Whenever you think of basketball, the first thing that comes to your mind is the NBA. The NBA is indeed the most popular and cash-rich basketball league in the world. It has excellent teams and superstar players.
But one thing may come as a surprise to you. It is that the sport is played in nearly every corner of the globe. So, we have set out to give you a highly informative read.
In this article, we have created a list of pro basketball leagues that exist around the world. In the end, there is also a list of pro basketball leagues that are now defunct.
1. United States of America, Canada, Mexico, and Puerto Rico
- AABA - All-American Basketball Alliance
- ABA - American Basketball Association (Official Page)
- ABI - Americas Basketball International League
- ANBL - American National Basketball League
- BSN - National Superior Basketball (Puerto Rico) (Official Page)
- CBA - Continental Basketball Association (Official Page)
- CBL - Continental Basketball League (Official Page)
- EBA - Eastern Basketball Alliance (Official Page)
- ESL - Eurobasket Summer League (Official Page)
- GPBL - Global Professional Basketball League (Official Page)
- IBEL - Iowa Basketball Exposure League (Official Page)
- IBL - International Basketball League (Official Page)
- KBDL - Kentucky Basketball Developmental League (Official Page)
- LBL - Louisville Basketball League (Official Page)
- LHBL - Louisville Hoopfest Basketball League (Official Page)
- LNBP - Liga Nacional de Baloncesto Profesional (México) (Official Page)
- NABL - National Alliance Basketball League (Official Page)
- NABL - National Alliance of Basketball Leagues
- NABL - National Athletic Basketball League (Official Page)
- NABL - North American Basketball League
- NBA - National Basketball Association (Official Page)
- NBA D-League - NBA Development League (Official Page)
- NBA E-League - NBA E-Minor League
- NPBL - National Professional Basketball League (Official Page)
- PBL - Premier Basketball League (Official Page)
- SBL - Southwest Basketball League (Official Page)
- SBL - Sunday Basketball League (Official Page)
- SEBL - Summer Basketball League
- TPBL - Texas Professional Basketball League
- UBA - Ultimate Basketball Association (Official Page)
- UBA - Universal Basketball Association (Official Page)
- UBL - United Basketball League (Official Page)
- UBL - Universal Basketball League (Official Page)
- USBA - United States Basketball Association (Official Page)
- USBL - United States Basketball League (Official Page)
- WBA - World Basketball Association (Official Page)
- WCBL - West Coast Pro Basketball League (Official Page)
2. Europe
Euroleague - a pan-Europe competition for elite clubs (Official Page)
Eurocup - second tier
EuroChallenge - third tier
Austria
ÖBL - Österreichische Basketball Bundesliga
Baltics
BBL – Baltic Basketball League (teams from the Baltic states of Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania plus Sweden)
Bosnia and Herzegovina
Basketball Championship of Bosnia and Herzegovina
Bulgaria
NBL - National Basketball League
Croatia
A-1 Liga
Czech Republic
NBL - National Basketball League
France
LNB - Ligue Nationale de Basketball
Germany
BBL - Basketball Bundesliga
Greece
A1 Ethniki - first tier
A2 Ethniki - second tier
Israel
Ligat HaAl - first tier
Liga Leumit - second tier
Italy
LEGA Basket A - first tier
LegADue - second tier
Lithuania
LKL - Lietuvos Krepšinio Lyga - first tier
NKL - Nacionalinė Krepšinio Lyga - second tier
Montenegro
Opportunity League
The Netherlands
FEB Eredivisie (Official Page) - first tier
FEB Promotiedivisie - second tier
Norway
BLNO
Poland
PLK, also known for sponsorship reasons as Dominet Bank Ekstraliga
Portugal
Portuguese Basketball League (LCB), Proliga
Russia
Russian Basketball Super League
Serbia
Basketball League of Serbia
Slovenia
1. A SKL, also known for sponsorship reasons as Liga UPC Telemach
Spain:
ACB – Asociación de Clubes de Baloncesto - first tier
LEB – Liga Española de Baloncesto - second tier
LEB-2 – Liga Española de Baloncesto 2 - third tier
Switzerland
LNBA - Ligue Nationale de Basket
Turkey
Turkish Basketball League
United Kingdom
BBL - British Basketball League
Former Yugoslavia
