The world’s top basketball leagues
Landscape of the most popular competitions
The NBA is without a doubt the world’s premier basketball league.
Basketball originated in the US, and its business tactics have caused its fan base to skyrocket, making its league one of the most lucrative in sports.
The NBA has the best players, most fans, highest salary, and best sponsorships of any league. However, basketball does not end in the NBA.
The addition of players from other nations has been one of the key factors in the NBA’s expansion.
The growth of basketball in Europe remains strong. The quality of the leagues has improved significantly. After crossing the ocean, players like Gasol, Nowitzki, or Parker made history in the NBA. By becoming one of the most iconic players in NBA history, Yao Ming made every Chinese child in Asia dream. From Africa, players like Mutombo and Luol Deng ascended. Ginobili elevated basketball in Argentina, and he and Leandro Barbosa helped the basketball passion advance throughout South America.
Several foreign athletes are currently among the top NBA players, including Antetokounmpo (Greece), Doncic (Slovenia), Jokic (Serbia), Ben Simmons (Australia), and Karl Anthony Towns (Dominican Republic).
The dream of a child in all continents is to play in his country, stand out and thus reach the NBA.
Let’s review some of the most important leagues in the world.
Most competitive national basketball leagues
The majority of the top basketball leagues are located in Europe. In this sense, Europe is portrayed as the continent with the second-highest concentration of basketball talent.
Spain’s Liga ACB
The primary professional basketball league in Spain is the ACB League, also referred to as the Endesa League due to sponsorship.
In the 1983–1984 season, the Spanish Basketball Federation (FEB), which had ceased running the National League, was replaced as the League’s governing body by the Association of Basketball Clubs (ACB).
The league continues to be at the top of the European leagues despite not experiencing the best economic conditions as a result of the inaction of some authorities. There are five clubs competing in the EuroLeague, and four in the FIBA Basketball Champions League. Which demonstrates the competitiveness of Spanish teams.
Last Champion: Real Madrid
MVP: Dzanan Musa
Germany’s Basketball Bundesliga (BBL)
The top level of professional basketball competition in Germany is called the Basketball Bundesliga (BBL), also known as the easyCredit BBL due to sponsorship considerations. It is organized by the Deutscher Basketball Bund.
It was created in 1939, being soon suspended due to World War II, not starting until 1947. From 1966 it became a professional competition.
In recent years, the BBL has grown to be regarded as one of the best organized competitions in Europe.
Last Champion: Alba Berlin
Italy’s Lega Basket Serie A (LBA)
The highest level of competition amongst men’s basketball clubs in Italy is known as the Lega Basket Serie A, which is also known as the Serie A UnipolSai for sponsorship reasons. The Italian Basketball Federation delegation is in charge of organizing it (FIP).
The Italian league was established in 1920, but it didn’t undergo a change in rules until the 2001–2002 season, when all the clubs that had previously competed in the A-1 series and the A-2 series were combined into one division and given the name Lega Serie A.
Many people agree that the “golden age” of Italian basketball was between the 1980s and 1990s. Even today, it remains among the leagues with the highest levels of competition.
Last Champion: Olimpia Milano
MVP: Amadeo Della Valle
France’s LNB Pro A
The highest level of men’s professional basketball in France is played in LNB Pro A, which is presently referred to as Betclic Elite due to sponsorship. The competition has existed since 1921. Since 1987, the Ligue Nationale de Basket has governed the league.
Eight different players from France have been selected in the last four years for the NBA, including four in the 2022 NBA Draft, so it’s critical to keep an eye out for potential in the French league.
Last Champion: ASVEL
MVP: Will Cummings
Greek A1 League
The A1 Ethniki, often known as the Stoiximan Basket League due to sponsorship, is Greece’s premier club competition. The league was established in 1927.
In accordance with the national rankings of European basketball leagues, it is regarded as the third best league. Panathinaikos, with 39 championship victories, has historically been the dominant force in the League.
Along with Turkey, Greece is one of the locations where fans show the most passion.
