Greek Basket League
HEBA | |
Confederation | FIBA Europe |
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Number of teams | 12 |
Level on pyramid | 1 |
Relegation to | A2 Basket League |
Domestic cup(s) | Greek Cup Greek Super Cup |
International cup(s) | EuroLeague EuroCup FIBA Champions League FIBA Europe Cup |
Current champions | Olympiacos (14th title) |
Most championships | Panathinaikos (39 titles) |
All-time top scorer | Vassilis Spanoulis |
Commissioner | Vangelis Galatsopoulos |
TV partners | ERT |
Website | esake.gr (Greek) esake (English) |
2023–24 Greek Basket League |
The Greek Basket League (GBL), often also referred to as the Greek A1 Basketball League, or Greek Basketball Championship (originally called Panhellenic Basketball Championship), is the
It is the highest-tier level of the Greek league system. The GBL plays under FIBA rules and currently consists of 13 teams, with the lowest-placed team relegated to the A2 Basket League and replaced by the winner of the play-offs of that tier. It runs from October to June, with teams playing 22 games each during the regular season, and the top 8 teams then competing in the playoffs.[1] The first official Greek Basketball Championship was held in the 1927–28 season. The league held a competition in which the teams of the league played under a format with a nationwide schedule, for the first time, in the 1963–64 season. The league first held a playoff round in the 1986–87 season. The league first allowed foreign (non-Greek) players, in the 1988–89 season. The league became a fully professional competition in the 1992–93 season.
The league has always been ranked as one of the top 3-5 level national domestic leagues in European basketball, since league rankings began. For further information, see historical European national basketball league rankings, and European national basketball league rankings.
History
Basketball first came to Greece in the year 1924.
In 1969, the Hellenic Basketball Federation (E.O.K.) took over the duties of overseeing the competition, and did so until the year 1992. The third era of the championship existed between the 1986–87 and 1991–92 seasons, when the first division A1 National Category (Α1 Εθνική Κατηγορία), with a regular season and playoffs, and the second division A2 National Category (Α2 Εθνική Κατηγορία) were formed. The 1988–89 season, marked the first time that Greek Basket League teams were allowed to have foreign players on their rosters.[4]
The fourth era of the championship began in the 1992–93 season, when the
The Greek League has been one of the most competitive basketball leagues in Europe through the years, and it was widely regarded as the second best national domestic league in the world, after only the
The league has several European historical basketball powers, which also belong to some of the most traditional European basketball clubs, especially Panathinaikos, Olympiacos and AEK (which had great success in the 1960s), which are three of the most successful European basketball clubs of all time.
Also,
The first five aforementioned clubs (Panathinaikos, Olympiacos, AEK, Aris and PAOK), are also the most widely supported by fans in Greece.
Despite the championship having been contested 80 times, only nine different clubs have won it so far. The dominating club has usually been Panathinaikos, having claimed the championship 39 times. Since the foundation of the Alpha National Category in the 1963–64 season, only two teams have participated in every season of the competition, Panathinaikos and Aris.
Brand
Name
- 1927–28 to 1962–63: Panhellenic Championship
- 1963–64 to 1985–86: Alpha (A) National Category
- 1986–87 to 1991–92: Alpha1 (A1) National Category
- 1992–93 to 2011–12: HEBA Alpha1 (A1)
- 2012–13 to present: Greek Basket League
Sponsors
- ΕΚΟ
- Betshop.gr
- Stoiximan.gr
- Spalding
Logo
The main elements of the logo were changed in 2013.[5]
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2012–2013
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2013–present
Regulations
The championship, in its current form, has been organized since the 1992–93 season by the
Club and arena standards
In order to compete in the Greek Basket League, clubs must invest a minimum of €1 million on club operations per season. The minimum club budget per season is €800,000, and each club must also invest €200,000 into a league-wide fund that insures players get their full salaries. Most of the league's clubs invest more than the minimum requirements in each season.
