Pro B
Organising bodyLigue Nationale de Basket (LNB)
Founded1932 (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

  • Honneur Ligue (1932–1949)
  • Excellence Ligue (1950–1963)
  • Nationale 2 (1964–1987)
  • Nationale 1B (1987–1992)
  • Nationale A2 (1992–1993)
  • Pro B (1993–present)

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
AMSBAix-les-BainsHalle Marlioz1,500
Antibes SharksAntibesAzur Arena Antibes5,249
BoulazacBoulazacLe Palio5,200
Élan ChalonChalon-sur-SaôneLe Colisée4,948
Denain VoltaireDenainSalle Jean Degros2,500
ALM ÉvreuxÉvreuxSalle Jean Fourré2,500
Alliance Sport Alsace[lower-alpha 1]Gries &
Souffelweyersheim		Espace Sport La Foret
Salle des Sept Arpents		1,450
1,500
Lille MétropoleLillePalais des Sports Saint-Sauveur1,835
SLUC NancyNancyPalais des Sports Jean-Weille6,027
Hermine NantesNantesLa Trocardière4,185
Béliers de KemperQuimperSalle Omnisports Michel-Gloaguen2,230
Rouen MétropoleRouenKindarena5,789
Saint-ChamondSaint-ChamondHalle André Boullohce1,200
Saint-QuentinSaint-QuentinPalais des Sports Pierre Ratte3,800
Saint-VallierSaint-VallierRives Sports Complex2,132
Stade RochelaisLa RochelleSalle Gaston-Neveur1,994
Tours MétropoleToursHalle Monconseil1,500
Vichy-Clermont MétropoleClermont-FerrandClermont-Ferrand Sports Hall4,534
  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
1987–88Montpellier PSCSaint-Quentin BB, BCM Gravelines
1988–89Reims CBChorale Roanne
1989–90SCM Le MansJDA Dijon
1990–91Lyon
1991–92Levallois SCESPE Châlons-en-Champagne
1992–93ASA Sceaux
1993–94SLUC NancySIG Strasbourg
1994–95Besançon BCDALM Évreux
1995–96Toulouse Spacer'sÉlan Chalon
1996–97Maurienne SavoieToulouse Spacer's
1997–98Levallois SC (2)
1998–99SIG StrasbourgESPE Châlons-en-Champagne
1999–00JL BourgSTB Le Havre
2000–01LimogesHyères Toulon VB
2001–02JA VichyChorale Roanne
2002–03Reims CB (2)Besançon BCD
2003–04Stade Clermontois BasketESPE Châlons-en-Champagne
2004–05Étendard de BrestSPO Rouen
2005–06Entente OrléanaiseBesançon BCD
2006–07JA Vichy (2)
2007–08Besançon BCD (2)SPO Rouen
2008–09PoitiersParis-Levallois
2009–10Élan Béarnais Pau-Lacq-OrthezLimoges
2010–11NanterreDijon
2011–12LimogesBoulazac
2012–13Olympique AntibesÉlan Béarnais Pau-Orthez
2013–14Boulogne-sur-MerJL Bourg, SPO Rouen, Champagne Châlons-Reims[lower-alpha 1]
2014–15Monaco (2)Antibes Sharks
2015–16Hyères-ToulonESSM Le Portel
2016–17JL BourgBoulazac Dordogne
2017–18ADA Blois
2018–19RoanneOrleans Loiret
2019–20Canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic
2020–21FosParis
2021–22SLUC Nancy (2)ADA Blois
2022–23Saint-QuentinÉlan 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

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

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