Last Champion: Olympiacos
MVP: Sasha Vezenkov
Turkish Basketball Super League (BSL)
The primary national basketball competition in Turkey is called the Turkish Basketball Super League, also known as Basketball Superleague and ING Basketbol Süper Ligi for sponsorship reasons.
Revenues from the BSL have increased, solidifying the league’s status as one of the greatest in Europe and making it an important channel for connecting with basketball fans both domestically and abroad.
Last Champion: Fenerbahçe S.K.
MVP: Alfa Kaba
Russia’s VTB United League
It was established in 2008 as an international basketball competition to bring together the national leagues of the Eastern European nations. The league is sponsored by VTB Bank.
The league has been cut from 12 to 10 clubs this season. In opposition to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, BC Kalev/Cramo (Estonia) and Basket Zielona Gora (Poland) have opted to withdraw from the competition.
Until the situation between the participating countries is established, the league’s future cannot be predicted.
Last Champion: BC Zenit San Petersburgo
MVP: Mario Hezonja
Chinese Basketball Association (CBA)
CBA is the main basketball league in China. It was first launched in 1956 and has been discontinued numerous times, but it has been running consistently since 1995.
Some CBA players, including Yao Ming, Wang Zhizhi, Yi Jianlian, Sun Yue, and Mengke Bateer, have succeeded in getting to the NBA. Also, NBA stars began flocking to the CBA. However, the use of foreign players in the Chinese league is limited.
10% of the NBA’s revenue comes from the Chinese market. You can bet that any player who moves from the Chinese league to the NBA will have millions of supporters.
Last Champion: Guangdong Southern Tigers
MVP: Hu Jinqiu
Adriatic League (ABA)
The ABA League, renamed the ABA League First Division in 2017, is the top-tier regional men’s professional basketball league that originally spawned clubs from the former Yugoslavia (Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Serbia, and Slovenia).
The league was established on July 3, 2001, and talent has continued to flow into it ever since. Luka Doncic began his career as a player in Slovenia for the Koarkarski klub Union Olimpija team in the lower divisions.
The region seems to manufacture giants like Jokic, Nikola Pekovic, Stojakovic, Vlade Divac, or Marjanovic.
The Adriatic League was born in a location still remembered for the war that took place thirty years ago.
One image from 2020 showed the profound mental transformation that many individuals had undergone when NBA players from warring nations got together to have fun.
This is the true magic of Basketball!
Major international basketball leagues
As you can see from the above, professional basketball clubs in Europe can compete in a number of different competitions, including national leagues, regional (multinational) leagues, and continental competitions.
Therefore, clubs from some countries may participate in several levels of competition in the same season.
Clubs qualify for international competitions through their performance in their national or regional leagues in the past year.
In the following classification, differentiate the leagues by continents. Starting with what is, the second best basketball league in the world, the Euroleague.
EuroLeague
The top level of basketball club competition in Europe is called the Euroleague, also known as the Turkish Airlines Euroleague due to sponsorship reasons.
It involves teams from up to 10 different FIBA Europe member countries that come from a consortium of the main professional basketball leagues in Europe, called the Union of European Basketball Leagues (ULEB).
It is considered the successor competition to the European Cup organized by FIBA, later relieved by the ECA.
Essentially FIBA was left in charge of national team competitions (such as the EuroBasket, the World Cup, and the Olympics), while the Euroleague Basketball took over the European professional club competitions.
In November 2015, Euroleague Basketball and IMG agreed to a 10-year joint venture. Both will be in charge of managing all global rights, including media and marketing, as well as the commercial operation.
Its media coverage reaches 200 countries on television, making it one of the reference competitions worldwide, even becoming one of the most popular in countries like China, where the league has a total of 245 million viewers. It is also televised in the United States and Canada, through its official NBA TV channel, as well as online through ESPN3.
Real Madrid is the most successful club, having won ten titles. However, counting only the new format, it is Panathinaikos B.C. and PBC CSKA Moscow who dominated the record with four titles each.
Last year, the competition announced that from 2022–2023 the clubs must have a minimum budget of 2.5 million euros. In addition, salaries may not account for more than 65% of the clubs’ budget.