Yugoslav Basketball League
Regional leagues
- Adriatic League
- Balkan International Basketball League
- Central European Basketball League
3. Asia
China:
- CBA - Chinese Basketball Association (Official Page) - first tier
- NBL - National Basketball League - second tier
- CUBS - Chinese University Basketball Super League - third tier
- CUBA - Chinese University Basketball Association (Official Page) - fourth tier
- CHBL - China High School Basketball League - fifth tier
Chinese Taipei:
- SBL - Super Basketball League (Official Page) - first tier
- A League - A League - second tier
- UBA - University Basketball Alliance (Official Page) - third tier
- HBL - High School Basketball League (Official Page) - fourth tier
Indonesia
NBL - National Basketball League
Iran
ISL - Iranian Basketball Super League
Japan:
BJ League - Basketball Japan League (Official Page) - first tier
JBL - Japan Basketball League - second tier
AJIBC - All Japan Intercollegiate Basketball Championship - third tier
Korea Republic:
KBL: Korean Basketball League - first tier
KBL R-League: KBL Reserve League - second tier
KUBL: Korea University Basketball League - third tier
Lebanon
FLBB - Lebanese Basketball League
Malaysia
NBL - National Basketball League (Official Page)
Philippines:
- PBA - Philippine Basketball Association (Official Page)- first tier
- PBL - Philippine Basketball League (Official Page) - second tier
- LP - Liga Pilipinas (Official Page)
- NBC - National Basketball Conference
- MVBA - Mindanao Visayas Basketball Association
- PCC - College basketball in the Philippines
South East Asia:
ABL - ASEAN Basketball League (Official Page)
4. Oceania
Australasia
- NBL - National Basketball League (Official Page)
New Zealand
- NBL - National Basketball League (Official Page)
5. South America
Argentina
- Liga Nacional de Básquetbol
Brazil
- Campeonato Brasileiro de Basquete
Chile
- División Mayor del Básquetbol de Chile
- Liga Sudamericana, a South American club cup competition
Paraguay
- Paraguayan Metropolitan Basketball League
Uruguay
- Liga Uruguaya de Basketball
Venezuela
- Liga Profesional de Baloncesto
6. Africa
International leagues
- BAL – Basketball Africa League
- FIBA Africa Clubs Champions Cup
National leagues
Algeria
- ABC Super Division – Algerian Basketball Championship Super Division
Angola
- ABL – Angolan Basketball League – first tier
- ABC – Angola Second Division Basketball Championship – second tier
Central African Republic
- CABL – Central African Division I Basketball League
Ghana
GSP Basketball League
Egypt
EBSL – Egyptian Basketball Super League
Liberia
LBA League
Libya
LBL – Libyan Division I Basketball League
Morocco
Nationale 1
Mozambique
MBL – Mozambican Division I Basketball League
Nigeria
NPL – Nigerian Premier League
Rwanda
NBL – National Basketball League
Senegal
SBL – Senegalese Division I Basketball League
South Africa
BNL – Basketball National League
Tunisia
TBL – Tunisian Division I Basketball League
Uganda
NBL – National Basketball League
1. United States
WNBA - Women's National Basketball Association (Official Page)
WSBL - Women's Southwest Basketball League (Official Page)
2. Oceania
Australia:
WNBL - Women's National Basketball League (Official Page)
New Zealand:
WBC - Women's Basketball Championship (Official Page)
3. Asia
China
WCBA - Women's Chinese Basketball Association - first tier
WCUBS - Women's Chinese University Basketball Super League - second tier
WCUBA - Women's Chinese University Basketball Association - third tier
Hong Kong
WHKBA - Women's Hong Kong Basketball Association
India
Indian National Basketball Championship for Women
Indonesia
Srikandi Cup
Japan
WJBL - Women's Japan Basketball League
Philippines:
WPBL - Women's Philippine Basketball League (Official Page)
South Korea
WKBL - Women's Korean Basketball League
Taiwan
WSBL - Women's Super Basketball League
Thailand
WTBL - Women's Thailand Basketball League
4. Europe
EuroLeague
EuroCup
Europe SuperCup
Baltic Women's League
Albania
Albanian A-1 League
Austria
AWBB - Austrian Women's Basketball Bundesliga
Belgium
BWBL - Belgian Women's Basketball League
Bosnia and Herzegovina
Basketball Championship of Bosnia and Herzegovina (Women)