Currently, Greek Basket League clubs must play their home games in arenas with a seating capacity of at least 2,000 people, in order to play Greek domestic league games. Several Greek clubs have two arenas that they primarily use. One for domestic Greek League games, and one for European-wide games.
Greek clubs that play in European-wide competitions, such as the
Foreign players
Greek Basket League teams were first allowed to have foreign (non-Greek) players on their rosters in the 1988–89 season.[6]
Under the league's current foreign player rules, Greek Basket League teams must have at least 6 Greek players on their active 12-man game rosters. Each team is allowed to have up to 6 foreign (non-Greek) players on their active 12-man game roster. There are no restrictions on the number of foreign players allowed by country of origin. Meaning that for example, any team in the league could sign up to 6 American players, or up to 6 Canadian players, or up to 6 players from European countries, etc.[7] Starting from the 2022–23 season, each team can have 7 foreign players to its league roster. However, every team is obliged to select 6 of them right before the match is started. This rotation of foreign players cannot take place in the playoffs. However, it was decided that as of the 2023–24 season the aforementioned rotation will be possible not only in the regular season but also in the playoffs.
Current clubs
The clubs for the 2023–24 season:
Location map for competing teams in Basket League 2022-23.Team | City | Arena | Capacity | Appearances in GBL |
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Α.E.K. | Athens | Ano Liosia Olympic Hall | 9,327 (collapsible) 8,327 (permanent) |
57
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Apollon Patras | Patras (Perivola) | Apollon Patras Indoor Hall | 3,500 | 34
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Aris | Thessaloniki | Alexandreio Melathron Hall | 5,138 | 60
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ASK Karditsa
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Karditsa | Giannis Bourousis Indoor Hall | 3,500[8][9] | 1
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Kolossos Rodou | Rhodes (Faliraki) | Kallithea Palais des Sports | 1,400[10] | 17
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Lavrio | Lavrio
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Lavrio Indoor Hall | 1,700 | 8
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Olympiacos | Piraeus | Peace and Friendship Stadium | 14,776[11] | 55
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Panathinaikos | Athens (Marousi) | O.A.C.A. Hall | 18,300[12] | 60
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P.A.O.K.
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Thessaloniki (Pylaia) | P.A.O.K. Sports Arena | 8,162[13] | 59
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Peristeri | Athens (Peristeri) | Peristeri Hall | 4,000 | 24
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Promitheas | Patras (Proastio) | Dimitris Tofalos Arena | 5,500 | 7
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Maroussi | Athens (Marousi) | Maroussi Saint Thomas Indoor Hall | 1,700 | 14
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Statistics
Title holders
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Performance by club
Titles | Champions | Years |
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39 | Panathinaikos | 1945–46, 1946–47, 1949–50, 1950–51, 1953–54, 1960–61, 1961–62, 1966–67, 1968–69, 1970–71, 1971–72, 1972–73, 1973–74, 1974–75, 1976–77, 1979–80, 1980–81, 1981–82, 1983–84, 1997–98, 1998–99, 1999–2000, 2000–01, 2002–03, 2003–04, 2004–05, 2005–06, 2006–07, 2007–08, 2008–09, 2009–10, 2010–11, 2012–13, 2013–14, 2016–17, 2017–18, 2018–19, 2019–20, 2020–21 |
14 | Olympiacos | 1948–49, 1959–60, 1975–76, 1977–78, 1992–93, 1993–94, 1994–95, 1995–96, 1996–97, 2011–12, 2014–15, 2015–16, 2021–22, 2022–23 |
10 | Aris | 1929–30, 1978–79, 1982–83, 1984–85, 1985–86, 1986–87, 1987–88, 1988–89, 1989–90, 1990–91 |
8 | AEK | 1957–58, 1962–63, 1963–64, 1964–65, 1965–66, 1967–68, 1969–70, 2001–02 |
6 | Panellinios | 1928–29, 1938–39, 1939–40, 1952–53, 1954–55, 1956–57 |
2 | Iraklis |
1927–28, 1934–35 |
PAOK |
1958–59, 1991–92 | |
1 | Near East | 1935–36 |
Athens University | 1936–37 |
A1 Finals
Basket League/A1 finals participation by club (until 2022)
Club | W | L | Total |
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Panathinaikos | 19 | 8 | 27 |
Olympiacos | 10 | 14 | 24 |
Aris | 4 | 0 | 4 |
PAOK
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1 | 6 | 7 |
AEK | 1 | 3 | 4 |
Panionios | 0 | 1 | 1 |
Maroussi | 0 | 1 | 1 |
Promitheas Patras | 0 | 1 | 1 |
Lavrio
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0 | 1 | 1 |
Number of seasons in the Panhellenic Championship (1928–1963)
The number of times that clubs participated in the league's original format, the Panhellenic Championship.
