Liga ACB

The Liga ACB, known as the Liga Endesa for sponsorship reasons, is the pre-eminent men's professional basketball league in Spain. It was founded in 1956 with the name of Liga Nacional. The league changed its name to the current one in 1983. The league is rated as one of the three "A" level European national domestic leagues in the ULEB League Rankings system.

The ACB league, which is played under FIBA rules, currently consists of 18 teams, including Real Madrid, FC Barcelona Regal, Cajasol Banca Cívica, Asefa Estudiantes, Gran Canaria 2014, Caja Laboral Baskonia, Valencia BC and Unicaja Málaga.

Other competitions

• Spanish King's Cup
• Spanish Supercup

Liga championship rules

Each team has to play all the other teams in its division twice, one at home and one away. This means that in Liga ACB the regular league ends after all teams play 34 matches.

Like many other leagues in continental Europe, the Liga ACB takes a winter break once each team has played half of its scheduled matches. One feature of the league that may be unusual to North American observers is that the two halves of the season are played in the same order—that is, the order of each team's first-half fixtures is repeated in the second half of the season. This is normal in Spanish sports; it is also used by La Liga in association football.

At the end of the league, the eight best teams start a play-off, playing the regular season champion with the 8th and so on. There are three rounds with five matches on each, and the winner of the final round is the champion of the ACB. This is similar to the NBA playoffs, but shorter.

Arena standards

Currently, ACB clubs must have home arenas that seat at least 5,000 people.

Liga Nacional (1957–1983)

Titles

ACB Finals (1983–Present)

Finals appearances

Total league championships (Liga Nacional + ACB)

Current clubs

• Assignia Manresa
• Baloncesto Fuenlabrada
• Bizkaia Bilbao Basket
• Blancos de Rueda Valladolid
• CAI Zaragoza
• Caja Laboral Baskonia
• Cajasol Banca Cívica
• FIATC Mutua Joventut
• Asefa Estudiantes
• FC Barcelona Regal
• Gran Canaria 2014
• Lagun Aro GBC
• CB Lucentum Alicante
• Valencia BC
• Real Madrid
• Unicaja Málaga
• UCAM Murcia
• Obradoiro CAB

Promoted to League ACB

• CB Murcia
• Obradoiro CAB

Relegated to League LEB

• CB Granada
• Menorca Bàsquet

Awards

• ACB Most Valuable Player Award
• ACB Rising Star Award

ACB records

• Most Points in a Game

• 54 by Epi, FC Barcelona vs. Joventut Massana on February 18, 1984

• Most Field Goals Made in a Game

• 25 by Essie Hollis, Arabatxo Baskonia at OAR Ferrol on February 5, 1984

• Most Three Point Field Goals Made in a Game

• 11 by Oscar Schmidt, Fórum Valladolid at CB Murcia on March 19, 1994

• Most Free Throws Made in a Game

• 29 by Jeff Lamp, Granada at Fórum Filatélico Valladolid on December 21, 1991

• Most Rebounds in a Game

• 29 by Clarence Kea, Juver Murcia vs. Dyc Breogán on December 21, 1991

• Most Assists in a Game

• 18 by Joaquim Costa, Valvi Girona vs. Puleva Baloncesto Granada on November 9, 1990

• Most Steals in a Game

• 13 by Lance Berwald, BBV Villalba at Caja Guipúzcoa on March 11, 1989

• Most Blocks in a Game

• 12 by Fran Vázquez, FC Barcelona at Grupo Capitol Valladolid on January 7, 2007

• Most Points in a Game

• 147 – FC Barcelona defeated Cajabilbao 147-106 on January 31, 1987

• Fewest Points in a Game

• 39 – Lagun Aro GBC was defeated by Blancos de Rueda Valladolid 61-39 on April 25, 2010

• Largest Margin of Victory in a Game

• 55 – FC Barcelona defeated Breogán Caixa Galicia 82–137 on April 12, 1986
• 55 – Real Madrid defeated Clesa Ferrol 116–61 on October 5, 1985

• Victory with fewest points

• 49 - Assignia Manresa defeated Meridiano Alicante 49-48 on March 6, 2011

External links

• Official ACB League Page (Spanish)
• Euroleague.net Spanish League Page