Basketball League Belgium Division I

EuroMillions Basketball League

Current season, competition or edition: 2016–17 Belgian Basketball League
Formerly	See Sponsorship names
Sport	Basketball
Founded	1928
No. of teams	10
Country	Belgium
Continent	FIBA Europe (Europe)
Most recent champion(s)	Oostende (16th title)
Most titles	Oostende (16 titles)
Level on pyramid	1st tier (Belgium)
Relegation to	Belgian Top Division I Basketball League - 2nd tier
Domestic cup(s)	Belgian Cup
International cup(s)	Champions League (3rd tier) FIBA Europe Cup (4th tier)
Related competitions	Belgian Cup Belgian Supercup
Official website	scoooreleague.be

The Basketball League Belgium (BLB) Division I, for sponsorship reasons, known as the EuroMillions Basketball League, is the highest tier level professional basketball league in Belgium for clubs. Through 2014, for sponsorship reasons, the league was previously known as the Ethias League, and from 2014–2016, it was known as the Scoore! League, for sponsorship reasons. The league is organized by the Basketball League Belgium.

The most successful team currently active in the league is BC Oostende, which holds the record for the most league titles won, with 16. The now defunct team, Racing Mechelen, is currently the team with the second most league titles won, with 15.

Sponsorship names

• 0000–2014 Ethias League
• 2014–2016 Scoore! League
• 2016–0000 EuroMillions Basketball League^[1]

• 

  Ethias League logo

• 

  Scooore! League logo (2014–2016)

Format and rules

The BLB is played by the international FIBA rules. Since 2014–15 the BLB season has a new format. In the regular season, all teams play each other first home and away. After that first round the league is divided in two groups based on standings; in the first group teams ranked 1–6 play and in the second 7–11. After the split each team plays all others in its group once home and once away. After that the Playoffs are played by eight teams. The quarterfinals consist of best-of-three series and the semi- and finals are played in a best-of-five format.

Licensing

Teams that play in the BLB all have to get a license to play in the league. There are three types of licenses:^[2][3]

• A-license: for teams who have more than a € 1 million budget. A-licensed team can qualify for European competitions.
• B-license: teams with at least a €750,000 budget. B-licensed teams can't qualify for European play.
• C-licence: given to teams that are on the rise, with a budget of at least €400,000. C-licenses do not allow teams to qualify for European play and have to get replaced by B-licenses after two years.

Teams

Club	City	Arena	Capacity
Basic-Fit Brussels	Brussels	Piscine de Neder-Over-Hembeek	1,200
Limburg United	Hasselt	Alverberg-sporthal	1,730
Belfius Mons-Hainaut	Mons	Mons Arena	4,000
Proximus Spirou	Charleroi	Spiroudome	6,200
Kangoeroes Basket Willebroek	Willebroek	Sporthal de Schalk	1,000
Liège Basket	Liège	Country Hall Ethias	5,000
Okapi Aalstar	Aalst	Okapi Forum	2,800
Port of Antwerp Giants	Antwerp	Lotto Arena	5,218
Stella Artois Leuven Bears	Leuven	Sportoase	3,400
Telenet BC Oostende	Ostend	Sleuyter Arena	5,000
VOO Wolves Verviers-Pepinster	Verviers	Halle du Paire	4,000

Finals

Note: Sponsorship names are not included.

Season	Champions	Score	Runners-up
2004–05	Bree	3–1	Spirou
2005–06	Oostende	3–1	Mons-Hainaut
2006–07	Oostende	3–2	Bree
2007–08	Spirou	3–0	Bree
2008–09	Spirou	3–0	Mons-Hainaut
2009–10	Spirou	3–1	Liège Basket
2010–11	Spirou	3–0	Okapi Aalstar
2011–12	Oostende	3–2	Spirou
2012–13	Oostende	3–0	Mons-Hainaut
2013–14	Oostende	3–2	Okapi Aalstar
2014–15	Oostende	3–1	Mons-Hainaut
2015–16	Oostende	3–1	Okapi Aalstar

Appearances by team

Note: Only included starting from the 2004–05 season.

