Luxembourg Basketball League

Luxembourg Basketball League
Sport	Basketball
Founded	1933
No. of teams	10
Country	Luxembourg
Continent	Europe
Most recent; champion(s)	Esch (1st title) ; (2022–23)
Most titles	Nitia; (16 titles)
Sponsor(s)	Total
Level on pyramid	1
Relegation to	Nationale 2
Domestic cup(s)	Luxembourg Cup
Official website	luxembourg.basketball

The Nationale 1 Hommes, officially named the Luxembourg Basketball League (LBBL), is the highest men's basketball league in Luxembourg. The league's governing body is Fédération Luxembourgeoise de Basketball (FLBB).^[1] The league was previously known by sponsorships names Diekirch League and Total League.^[2]

About

As the Luxembourg Basketball League is semi-professional, all clubs are run as not-for-profit.^[3] Each team in the league is allowed to have two American players on the roster. While most local players do not receive a salary, American players are paid.^[4]^[5]

There are two player statuses: JICL (French acronym for "player registered with a Luxembourgish club") and non-JICL. To be classified as JICL, a player has to have obtained a license from a FLBB club before their 16th birthday, or have one for at least three seasons between their 16th and 21st birthday. Prior to the 2013–14 season, each team was only allowed two non-JICL players, no exceptions. In July 2013, the European Commission adjudged the ruling was contrary to the Schengen Agreement.^[6] Following that decision, the rule was scrapped and replaced by a gentlemen's agreement to keep the number at two, though some have signed a third non-JICL player, arguing they were part-time players.^[5]

Format

During the regular season, each team plays the other nine teams twice, one at home and one away (10 teams, 18 games, 18 rounds). After this, the top six teams move on to the second stage, where they play a further 10 games against each other. The top four teams at the conclusion of the second stage move on to the playoffs. In the semi-finals, the No. 1 seed plays the No. 4 seed, and the No. 2 seed plays the No. 3 seed. The winner of each best-of-three semi-final moves on to the Finals series to decide the title (also best-of-three).^[7]

Meanwhile, the bottom four teams after the regular season join the best four teams from the second-tier Nationale 2 to play for relegation and promotion respectively. The two worst ranked Nationale 1 teams are relegated whilst the two best Nationale 2 teams are promoted.

Current clubs

Current clubs
Club^[a]	City	Arena	Founded	Last title
AB Contern	Contern	Hall sportif "Um Ewent"	1956	2009
Amicale Steesel	Steinsel	Hall omnisports "Alain Marchetti"	1947	2022
Racing Luxembourg	Luxembourg	Centre sportif Tramsschapp	1950	2000
Basket Esch	Esch-sur-Alzette	Hall omnisport Esch-sur-Alzette	1959	2023
Etzella Ettelbruck	Ettelbruck	Centre sportif du Deich	1934	2006
Musel Pikes	Stadtbredimus	Sporthal Stadbriedemes	2000	Never
Résidence Walferdange	Walferdange	Centre Prince Henri	1965	1997
Sparta Bertrange	Bertrange	Centre Atert	1935	2012
T71 Dudelange	Dudelange	Salle Fos Grimler	1971	2021
Union Sportive Hiefenech	Heffingen	Centre sportif Heffingen	1959	1996

Former clubs
Club	City	Arena	Founded	Last season	Last title
Arantia Larochette	Larochette	Hall sportif Centre Filano	1964	2017	Never
Black Star Mersch	Mersch	Hall omnisports Mersch	1934	2015	1968
Nitia Bettembourg	Bettembourg	Centre sportif Bettembourg	1932	2012	1953
AS Soleuvre	Soleuvre	Centre sportif "Roger Krier"	1937	2017	2002
B.C. Mess	Mondercange	Complexe sportif Mondercange	1967	2007	Never

Title holders

1933–34: Nitia
1934–35: Nitia
1935–36: Nitia
1936–37: Nitia
1937–38: Nitia
1938–39: Nitia
1939–40: Nitia
1940–44: Not held
1944–45: Nitia
1945–46: Nitia
1946–47: Nitia
1947–48: Nitia
1948–49: Nitia
1949–50: Nitia
1950–51: Nitia
1951–52: Black Boys Kayl
1952–53: Nitia
1953–54: Nitia
1954–55: Etzella
1955–56: Etzella
1956–57: Etzella
1957–58: Sparta Bertrange
1958–59: Rou'de Le'w Kayl
1959–60: Sparta Bertrange
1960–61: Etzella
1961–62: Etzella
1962–63: Etzella
1963–64: Etzella
1964–65: Etzella
1965–66: Black Star Mersch
1966–67: Racing Luxembourg
1967–68: Black Star Mersch
1968–69: Sparta Bertrange
1969–70: Etzella
1970–71: Amicale Steesel
1971–72: Etzella
1972–73: Amicale Steesel
1973–74: Sparta Bertrange
1974–75: T71 Dudelange
1975–76: T71 Dudelange
1976–77: T71 Dudelange
1977–78: Amicale Steesel
1978–79: Sparta Bertrange
1979–80: Amicale Steesel
1980–81: Amicale Steesel
1981–82: T71 Dudelange
1982–83: T71 Dudelange
1983–84: T71 Dudelange
1984–85: T71 Dudelange
1985–86: Sparta Bertrange
1986–87: Sparta Bertrange
1987–88: Contern
1988–89: Union Sportive Hiefenech
1989–90: Union Sportive Hiefenech
1990–91: Union Sportive Hiefenech
1991–92: Etzella
1992–93: Résidence
1993–94: Résidence
1994–95: Résidence
1995–96: Union Sportive Hiefenech
1996–97: Résidence
1997–98: Racing Luxembourg
1998–99: Etzella
1999–00: Racing Luxembourg
2000–01: Contern
2001–02: AS Soleuvre|Soleuvre
2002–03: Etzella
2003–04: Contern
2004–05: Sparta Bertrange
2005–06: Etzella
2006–07: Sparta Bertrange
2007–08: Sparta Bertrange
2008–09: Contern
2009–10: T71 Dudelange
2010–11: T71 Dudelange
2011–12: Sparta Bertrange
2012–13: T71 Dudelange
2013–14: T71 Dudelange
2014–15: T71 Dudelange
2015–16: Amicale Steesel
2016–17: Amicale Steesel
2017–18: Amicale Steesel
2018–19: Etzella
2019–20: None
2020–21: T71 Dudelange
2021–22: Amicale Steesel
2022–23: Esch