The league has changed the format of the competition, dividing this campaign into two phases, with the aim of getting clubs to play more games at home, maximizing revenue opportunities and improving the fan experience.
The Euroliga, according to Nielsen data, increases its audience by 50% in 2021–2022 after changing its competition model according to Nielsen data.
Last Champion: Anadolu Efes S.K.
MVP: Nikola Mirotic
Australia’s National Basketball League (NBL)
The National Basketball League, often known as the Australian Basketball League, is Australia’s top professional basketball league. Nine teams presently compete in it; eight are based in Australian cities and one is in Auckland, New Zealand. It was first contested in 1979.
The NBA is assisting the NBL’s expansion in an effort to broaden its product. It can be argued that the NBA itself uses the NBL as a subsidiary. Thanks to the NBA’s efforts, these connections help the Australian team advance rapidly.
We have seen a surge in Australian talent running as high draft picks over the past few seasons. The prime illustration is Ben Simmons. The abundance of talent that has come from Australia is further enhanced by players like Josh Giddey and recent NBA draft pick, Dyson Daniels.
Last Champion: Sydney Kings
MVP: Jaylen Adams
East Asia Super League
We include this league although it is a special case. Due to the pandemic, the league has not been released yet. The inaugural regular season of the East Asian Super League will take place in 2023 and will include eight teams.
In August 2020, Matt Beyer and Henry Kerins established the EASL. An agreement between the EASL and FIBA for ten years gives the league the authority to host a complete league with clubs from China, Japan, South Korea, and the Philippines during the season.
The EASL plans to accommodate 16 teams for the third season and include more representation from other national leagues.
The Asia League was envisioned to be the East Asian counterpart to the NBA’s Las Vegas Summer League, where professional teams from Asia could compete against each other with minimal conflict with their parent league’s schedules.
EASL remains on course for the league to become one of the top three professional basketball leagues in the world in terms of fan base and commercial revenue within the next few years.
Basketball Champions League Americas (BCLA)
The Americas Basketball Champions League is the highest FIBA Americas tournament for clubs from the entire American continent, where 12 teams from South America, Central America and North America participate.
It was founded in 2019. The official launch of the tournament was in Montevideo, Uruguay.
In the first instance, the teams are divided into four groups of three teams each, where they face each other twice, on each team’s court. The two best teams advance to the next round which consists of play-offs to the best of three games until the final.
The winner of the tournament qualifies for the FIBA Intercontinental Cup.
Brazil and Argentina have always held sway in South America. A superb basketball academy is currently being built in the Dominican Republic and Venezuela as well..
Last Champion: São Paulo FC
MVP: Bruno Caboclo
Basketball Africa League (BAL)
The Basketball Africa League (BAL) is an African continental professional league which is a partnership between the NBA and the FIBA.
Founded in February 2019 in Dakar, Senegal, the Basketball Africa League successfully launched its first season in May 2021 in Kigali, Rwanda, during the COVID-19 pandemic. The second season was held in Dakar and Cairo, while its final game was played in Kigali. The Egyptian club, Zamalek, won the inaugural season while US Monastir from Tunisia won the second season.
Since each club that takes part in the BAL regular season is only allowed four foreign players, their squad must have at least eight local players. Additionally, two of the four foreign participants must be from African nations.
The league is supported by Nike, Jordan Brand, and Pepsi.
“The Basketball Africa League is a critical next step in the development of basketball in Africa”, according to NBA Commissioner Adam Silver.
Last Champion: US Monastir
MVP: Walter Hodge
The most popular basketball leagues in the USA
The U.S is the mecca of basketball.
The NBA is the best sports league in the world, and it is, not because of the quality of its players, but because of the effect of an exquisite economic and advertising model, which should be taken as an example by other sports to improve their competitive and audiovisual quality.
On the other hand, without the assistance of technology advancement, which has elevated the NBA to a new level, this flawless economic model would not be a reality.
Other leagues seek to imitate the NBA’s innovations.