Team	Total	W	L
Oostende	7	7	0
Spirou	5	4	2
Mons-Hainaut	4	0	4
Bree	3	1	2
Okapi Aalstar	3	0	3
Liège Basket	1	0	1

Title holders

1927–28 Brussels A.C. 1928–29 Daring B.C. 1929–30 Brussels A.C. 1930–31 Brussels A.C. 1931–32 Daring B.C. 1932–33 Brussels A.C. 1933–34 Daring B.C. 1934–35 Amicale Sportive 1935–36 Amicale Sportive 1936–37 Fresh Air 1937–38 Fresh Air 1938–39 Royal IV 1939–41 Not held due to WWII 1941–42 Royal IV 1942–45 Not held due to WWII 1945–46 Semailles 1946–47 Semailles 1947–48 Semailles 1948–49 Semailles 1949–50 Semailles 1950–51 Semailles 1951–52 Royal IV

1953–53 Royal IV 1953–54 Royal IV 1954–55 Hellas Gent 1955–56 Antwerpse 1956–57 Royal IV 1957–58 Royal IV 1958–59 Antwerpse 1959–60 Antwerpse 1960–61 Antwerpse 1961–62 Antwerpse 1962–63 Antwerpse 1963–64 Antwerpse 1964–65 Racing Mechelen 1965–66 Racing Mechelen 1966–67 Racing Mechelen 1967–68 Standard Liège 1968–69 Racing Bell Mechelen 1969–70 Standard Liège 1970–71 Bus Fruit Lier 1971–72 Bus Fruit Lier 1972–73 Racing Antwerpen 1973–74 Racing Maes Pils Mechelen

1974–75 Racing Maes Pils Mechelen 1975–76 Racing Maes Pils Mechelen 1976–77 Standard Liège 1977–78 Fresh Air 1978–79 Fresh Air 1979–80 Racing Maes Pils Mechelen 1980–81 Sunair Oostende 1981–82 Sunair Oostende 1982–83 Sunair Oostende 1983–84 Sunair Oostende 1984–85 Sunair Oostende 1985–86 Sunair Oostende 1986–87 Racing Maes Pils Mechelen 1987–88 Sunair Oostende 1988–89 Racing Maes Pils Mechelen 1989–90 Racing Maes Pils Mechelen 1990–91 Racing Maes Pils Mechelen 1991–92 Racing Maes Pils Mechelen 1992–93 Racing Maes Pils Mechelen 1993–94 Racing Maes Pils Mechelen 1994–95 Sunair Oostende 1995–96 Spirou

1996–97 Spirou 1997–98 Spirou 1998–99 Spirou 1999–00 Telindus Racing Antwerpen 2000–01 Telindus Oostende 2001–02 Telindus Oostende 2002–03 Spirou 2003–04 Spirou 2004–05 Euphony Bree 2005–06 Telindus Oostende 2006–07 Telindus Oostende 2007–08 Spirou 2008–09 Spirou 2009–10 Spirou 2010–11 Spirou 2011–12 Telenet Oostende 2012–13 Telenet Oostende 2013–14 Telenet Oostende 2014–15 Telenet Oostende 2015–16 Telenet Oostende

Performance by club

Key

+	Denotes a team that has been dissolved.

Titles	Team	Seasons
17	Oostende	1981, 1982, 1983, 1984, 1985, 1986, 1988, 1995, 2001, 2002, 2006, 2007, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016
15	Racing Mechelen^+	1965, 1966, 1967, 1969, 1974, 1975, 1976, 1980, 1987, 1989, 1990, 1991, 1992, 1993, 1994
10	Spirou	1996, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2003, 2004, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011
8	Antwerpse^+	1956, 1959, 1960, 1961, 1962, 1963, 1964, 1973
7	Royal IV^+	1939, 1942, 1952, 1953, 1954, 1957, 1958
6	Semailles^+	1946, 1947, 1948, 1949, 1950, 1951
4	Fresh Air	1937, 1938, 1978, 1979
4	Brussels A.C.^+	1928, 1930, 1931, 1933
3	Daring B.C.^+	1929, 1932, 1934
3	Standard Liège^+	1968, 1970, 1977
2	Lier^+	1971, 1972
2	Amicale Sportive^+	1935, 1936
1	Bree^+	2005
1	Antwerp Giants	2000
1	Hellas Gent^+	1955

Individual awards

Not all awards are official ones handed out by the league itself, but all are regarded and respected as BLB awards. As example the Belgian Player of the Year award is handed out by the Belgian newspaper Het Nieuwsblad, but the league itself reports the winner on its website.

• Belgian Basketball Player of the year
• Coach of the Year
• MVP
• Star of the Coaches
• Young Player of the Year

References

1. "Scooore! League makes way for Euromillions Basketball League". Scooore! League. 6 September 2016. Retrieved 6 September 2016.
2. "A, B en C-licentie in 2009-2010 in Ethias League". Nieuwsblad.be. March 12, 2009.
3. "Licentiereglement vzw BLB ter deelname aan competitie – Types van licentie" (PDF). BLB.

External links

• Official website
• Eurobasket.com League Page