Premier A Slovenian Basketball League

1. SKL

Country	Slovenia
Confederation	FIBA Europe
Founded	1991 (1991)
First season	1991–92
Number of teams	10
Level on pyramid	1
Relegation to	2. SKL
Domestic cup(s)	Slovenian Cup
Supercup	Slovenian Supercup
International cup(s)	Basketball Champions League FIBA Europe Cup
Current champions	Olimpija (16th title)
Most championships	Olimpija (16 titles)
TV partners	RTV Slovenija Šport TV
Website	www.kzs.si
2017–18 Slovenian Basketball League

The Premier A Slovenian Basketball League (Slovene: 1. Slovenska Košarkarska Liga), abbreviated as 1. SKL and known as the Liga Nova KBM due to sponsorship reasons, is the top-level professional men's basketball league in Slovenia. The league, operated by the Basketball Federation of Slovenia, consists of 10 clubs. The most successful team is Olimpija with 16 titles.

History

The league was founded in 1991, shortly after Slovenia gained its independence from SFR Yugoslavia. Before the independence, the Slovenian Republic League was played as a second or third level of the Yugoslav basketball. Olimpija, Ljubljana, Slovan, ŽKK Maribor, Lesonit, and Branik Maribor were the only Slovenian teams that played in the Yugoslav First Federal Basketball League.

Names

Since 1991, the league has been named after sponsors on several occasions, giving it the following names:

• Liga Kolinska (1998–2001)
• HYPO Liga (2001–2002)
• 1. A SKL (2002–2006)
• Liga UPC Telemach (2006–2009)
• Liga Telemach (2009–2016)
• Liga Nova KBM (2017–present)

Competition format

For the 2017–18 season, the league is conducted in two phases.

Regular season

In the first phase, 10 teams compete in a home-and-away round-robin series (22 games total).

All teams advance from the regular season to one of two postseason stages, depending on their league position.

Second phase

The top six teams from the regular season advance to the championship phase. These teams start the second phase from scratch, with no results carrying over from the regular season. Each team plays a total of 10 games in this phase; as in the regular season, a home-and-away round-robin is used.

The top four teams at the end of this stage advance to the semifinals, conducted as a best-of-three playoff. The semifinal winners advance to the best-of-five championship finals, with the winners being crowned league champion.

Relegation playoffs

The bottom six teams play a home-and-away round-robin series with one another; these teams' results from the regular season carry over to the playouts. At the end of the playout phase, the bottom finisher is automatically relegated to the second level of the Slovenian league system, the 2. SKL. That team is replaced in the following season's league by the 2. SKL champion. The second-from-bottom finisher enters a home-and-away round-robin mini-league with the second- and third-place teams from the second league, with the team finishing on top of the mini-league taking up a place in the next year's 1. A SKL.

2017–18 teams

Team	City	Arena	Established	Head coach
Helios Suns	Domžale	Komunalni center Hall	1949	Jovan Beader
Hopsi Polzela	Polzela	Polzela Sports Hall	1972	Boštjan Kuhar
Ilirija	Ljubljana	Tivoli Hall	1957	Saša Dončić
Krka	Novo Mesto	Leon Štukelj Hall	1948	Simon Petrov
Olimpija	Ljubljana	Arena Stožice	1946	Gašper Okorn
Primorska	Koper	OŠ Koper Hall	2016	Jurica Golemac
Rogaška	Rogaška Slatina	Rogaška Slatina Sports Hall	1998	Damjan Novaković
Šenčur	Šenčur	Šenčur Sports Hall	1974	Rade Mijanović
Tajfun	Šentjur	OŠ Hruševec Hall	1969	Andrej Žakelj
Zlatorog Laško	Laško	Tri Lilije Hall	1969	Aleš Pipan

