometey joined the league as the Ukrainian SuperLeague was suspended due to the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine. The team played its home games in Riga.[4]

Title sponsorships

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Since inaugural season, the League has had title sponsorship rights sold to two companies, most recently to the Paf betting company.

Period Sponsor Name
2018–2019 Olympic Entertainment Group OlyBet Latvian-Estonian Basketball League
2019–2024 Paf Paf Latvian-Estonian Basketball League

Competition format

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The competition follows a double round-robin format. During the course of a season each club plays each other club twice (once at home and once away). Teams' rankings at season end are determined by winning percentage. At season end, the eight top teams play-off, pitting the first place standings team against the 8th place team, and so on. The play-off format initially was supposed to be Quarterfinals and Final Four, but since the inaugural season it has changed every season.

For the 2023-24 season play-off format changed. Quarterfinals and semifinals are to be played in best-of-three series, while bronze and gold medals are to be played out in one game with hosts being a team that finished regular season higher in the standings.

Home Grown Player Rule

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A foreign player (not Latvian or Estonian) who has been registered and played in the Latvian National Championship or the Estonian National Championship for three consecutive seasons between the ages of 12 and 19 is considered to be a local player.[5]

Current teams

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class=notpageimage|
Location of teams in 2023–24 Latvian–Estonian Basketball League
Team Home city Arena Capacity
Estonia AVIS UTILITAS Rapla Rapla Sadolin Sports Hall 958[6]
Estonia BC Kalev/Cramo Tallinn Unibet Arena 7,200[7]
Kalev Sports Hall 1,700[8]
Latvia BK Liepāja Liepāja Liepāja Olympic Center 2,542
Latvia BK Ogre Ogre Sports Arena Ogre 1,700
Latvia BK Ventspils Ventspils Ventspils Olympic Center 3,085
Estonia Keila Coolbet Keila Keila Health Center 800[9]
Estonia Keila KK Keila Keila Health Center 800
Latvia Latvijas Universitāte Riga Rimi Olympic Sports Center 830
Estonia Pärnu Sadam Pärnu Pärnu Sports Hall 1,820[10]
Latvia Rīgas Zeļļi Riga Arena Riga 11,200
Daugava Sports Hall 400
Estonia TalTech/OPTIBET Tallinn TalTech Sports Hall 1,000[11]
Estonia Tartu Ülikool Maks & Moorits Tartu University of Tartu Sports Hall 2,600[12]
Latvia Valmiera GLASS VIA Valmiera Vidzeme Olympic Center 1,500
Latvia VEF Rīga Riga Rimi Olympic Sports Center 830
Estonia Viimsi Haabneeme Forus Sports Center 500[13]

Results

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Season Final Third and fourth place
Winners Score Second place Third place Score Fourth place
2018–19
Details 		Latvia
BK Ventspils 		102–80 Latvia
VEF Rīga 		Estonia
BC Kalev/Cramo 		87–85 Latvia
BK Ogre
2019–20
Details 		Curtailed and voided due to the COVID-19 pandemic
2020–21
Details 		Estonia
BC Kalev/Cramo 		86–75 Latvia
VEF Rīga 		Latvia
BK Ogre 		75–73 Estonia
AVIS UTILITAS Rapla
2021–22
Details 		Latvia
VEF Rīga 		95–64 Estonia
KK Viimsi/Sportland 		Estonia
Pärnu Sadam 		84–77 Latvia
BK Ogre
2022–23
Details 		Ukraine
BC Prometey 		77–62 Latvia
VEF Rīga 		Estonia
Tartu Ülikool Maks & Moorits 		63–60 Estonia
BC Kalev/Cramo
2023–24
Details 		Ukraine
BC Prometey 		91–83 Estonia
BC Kalev/Cramo 		Latvia
VEF Rīga 		84–76 Latvia
BK Ventspils

Performance by club

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Club Winners Runners-up Years won Years runner-up
Ukraine BC Prometey 2 0 2023, 2024 –
Latvia VEF Rīga 1 3 2022 2019, 2021, 2023
Estonia BC Kalev/Cramo 1 1 2021 2024
Latvia BK Ventspils 1 0 2019 –
Estonia Viimsi 0 1 – 2022

All-Final Four Team

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The Latvian-Estonian Basketball League All-Final Four Team is an award for the Latvian-Estonian Basketball League, that is given to the league's top five basketball players for each season.