Source:^[8]

Finals 2003-2023

Season	Winner	Runner-up	Score
2003–04	Contern	Sparta Bertrange	2–0
2004–05	Sparta Bertrange	Etzella	2–1
2005–06	Etzella	Sparta Bertrange	2–0
2006–07	Sparta Bertrange	T71 Dudelange	2–0
2007–08	Sparta Bertrange	Musel Pikes	2–0
2008–09	Contern	Musel Pikes	2–1
2009–10	T71 Dudelange	Sparta Bertrange	2–1
2010–11	T71 Dudelange	Etzella	2–1
2011–12	Sparta Bertrange	T71 Dudelange	2–0
2012–13	T71 Dudelange	Amicale	2–0
2013–14	T71 Dudelange	Amicale	2–1
2014–15	T71 Dudelange	Amicale	2–1
2015–16	Amicale	Musel Pikes	2–0
2016–17	Amicale	Musel Pikes	2–1
2017–18	Amicale	Etzella	3–0
2018–19	Etzella	T71 Dudelange	3–1
2019–20	None held due to COVID-19 pandemic
2020–21	T71 Dudelange	Esch	2–0
2021–22	Amicale Steesel	T71 Dudelange	3–2
2022–23	Esch	Amicale	3–1

Performance by club

Club	Titles	Years
Nitia	16	1933–34, 1934–35, 1935–36, 1936–37, 1937–38, 1938–39, 1939–40, 1944–45, 1945–46, 1946–47, 1947–48, 1948–49, 1949–50, 1950–51, 1952–53, 1953–54
Etzella	15	1954–55, 1955–56, 1956–57, 1960–61, 1961–62, 1962–63, 1963–64, 1964–65, 1969–70, 1971–72, 1991–92, 1998–99, 2002–03, 2005–06, 2018–19
T71 Dudelange	13	1974–75, 1975–76, 1976–77, 1981–82, 1982–83, 1983–84, 1984–85, 2009–10, 2010–11, 2012–13, 2013–14, 2014–15, 2020–21
Sparta Bertrange	11	1957–58, 1959–60, 1968–69, 1973–74, 1978–79, 1985–86, 1986–87, 2004–05, 2006–07, 2007–08, 2011–12
Amicale	9	1970–71, 1972–73, 1977–78, 1979–80, 1980–81, 2015–16, 2016–17, 2017–18, 2021–22
Contern	4	1987–88, 2000–01, 2003–04, 2008–09
Hiefenech	4	1988–89, 1989–90, 1990–91, 1995–96
Résidence	4	1992–93, 1993–94, 1994–95, 1996–97
Racing Luxembourg	3	1966–67, 1997–98, 1999–00
Black Star Mersch	2	1965–66, 1967–68
Black Boys Kayl	1	1951–52
Rou'de Le'w Kayl	1	1958–59
Soleuvre	1	2001–02
Esch	1	2022–23

European competition

Luxembourgian clubs have not participated in European competition since 2002, the last year FIBA organised the FIBA Saporta Cup, with the FLBB bemoaning the separation between FIBA Europe and ULEB and the move away from a single-elimination format.^[1] Some of the requirements for participation in the FIBA-organised European third-tier EuroChallenge that restrict their participation are: a €5,000 registration fee notwithstanding other costs, an arena that seats at least 2000 without non-basketball lines, and games played on weekdays.^[9]

Highlights

Competition	Team	Opponent(s)	Round(s)	Home	Away	Aggregate
Champions Cup 1958	Etzella	Royal IV	Group stage	43 – 82^[b]	36 – 63	79 – 145
Cup Winners' Cup 1974	Sparta Bertrange	Paisley BC Steaua București	Second round^[c] Round of 16	105 – 93 77 – 108	64 – 51 77 – 117	169–144 154–225
Champions Cup 1978	T71 Dudelange	Bayer 04 Leverkusen Real Madrid GC Figueirense	Group stage	78 – 85 63 – 94 96 – 87	71 – 97 60 – 118 65 – 69	3rd/4 teams
Champions Cup 1979	Amicale	Sporting Emerson Varese	Group stage	87 – 82 68 – 108	99 – 94 71 – 123	2nd/3 teams
Champions Cup 1991	Telekurs Hiefenech	BSG AdW Berlin FC Barcelona	First round Round of 16	98 – 84 73 – 113	92 – 96 77 – 117	190–180 150–230
Korać Cup 1994	Telekurs Hiefenech	Cardiff Bay Heat EnBW Ludwigsburg	First round Second round	78 – 72 80 – 86	89 – 79 69 – 105	167–151 149–191