Pro B
Organising bodyLigue Nationale de Basket (LNB)
Founded1932; 92 years ago (1932)
First season1932–33
CountryFrance
ConfederationFIBA Europe
Number of teams18
Level on pyramidLevel 2
Promotion toPro A
Relegation toNationale Masculine 1
Domestic cup(s)French Cup (Federation Cup)
Pro B Leaders Cup (League Cup)
Current championsSaint-Quentin
(2022–23)
Most championshipsFour clubs (2 titles)
TV partnersSport en France
Websitelnb.fr/pro-b

The LNB Pro B, commonly known as Pro B, is the 2nd-tier level men's professional basketball league in France. It is the second division of the Ligue Nationale de Basket (LNB), which has organized the league since the year 1987. The regular season champion and the winner of the promotion playoffs from each Pro B season are promoted to the top-tier level LNB Pro A, replaced by the bottom two teams in Pro A. The two last placed teams are relegated to the third level, which is the NM1.

History

Names of the league

Format

All eighteen competing teams play each other twice during the regular season. The team that ends in first place in the table is named league champion and promotes to the LNB Pro A. The top eight regular season teams, with exception for the league champion, qualify for the promotion playoffs. During the competition, the Leaders Cup tournament is played. The champion of the Leaders Cup automatically qualifies for the playoffs. The winner of the promotion playoffs, which is played with best-of-three playoff series, promotes to the ProA. The bottom two regular season teams are meanwhile relegated to the third tier Nationale Masculine 1 (NM1) league.

Current teams

These are the current teams:

Club City Arena Capacity
AMSB Aix-les-Bains Halle Marlioz 1,500
Antibes Sharks Antibes Azur Arena Antibes 5,249
Boulazac Boulazac Le Palio 5,200
Élan Chalon Chalon-sur-Saône Le Colisée 4,948
Denain Voltaire Denain Salle Jean Degros 2,500
ALM Évreux Évreux Salle Jean Fourré 2,500
Alliance Sport Alsace[a] Gries &
Souffelweyersheim		 Espace Sport La Foret
Salle des Sept Arpents		 1,450
1,500
Lille Métropole Lille Palais des Sports Saint-Sauveur 1,835
SLUC Nancy Nancy Palais des Sports Jean-Weille 6,027
Hermine Nantes Nantes La Trocardière 4,185
Béliers de Kemper Quimper Salle Omnisports Michel-Gloaguen 2,230
Rouen Métropole Rouen Kindarena 5,789
Saint-Chamond Saint-Chamond Halle André Boullohce 1,200
Saint-Quentin Saint-Quentin Palais des Sports Pierre Ratte 3,800
Saint-Vallier Saint-Vallier Rives Sports Complex 2,132
Stade Rochelais La Rochelle Salle Gaston-Neveur 1,994
Tours Métropole Tours Halle Monconseil 1,500
Vichy-Clermont Métropole Clermont-Ferrand Clermont-Ferrand Sports Hall 4,534
  1. ^ Formed by the merger of five clubs after the 2020–21 season—BC Gries-Oberhoffen and BC Souffelweyersheim, both of which played in the 2020–21 Pro B season, plus BC Nord Alsace, Weyersheim BB and Walbourg-Eschbach Basket.

Champions

1932–1987

Honneur (Honor)

 

Excellence

 

Nationale 2 (National 2)

   

1988–present

Season Champions Promoted teams
1987–88 Montpellier PSC Saint-Quentin BB, BCM Gravelines
1988–89 Reims CB Chorale Roanne
1989–90 SCM Le Mans JDA Dijon
1990–91 Lyon
1991–92 Levallois SC ESPE Châlons-en-Champagne
1992–93 ASA Sceaux
1993–94 SLUC Nancy SIG Strasbourg
1994–95 Besançon BCD ALM Évreux
1995–96 Toulouse Spacer's Élan Chalon
1996–97 Maurienne Savoie Toulouse Spacer's
1997–98 Levallois SC (2)
1998–99 SIG Strasbourg ESPE Châlons-en-Champagne
1999–00 JL Bourg STB Le Havre
2000–01 Limoges Hyères Toulon VB
2001–02 JA Vichy Chorale Roanne
2002–03 Reims CB (2) Besançon BCD
2003–04 Stade Clermontois Basket ESPE Châlons-en-Champagne
2004–05 Étendard de Brest SPO Rouen
2005–06 Entente Orléanaise Besançon BCD
2006–07 JA Vichy (2)
2007–08 Besançon BCD (2) SPO Rouen
2008–09 Poitiers Paris-Levallois
2009–10 Élan Béarnais Pau-Lacq-Orthez Limoges
2010–11 Nanterre Dijon
2011–12 Limoges Boulazac
2012–13 Olympique Antibes Élan Béarnais Pau-Orthez
2013–14 Boulogne-sur-Mer JL Bourg, SPO Rouen, Champagne Châlons-Reims[a]
2014–15 Monaco (2) Antibes Sharks
2015–16 Hyères-Toulon ESSM Le Portel
2016–17 JL Bourg Boulazac Dordogne
2017–18 ADA Blois
2018–19 Roanne Orleans Loiret
2019–20 Canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic
2020–21 Fos Paris
2021–22 SLUC Nancy (2) ADA Blois
2022–23 Saint-Quentin Élan Chalon
  1. ^ In the 2013–14 season, two extra teams (SPO Rouen and Châlons-Reims) were promoted to the 2014–15 Pro A season because of the expansion of the Pro A from 16 to 18 teams.

Logos

Awards

Main article: LNB Pro B MVP

Main article: LNB Pro B Finals MVP

Main article: LNB Pro B Best Scorer

LNB Pro B Best Coach and Most Improved Player

Year LNB Pro B Best Coach LNB Pro B Most Improved Player
2006 France François Peronnet (Châlons-en-Champagne) –
2007 France Olivier Cousin (Quimper)
2008 France Michel Veyronnet (Rouen)
2009 France Ruddy Nelhomme (Poitiers)
2010 France Didier Dobbels (Pau-Lacq-Orthez)
2011 France Pascal Donnadieu (JSF Nanterre)
2012 France Frédéric Sarre (Limoges) France Ferdinand Prénom (Antibes)
2013 France Rémy Valin (Évreux) France Mam Jaiteh (Boulogne-sur-Mer)
2014 France Germain Castano (Boulogne-sur-Mer) France Olivier Romain (Saint-Quentin)
2015 France Laurent Legname (Hyères-Toulon) France Mathieu Wojciechowski (Le Portel)
2016 France Kyle Milling (Hyères-Toulon) France Isaia Cordinier (Denain)
2017 France Cédric Heitz (Charleville-Mézières) France Arthur Rozenfeld (Roanne)

See also

References

External links

Basketball in France
Pro B
Men's basketball leagues
Categories