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 eleven clubs. The most successful team is Cedevita Olimpija with 19 titles.
 | |
| Founded | 1991 |
|---|---|
| First season | 1991–92 |
| Country | Slovenia |
| Confederation | FIBA Europe |
| Number of teams | 11 |
| 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 | Cedevita Olimpija (19th title) (2021–22) |
| Most championships | Cedevita Olimpija (19 titles) |
| TV partners | RTV Slovenija Šport TV |
| Website | Official website |
 2021–22 Slovenian Basketball League | |
HistoryEdit
The league was founded in 1991, shortly after Slovenia's independence from SFR Yugoslavia. Before the independence, the Slovenian Republic League was played as a second or third level of Yugoslav basketball. Olimpija, Ljubljana, Slovan, ŽKK Maribor, Lesonit, and Branik Maribor were the only Slovenian teams that played in the Yugoslav First Federal League.
NamesEdit
Since 1991, the league has been named after sponsors on several occasions, giving it the following names:
Competition formatEdit
Regular seasonEdit
In the first phase, ten teams compete in a home-and-away round-robin series (18 games total). The eleventh team automatically enters the championship phase due to participation in international competitions.
All teams advance from the regular season, to one of two postseason stages, depending on their league position.
Second phaseEdit
Championship phaseEdit
The top five teams from the regular season advance to the championship phase. They are also joined by the sixth team that competed in international competitions. 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.
Relegation phaseEdit
The bottom five teams of the regular season enters a home-and-away round-robin league, with results from the regular stage carrying over. The top two teams of this phase advance to the quarterfinals, while the bottom-placed team is relegated to the 2. SKL.
Third phaseEdit
All six teams of the championship phase and the top two teams of the relegation phase advance to the quarterfinals. In the quarterfinals and semifinals, a best-of-three playoff is used. The semifinal winners advance to the best-of-five championship finals, with the winners being crowned league champion.[3]
Current teamsEdit
As of the 2022–23 season
| Team | Location | Arena | Established | Head coach |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cedevita Olimpija | Ljubljana | Arena Stožice | 2019 |  Jurica Golemac
|
| GGD Šenčur | Šenčur | Šenčur Sports Hall | 1973 |  Miljan Pavković
|
| Helios Suns | Domžale | Komunalni center Hall | 1949 | Dejan Jakara
|
| Hopsi Polzela | Polzela | Polzela Sports Hall | 1972 | Vladimir Rizman
|
| Krka | Novo Mesto | Leon Štukelj Hall | 1948 | Gašper Okorn
|
| LTH Castings | Škofja Loka | Poden Sports Hall | 1954 | Igor Dolenc
|
| Nutrispoint Ilirija | Ljubljana | Tivoli Hall | 1957 | Stipe Modrić
|
| Rogaška | Rogaška Slatina | Rogaška Slatina Sports Hall | 1998 | Damjan Novaković
|
| Šentjur | Šentjur | OŠ Hruševec Hall | 1969 | Miloš Pešić
|
| Terme Olimia Podčetrtek | Podčetrtek | Podčetrtek Sports Hall | 1999 | Davor Brečko
|
| Zlatorog Laško | Laško | Tri Lilije Hall | 1969 | Aleš Pipan
|
FinalsEdit
Titles by clubEdit
| Club | Winners | Winning Years |
|---|---|---|
| Cedevita Olimpija[a] | 19
|
1992, 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2001, 2002, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2008, 2009, 2017, 2018, 2021, 2022 |
| Krka | 7
|
2000, 2003, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014 |
| Helios Suns | 2
|
2007, 2016 |
| Šentjur | 1
|
2015 |
| Primorska | 1
|
2019 |
Finals appearancesEdit
| Num | Team | W | L |
|---|---|---|---|
| 27 | Cedevita Olimpija[a] | 19 | 8 |
| 11 | Krka | 7 | 4 |
| 5 | Helios Suns | 2 | 3 |
| 1 | Šentjur | 1 | 0 |
| 1 | Primorska | 1 | 0 |
| 4 | Zlatorog Laško | 0 | 4 |
| 3 | Hopsi Polzela | 0 | 3 |
| 2 | Slovan | 0 | 2 |
| 2 | Rogaška | 0 | 2 |
| 1 | Postojna | 0 | 1 |
| 1 | Koper | 0 | 1 |
| 1 | TAM Bus | 0 | 1 |
| 1 | Krško | 0 | 1 |
- ^ a b Includes KK Olimpija
Statistical leadersEdit
See alsoEdit
ReferencesEdit
- ^ "Košarkarsko državno prvenstvo znova liga Nova KBM" (in Slovenian). Šport TV. 24 February 2020. Retrieved 20 March 2020.
- ^ "Z banko Nova KBM spet v drugi del državnega prvenstva za moške". kzs.si (in Slovenian). 22 February 2021. Retrieved 23 February 2021.
- ^ "UVODNI BILTEN TEKMOVANJ – SEZONA 2021/22" (PDF). kzs.si (in Slovenian). Retrieved 24 September 2021.
External linksEdit
- Official website (in Slovene)
- Slovenian League on Eurobasket.com