Team by season

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Season Ref. Pos. Player Team
2020–21 [14] PG United States Kyle Allman Jr. Latvia VEF Riga
PG United States Brandon Childress Estonia AVIS UTILITAS Rapla
SF Estonia Janari Jõesaar Estonia BC Kalev/Cramo
SF Latvia Rihards Kuksiks Latvia BK Ogre
PF United States Maurice Kemp Estonia BC Kalev/Cramo
2021–22 [15] PG United States Jalen Riley Latvia VEF Riga
PG Ukraine Vitaliy Zotov Latvia VEF Riga
SG Estonia Robert Valge Estonia Pärnu Sadam
C Finland Alexander Madsen Latvia VEF Riga
C United States Tyler Roberson Estonia KK Viimsi/Sportland
2022–23 [16] PG Puerto Rico Gian Clavell Ukraine BC Prometey
PG United States Ty Gordon Estonia Tartu Ülikool Maks & Moorits
PG Ukraine Oleksandr Kovliar Estonia BC Kalev/Cramo
PG Latvia Kristers Zoriks Latvia VEF Riga
C Czech Republic Ondřej Balvín Ukraine BC Prometey
2023–24 G/F United States Ronald March Ukraine BC Prometey
PG United States Ben Shungu Estonia BC Kalev/Cramo
PF Estonia Kregor Hermet Estonia BC Kalev/Cramo
C Puerto Rico Arnaldo Toro Latvia VEF Riga
C Czech Republic Ondřej Balvín Ukraine BC Prometey

League records

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The following records include games played in the Latvian-Estonian Basketball League since its establishment in 2018. These records do not include any games played in local championship playoffs, Latvian Basketball League and Estonian Basketball League respectively.

  • Most points scored in a game
  • Most total rebounds in a game
  • Most assists in a game
  • Most steals in a game
  • Most blocked shots in a game
  • Most 3-point field goals made in a game
  • Highest PIR in a game

Team records

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  • Highest attendance in a single game:
5,908 – Estonia BC Kalev vs Ukraine BC Prometey, at Unibet Arena on January 6, 2024

See also

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References

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  1. ^ "News – 15 teams participating in OlyBet Latvian-Estonian Basketball League". www.estlatbl.com. Retrieved 28 August 2019.
  2. ^ "News – Ventspils won the first ever OlyBet Latvian-Estonian basketball league trophy (Lomažs was named MVP)". www.estlatbl.com. Retrieved 28 August 2019.
  3. ^ "Tweet from official League account". www.twitter.com. Retrieved 19 November 2021.
  4. ^ "Ukrainian club Prometey to play in a Latvian-Estonian League". basketnews.com. Retrieved 2022-06-18.
  5. ^ "Latvian-Estonian Basketball League Regulations" (PDF). www.basket.lv. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2 February 2022. Retrieved 1 September 2021.
  6. ^ "Sadolin Spordihoone". spordiregister.ee (in Estonian). Retrieved 31 August 2023.
  7. ^ "Unibet Arena". Retrieved 16 April 2024.
  8. ^ "Kalevi Spordihall". spordiregister.ee (in Estonian). Retrieved 31 August 2023.
  9. ^ "Keila Tervisekeskus". spordiregister.ee (in Estonian). Retrieved 31 August 2023.
  10. ^ "Pärnu Spordihall". spordiregister.ee (in Estonian). Retrieved 31 August 2023.
  11. ^ "Tallinna Tehnikaülikooli spordihoone". spordiregister.ee (in Estonian). Retrieved 31 August 2023.
  12. ^ "Tartu Ülikooli Spordihoone". spordiregister.ee (in Estonian). Retrieved 31 August 2023.
  13. ^ "FORUS Spordikeskus Viimsi". spordiregister.ee (in Estonian). Retrieved 31 August 2023.
  14. ^ "BC Kalev/Cramo defeated VEF in Paf League final, Ogre brought home the bronze". www.estlatbl.com. 12 April 2021. Retrieved 23 March 2022.
  15. ^ "Riia VEF pani Paf liiga finaalis oma klassi maksma, debütant KK Viimsi sai kaela väga magusa hõbemedali" (in Estonian). Estonian Basketball Association. 10 April 2022.
  16. ^ "Külalised Ukrainast võitsid hõredate rivide kiuste Eesti-Läti liiga". Postimees Sport (in Estonian). 8 April 2023. Retrieved 27 May 2023.
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