Finals

Season	Champion	Runner-up	Result	Finals MVP	Champion's Coach
1991–92	Smelt Olimpija	Postojna	3–0	N/A	Zmago Sagadin
1992–93	Smelt Olimpija	Koper	3–1		Zmago Sagadin
1993–94	Smelt Olimpija	Maribor	3–0		Zmago Sagadin
1994–95	Smelt Olimpija	Kovinotehna Savinjska Polzela	3–0		Zmago Sagadin
1995–96	Smelt Olimpija	Krško	3–1		Žarko Djurišič
1996–97	Smelt Olimpija	Kovinotehna Savinjska Polzela	3–1		Zmago Sagadin
1997–98	Union Olimpija	Kovinotehna Savinjska Polzela	3–0		Zmago Sagadin
1998–99	Union Olimpija	Pivovarna Laško	3–0		Zmago Sagadin
1999–00	Krka	Pivovarna Laško	3–1		Ivan Sunara
2000–01	Union Olimpija	Krka	3–0		Zmago Sagadin
2001–02	Union Olimpija	Krka	3–0		Zmago Sagadin
2002–03	Krka	Union Olimpija	3–2		Neven Spahija
2003–04	Union Olimpija	Pivovarna Laško	3–0		Sašo Filipovski
2004–05	Union Olimpija	Slovan	3–2		Sašo Filipovski
2005–06	Union Olimpija	Slovan	3–2		Zmago Sagadin
2006–07	Helios Suns	Union Olimpija	3–2		Memi Bečirovič
2007–08	Union Olimpija	Helios Suns	3–1		Aleksandar Džikić
2008–09	Union Olimpija	Helios Suns	3–0		Jure Zdovc
2009–10	Krka	Union Olimpija	3–2	Smiljan Pavič	Aleksandar Džikić
2010–11	Krka	Union Olimpija	3–2	Zoran Dragić	Aleksandar Džikić
2011–12	Krka	Union Olimpija	3–1	Afik Nissim	Aleksander Sekulić
2012–13	Krka	Union Olimpija	3–1	Matjaž Smodiš	Gašper Potočnik
2013–14	Krka	Union Olimpija	3–2	Jaka Klobučar	Aleksandar Džikić
2014–15	Tajfun	Rogaška	3–1	Dragiša Drobnjak	Dejan Mihevc
2015–16	Helios Suns	Zlatorog Laško	3–1	Marjan Čakarun	Jakša Vulić
2016–17	Union Olimpija	Rogaška	3–1	Devin Oliver	Gašper Okorn

Titles by club

Finals appearances

Slovenian Republic League winners (1946–1991)

Statistical leaders

Season	Top rating	PIR	Top scorer	PPG	Top rebounder	RPG	Top Assistant	APG
2007–08	Dejan Grković	19.19	Miroslav Jurić	19.58	Dejan Grković	8.81	Jure Močnik	4.85
2008–09	Shawn King	31.26	Gilbert Goodrich	22.15	Shawn King	14.79	Jure Močnik	4.59
2009–10	Shawn King	27.61	Sandi Čebular	20.69	Shawn King	11.30	Tadej Koštomaj	5.44
2010–11	Gregg Thondique	22.84	Benjamin Raymond	17.68	Gregg Thondique	10.53	Igor Mijajlović	4.68
2011–12	Travis Nelson	20.88	Travis Nelson	17.46	Miloš Miljković	8.57	Luka Rupnik	5.33
2012–13	Kervin Bristol	20.07	Sašo Zagorac	17.50	Kervin Bristol	10.86	Daniel Vujasinović	5.81
2013–14	Ousman Krubally	20.03	Ousman Krubally	17.17	Ousman Krubally	9.07	Daniel Vujasinović	7.63
2014–15	Sašo Zagorac	20.41	Sašo Zagorac	18.86	Smiljan Pavič	8.86	Jan Močnik	6.96
2015–16	Jan Barbarič	23.20	Jan Barbarič	18.60	Smiljan Pavič	8.39	Matic Rebec	5.59
2016–17	Igor Tratnik	19.45	Duda Sanadze	17.32	Jakob Čebašek	8.63	Daniel Vujasinović	8.29

See also

• Slovenian Basketball Cup

External links

• Official website (in Slovene)
• Slovenian league on Eurobasket.com