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Number of seasons in the A and A1 National Categories by club (1963–64 – 2021–22)
The number of times that clubs participated in the top A National Category, while it existed from the 1963–64 season to the 1985–86 season. As well as the number of times that clubs have participated in the top A1 National Category, since it began with the 1986–87 season. Only two clubs, Panathinaikos and Aris, have played in the top division every year since its formation.
- 1963–64 to 1985–86: Alpha (A) National Category
- 1986–87 to 1991–92: Alpha1 (A1) National Category
- 1992–93 to 2009–10: HEBA Alpha1 (A1)
- 2010–11 to present: Greek Basket League
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Number of seasons in the top-tier level Greek Basket League in total (1928 to 2021–22)
The total number of times that each club has played in the top-tier level Greek Basket League, through all of its different league formats.
- 1927–28 to 1962–63: Panhellenic Championship
- 1963–64 to 1985–86: Alpha (A) National Category
- 1986–87 to 1991–92: Alpha1 (A1) National Category
- 1992–93 to 2009–10: HEBA Alpha1 (A1)
- 2010–11 to present: Greek Basket League
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Best regular season records in the history of the A and A1 National Categories (1963–2015)
- 1963–64 to 1985–86: Alpha (A) National Category
- 1986–87 to 1991–92: Alpha1 (A1) National Category
- 1992–93 to 2009–10: HEBA Alpha1 (A1)
- 2010–11 to present: Greek Basket League
A and A1 National Category (1963–2018)
Season | Team | Regular season Record |
Playoff record | Final Record (Including playoffs) |
Final Season Result |
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1985–86 | Aris | 26-0 | — | 26-0 | Champion |
1967–68 | AEK | 22-0 | — | 22-0 | Champion |
1975–76 | Olympiacos | 22-0 | — | 22-0 | Champion |
1986–87 | Aris | 18-0 | 3-0 | 21-0 | Champion |
1987–88 | Aris | 18-0 | 3-0 | 21-0 | Champion |
2017–18 | Panathinaikos | 26-0 | 8-2 | 34-2 | Champion |
1979–80 | Panathinaikos | 16-0 | 12-2 | 28-2 | Champion |
2010–11 |
Olympiacos | 26-0 | 6–3 | 32–3 | Finalist |
The best overall season records of the HEBA A1 (1992–2015)
Season | Club | Regular season Record |
Playoff record | Final Record | Final Season Result |
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2017–18 | Panathinaikos | 26–0 | 8–2 | 34–2 | Champion |
2009–10 |
Panathinaikos | 25–1 | 8–1 | 33–2 | Champion |
2014–15 | Olympiacos | 25–1 | 8–1 | 33–2 | Champion |
2015–16 | Olympiacos | 25–1 | 8–1 | 33–2 | Champion |
2013–14 | Panathinaikos | 25–1 | 8–2 | 33–3 | Champion |
2005–06 |
Panathinaikos | 24–2 | 8–0 | 32–2 | Champion |
2010–11 |
Panathinaikos | 24–2 | 8–1 | 32–3 | Champion |
2010–11 |
Olympiacos | 26–0 | 6–3 | 32–3 | Finalist |
2006–07 |
Panathinaikos | 24–2 | 8–2 | 32–4 | Champion |
2011–12 |
Olympiacos | 23–1 | 8–2 | 31–3 | Champion |
2008–09 |
Olympiacos | 25–1 | 6–3 | 31–4 | Finalist |
2016–17 | Panathinaikos | 25–1 | 6–3 | 31–4 | Champion |
2021–22 | Olympiacos | 23–1 | 8–0 | 31–1 | Champion |
Greek basketball clubs in European and worldwide competitions
Awards and players
All-time stats leaders
- Of the HEBA fully professionalera Greek Basket League, 1992–93 to present. The officially recognized league stats leaders.