Bulgaria
Bulgarian Women's Basketball Championship
Croatia
Prva ženska liga - Croatian First Women's Basketball League
Cyprus
Cyprus Women's Basketball Division A
Kadınlar Basketbol Ligi - Women's Basketball League
Czech Republic
Česká ženská basketbalová liga - Czech Women's Basketball League
Denmark
Women's Danish Basketball League
France
LFB – Ligue Féminine de Basketball
Estonia
WKML - Women's Korvpalli Meistriliiga
Finland
Naisten Korisliiga
Germany
Women's Basketball Bundesliga
Greece
Greek Women's Basket - first tier
Greek A2 Women's Basket - second tier
Hungary
Nemzeti Bajnokság I/A for Women's
Iceland
Úrvalsdeild kvenna - Premier league women
Israel
Israeli Female Basketball Premier League
Italy
LegA Basket Femminile Serie A1 - first tier
Serie A2 - second tier
Serie B d'Eccellenza - third tier
Latvia
Latvijas Sieviešu basketbola līga
Lithuania
LMKL - Lithuanian Women's Basketball League
Luxembourg
Total League - Dames
North Macedonia
First Women's Basketball League of Macedonia
Montenegro
First A Women's Basketball League of Montenegro
Netherlands
Vrouwen Basketball League
Poland
PLKK, also known as Torell Basket Liga, Poland (Official Page)
BLK – Basket Liga Kobiet (first tier)
I Liga (second tier)
Portugal
LFB - Premier Women's Basketball League
Romania
Divizia A
Russia
Russian Women's Basketball Premier League
Superleague
Higher League
Serbia
Adriatic League
First Women's Basketball League of Serbia
Slovakia
Slovak Women's Basketball Extraliga
Slovenia
Slovenian Women's Basketball League
Spain
LFB – Liga Femenina de Baloncesto Ligue Féminine de Basketball
LF2B - Liga Femenina 2 de Baloncesto Ligue Féminine 2 de Basketball
Sweden
Basketligan dam
Switzerland
Swiss Women's Basketball Championship
Turkey
TWBL, the Turkish initialism for Turkish Women's Basketball League
Ukraine
UWBSL, Ukrainian Women's Basketball SuperLeague
United Kingdom
WBBL - Women's British Basketball League
EWBL - English Women's Basketball League
SWNL - Scottish Women's National League
5. Africa
International Leagues
FIBA Africa Women's Clubs Champions Cup
Arab Women's Club Basketball Championship
National leagues
Angola
AWBL - Angola Women's Basketball League
Morocco
MWBC - Moroccan Women's Basketball Championship
Tunisia
Tunisian Women's Division I Basketball League
Nigeria
ZWBL - Zenith Women Basketball League
- Men
All-American Basketball Alliance (AABA 1977-78)
All-American Professional Basketball League (AAPBL 2005)
Amateur Athletic Association Basketball (AAU 1897-1982)
American Basketball Association (ABA 1967-1976)
American Basketball League (1925-1955)
American Basketball League (1961-1963)
Global Basketball Association (GBL 1991-92 - December 1992, league folded midway through 1992-93 season)
International Basketball Association (IBA 1995-2001)
International Basketball League (IBL 1999-2001)
Metropolitan Basketball Association (Philippines) (MBA 1998-2002)
National Basketball League (Canada)
National Basketball League (United Kingdom) (NBL 1972-2003)
National Basketball League (United States) (NBL 1937-1949)
National Basketball League 1898-99 to 1903-04
National Basketball League 1926-27
National Basketball League 1929-30
National Basketball League 1932-33
National Industrial Basketball League
National Professional Basketball League (NPBL 1950-1951)
National Rookie League (2000)
Professional Basketball League of America (PBLA 1947-1948)
Western Basketball Association (WBA 1978-79)
World Basketball League (WBA 1988-1992)
World Professional Basketball Tournament (WPBT 1939-1948)
Women
American Basketball League (ABL 1996-1998)
Liberty Basketball Association
Women's Professional Basketball League (WBL 1978-1981)
National Women's Basketball League (NWBL 1998-2007)
Our list of pro Basketball leagues is an eye-opener
This list of pro Basketball leagues proves that Basketball is indeed a global game. Its popularity is rapidly spreading to every country on this planet.
We are sure that there will be many more such leagues coming up in the future. So, do not be surprised if we soon publish another list of pro Basketball leagues that exist around the world.
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