Liga Nacional de Baloncesto Profesional


The National Professional Basketball League, officially known as the Liga Caliente LNBP for sponsorship reasons, is the top professional basketball league in Mexico. The league was founded in 2000 with 10 teams.
Notable basketball players who have played in the league include Jamario Moon, Dennis Rodman and Sun Mingming, among many others.

History

Foundation

In January 2000, some teams of CIMEBA, the national basketball league in Mexico at the time, exited the league, citing CIMEBA's financial difficulties, and decided to form a new league. On March 11, 2000 the league was founded in the city of Durango with 11 teams participating. These were the founding teams, with the respective city and state:
  • Algodoneros de la Comarca
  • Correcaminos Matamoros de la UAT
  • Correcaminos Reynosa de la UAT
  • Correcaminos Tampico de la UAT
  • Correcaminos Victoria de la UAT
  • Dorados de Chiuhuahua
  • Garzas de Plata de la UAEH
  • Indios de la UACJ
  • La Ola Roja del Distrito Federal
  • Osos de Saltillo
  • Vaqueros de Agua Prieta
The first president was Modesto Robledo. The LNBP set out to support and develop professional basketball in Mexico. The first edition of the league started on August 7, 2000 and finished in December, with the regular season finishing on November 11 and the playoffs starting on November 14. The first game was played in Torreón between Algodoneros de Torreón and Dorados de Chihuahua at the Auditorio Municipal: Dorados won, 80–78. The league coexisted in its first seasons with CIMEBA.

Format

Regular season

The regular season is played in round-robin format in which the 8 best-placed teams qualify to the postseason. For every game won 2 points are added and for every game lost one point is added. For example: If team one played 10 games and won 7, losing the remaining 3, it would have 17 points; 14 points for the 7 games won and 3 points for the games lost.

Playoffs

The eight top-seeded teams play each other. The 1st-placed team plays the 8th-place team while the 2nd plays the 7th and the 3rd plays the 6th and so on. The semi-finals are played like the quarterfinals while the Serie Final is played by the two teams remaining with the best-placed team having home field advantage.

Teams


List of champions

SeasonChampionResultRunner-up
2000Correcaminos UAT Tampico4–2Correcaminos UAT Victoria
2001Gallos de Pelea de Ciudad Juárez4–1Lobos UAdeC
2002Correcaminos UAT Victoria4–3Correcaminos UAT Matamoros
2003Panteras de Aguascalientes4–2La Ola Roja del Distrito Federal
2004Santos de San Luis4–2Halcones de Xalapa
2005Halcones de Xalapa4–1Lobos UAdeC
2006Soles de Mexicali4–3Halcones de Xalapa
2007–08Halcones de Xalapa4–3Soles de Mexicali
2008–09Halcones de Xalapa4–2Soles de Mexicali
2009–10Halcones de Xalapa4–1Halcones Rojos Veracruz
2010–11Toros de Nuevo Laredo4–2Pioneros de Quintana Roo
2011–12Halcones Rojos Veracruz4–1Toros de Nuevo Laredo
2012–13Toros de Nuevo Laredo4–2Halcones de Xalapa
2013–14Halcones Rojos Veracruz4–3Pioneros de Quintana Roo
2014–15Soles de Mexicali4–1Pioneros de Quintana Roo
2015–16Pioneros de Quintana Roo4–3Soles de Mexicali
2016–17Fuerza Regia de Monterrey4–2Soles de Mexicali
2017–18Soles de Mexicali4–1Capitanes de la Ciudad de México
2018–19Fuerza Regia de Monterrey4–2Capitanes de la Ciudad de México
2019–20Soles de Mexicali4–3Fuerza Regia de Monterrey
2020Fuerza Regia de Monterrey3–1Aguacateros de Michoacán
2021Fuerza Regia de Monterrey4–0Astros de Jalisco
2022Abejas de León4–0Astros de Jalisco
2023Fuerza Regia de Monterrey4–1Astros de Jalisco
2024Diablos Rojos del México4–1Halcones de Xalapa
2025Fuerza Regia de Monterrey4–1Diablos Rojos del México

Championships

TeamChampionshipRunner-upYear won
Fuerza Regia de Monterrey612016–17, 2018–19, 2020, 2021, 2023, 2025
Soles de Mexicali442006, 2014–15, 2017–18, 2019–20
Halcones de Xalapa442005, 2007–08, 2008–09, 2009–10
Halcones Rojos Veracruz212011–12, 2013–14
Toros de Nuevo Laredo212010–11, 2012–13
Pioneros de Quintana Roo132015–16
Diablos Rojos del México112024
Correcaminos UAT Victoria112002
Correcaminos UAT Tampico102000
Gallos de Pelea de Ciudad Juárez102001
Panteras de Aguascalientes102003
Santos de San Luis102004
Abejas de León102022
Astros de Jalisco03
Capitanes de la Ciudad de México02
Lobos UAdeC02
Aguacateros de Michoacán01
Correcaminos UAT Matamoros01
Ola Roja del Distrito Federal01

Copa Independencia winners

The Copa Independencia was a tournament created by the LNBP.
SeasonChampionRunner-up
2004Lobos UAdeCLechugueros de León
2005Lobos UAdeCCorrecaminos UAT Victoria
2006Lobos Grises UADHalcones de Xalapa
2007–08Lobos Grises UADHalcones Rojos Veracruz

Former teams