- Through the 2022–23 season.
- Currently active players in the league in bold.
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See also
- Greek Cup
- Greek Super Cup
- Greek basketball clubs in international competitions
- Greek Basket League Hall of Fame
- HEBA Greek All-Star Game
- Greek 2nd Division
- HEBA
- Basketball in Greece
References
- ^ Με 8 τα playoffs, μπόνους στους 2 πρώτους (in Greek).
- ^ "Ο πρώτος αγώνας μπάσκετ στην Ελλάδα έγινε με δύο αναποδογυρισμένες καρέκλες και μία μπάλα ποδοσφαίρου. Το πρώτο πανελλήνιο πρωτάθλημα είχε 4 ομάδες". 30 May 2019.
- ^ "Ιστορία του Μπάσκετ". Archived from the original on 2016-03-04.
- ^ Και οι (πρώτοι) ξένοι ήταν εννιά (in Greek).
- ^ (in Greek) Νέο λογότυπο για το πρωτάθλημα! sentragoal.gr
- ^ Και οι (πρώτοι) ξένοι ήταν εννιά (in Greek).
- ^ Πέρασε η πρόταση του Παναθηναϊκού για τους ξένους (in Greek).
- ^ "COMPETITION ALL STAR GAME 2023 VENUE Karditsa Municipal Sports Hall GAME DETAILS Tip off: 4:30 pm GMT 17/12/23 ATTENDANCE 3500". fibalivestats.com (in Greek). 2023-12-19.
- ^ "Προσωρινός ανάδοχος για το έργο της πτυσσόμενης". neosagon.gr (in Greek). 2023-12-19.
- ^ ΑΦΙΕΡΩΜΑ ΣΤΟΝ ΚΟΛΟΣΣΟ H HOTELS: Νέο ξεκίνημα στη Ρόδο.
- ^ "The Peace and Friendship Stadium". Olympiacos B.C. Archived from the original on 2016-08-02. Retrieved 5 November 2016.
- ^ "HOME". paobc.gr. Retrieved 13 January 2024.
- ^ "Arena". P.A.O.K. Retrieved 5 November 2016.
- ^ ESAKE Official website Greek League Champions
- ^ Georgakopoulos, George. "Panathinaikos crowned champion, Aris and PAOK stay up". ekathimerini.com. Online. Retrieved 5 June 2020.
- ^ ESAKE.gr Basket League ΟΠΑΠ: Το ρεκόρ του Ολυμπιακού. (in Greek)
- ^ ESAKE.gr Τα... χτένια του Ολυμπιακού!. (in Greek)
- ^ Σπανούλης Βασίλης (in English).
- ^ Σπανούλης Βασίλης (in English).
- ^ Σπανούλης Βασίλης (in English).
External links
- Official website (in Greek)
- Official English website (in English)
- Greek Basket League Highlights Archived 2013-10-16 at the Wayback Machine (in Greek)
- Greek Basketball (Men) Eurobasket.com (in English)
- Official Hellenic Basketball Federation Site (in Greek)