Throughout time, a lot of leagues have disbanded. Others have mastered the art of self-reinvention and have seen steady growth in their fan base.
Some of the most popular leagues are:
- WNBA: American Basketball Association professional league. There are twelve teams in it. The league was established on April 22, 1996, as the National Basketball Association (NBA) for women, with play beginning in 1997. Regular season games take place from May until September.
- NBA Summer League: also called Las Vegas Summer League is a competition organized by the NBA in the month of July, after the draft is held. Most of the teams in the league participate in it, with rosters made up of players with less than 3 years of professional experience, the draft choices of that year from each franchise and other invited players. The goal of the competition is to provide rookie players the opportunity to win a professional contract and make each team’s final 15-player squad for the upcoming season. mber.
- NBA G-LEAGUE: the minor basketball league developed, sponsored and organized by the NBA. Known until the summer of 2005 as the National Basketball Development League or NBDL, the D-League was made up of eight teams. In March 2005, NBA Commissioner David Stern announced a plan to expand the D-League to 15 teams and develop it as a true minor league youth academy.
Any player hopes to play for one of the NBA’s 30 franchises. However, the cake is big and there is a piece for everyone.
New leagues and new business models
Basketball leagues all around the world are trying to adopt similar financial structures after studying the NBA. The utilization of technology is one of the essential components for the leagues of other nations to keep expanding.
Young people still watch basketball, as we discussed in the previous article; they just watch it differently now.
Basketball may also be enjoyed if you appreciate video games thanks to the NBA 2K league. The NBA 2K League will begin play in 2022 with 22 NBA teams and two foreign teams. With a rabid fan base, esports sounds like a pretty good business proposition.
The Overtime Elite league, a professional basketball league for youth ages 16–20, based in Atlanta, Georgia, has recently been created. The league was founded by Dan Porter and Zack Weiner and has the support of big stars like Kevin Durant and Carmelo Anthony.
Another prominent league is the Canadian Elite Basketball League (CEBL), created in 2019. It is the biggest professional sports league in Canada, with 10 clubs spread across six provinces and prospects for expansion. Since the CEBL season lasts from May to August, the league is able to entice players with background in the NBA, NBA G League, important international leagues, the Canadian national team program, and important NCAA and U Sports programs. The CEBL represents Canada in the FIBA Basketball Champions League Americas (BCLA).
Players, coaches, and support staff are now more accessible to fans than ever thanks to social media. One of the great attractions of the NBA that other leagues do not have are the big stars like. Sports supporters have frequently demonstrated greater attachment to the player than the team.
The Crew League is an illustration of the times we are in and how supporters follow their idols (despite their lack of skill on the field). TCL is a league where stars and their “teams” compete for bragging rights and a significant prize.
Relating to idols, If you follow Krause House, you already know that Ice Cube founded the BIG3 basketball league in 2017.
The BIG3 League has experienced exponential growth. The goal of BIG3 is to play faster, more intense games and introduce the public to the 3v3 matchups we all enjoy.
The NFT Ownership model followed by the Big3 league is the best example of how blockchain technology can benefit the coaching staff, players, investors and, above all, the fans.
The NBA has established itself as a leader in technology by being the first league to make deals with Web3 projects. The commissioner’s ambition is evident in his partnerships with NBA Top Shot and Sorare as well as the release of his own NFTs collection.
The NBA is aware that in a few years Web3 will either be the standard.
Krause House is looking to expand
At Krause House we are a community of people from all over the planet. We are united by one passion. Basketball.
With Web3, borders will gradually disappear.
Web3 has opened up a lot of new business prospects. The sports industry has been transformed by technology, and it is anticipated that all of the major leagues will have modified their business models by the end of the next few years.
The fans will gain significantly.
At Krause House, we already own the Ball Hogs. Do you think we should venture into some other basketball league? Join the KH Discord and add your thoughts and opinions.
Remember, the ultimate goal is to buy an NBA team. Maybe some may call us crazy but we have a plan.
WAGBAT! 🏀
Author Biography
KAF is a consultant and writer who helps people get closer to NFT, DAO, Defi and metaverse.
