| Most recent season or competition: 2025 LBL Play-offs | |
 League logo since 2025 | |
| Sport | Basketball |
|---|---|
| Founded | 1992 (de facto 1924) |
| No. of teams | 6 |
| Country | Latvia |
| Continent | FIBA Europe |
| Most recent champion | VEF Riga (12th title) |
| Most titles | VEF Riga (12) |
| Broadcasters | Latvia: |
| Level on pyramid | 1st tier |
| Domestic cup | Latvian Basketball Cup |
| Related competitions |
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| Tournament format | Play-off |
| Official website | basket.lv |
TheLatvian Basketball League (LBL;Latvian:Latvijas Basketbola līga) also known asOptibet LBL for sponsorship reasons, is the top-level national basketball championship inLatvia composed of 6 teams. Since 2018/19, only the playoff matches are played, as the top Latvian clubs play the regular season in theLatvian–Estonian Basketball League. The LBL is governed by theLatvian Basketball Association, the national governing body of basketball in Latvia.
Its 6 teams are located in 5 cities; two inRiga, and one inVentspils,Liepāja,Valmiera, andOgre. The LBL season usually ran from September to April, with the playoffs in April–May. The league was founded in 1992, and its first season was played in the same year.
After AmericanYMCA volunteers introduced the sport in Riga around 1920, interest in the sport grew, and in 1923 the YMCA organized the first ever basketball tournament in Latvia, with 14 teams registering. In 1924, the newly-founded Latvian Basketball Association announced the first Latvian Basketball Championship in the winter of 1924 (Latvian:Latvijas meistarsacīkstes basketbolā) with 6 teams participating.[1][2] It was won by the Latvian Sports Society (Latvijas Sporta biedrība) team, who defeated the Riga YMCA team (Rīgas JKS) in the final game with a score of 25:15.[3] The first official national women's tournament followed in 1932.[4]
The tournaments became defunct after theSoviet occupation of Latvia in 1940 (a Latvian League was played from 1942 to 1944 under theGerman occupation of the Baltic states during World War II).[5] During the Soviet occupation after WWII, theLatvian SSR Basketball Championship was organized until 1991.
The first LBL season was played in 1992, withLBL2 (LBL 2. divīzija) as its second division andLBL3 as the third. From 1992 to 1999 all championships were won byBK Brocēni, however, from 2000 to 2006BK Ventspils were the champions. In 2007,ASK Rīga stopped BK Ventspils' winning streak. BK Ventspils won again in 2009, beatingBarons/LMT in a thriller 4–3.
Barons would return to the final the following year, this time againstVEF Rīga, and win by the same 4–3 margin. The 2011 final again went to 7 games, with VEF Rīga defeating Ventspils. Between 2011 and 2018, the title changed hands frequently, withBK Valmiera Ordo claiming the title in 2016.
Since the introduction of the Latvian-Estonian Basketball League in the 2018/2019 season, the regular LBL championship was merged into the LEBL. The six top Latvian teams then qualify for the LBL playoffs after the end of the LEBL regular season. VEF Rīga has held the title ever since.
Starting from the 2020/2021 season, the 2nd tier Latvian league - LBL2 - was reformed into theRamirentNacionālā basketbola līga [lv] (NBL, National Basketball League) and the third-level league - LBL3 - became theReģionālā basketbola līga (Regional Basketball League).
From 2012 to 2015, the league was known asAldaris Latvijas Basketbola līga due to theAS Aldaris brewery becoming the general sponsor of the Latvian Basketball Association.[6] In 2016, they were succeeded by betting brandOlyBet and in 2019 byPafbet. Since 2024, the league has been sponsored by Optibet.
| Team | Home city | Arena |
|---|---|---|
| Liepāja | Liepāja | Liepāja Olympic Center |
| Latvijas Universitāte | Rīga | Olympic Sports Center |
| Ogre | Ogre | Ogre Secondary School No.1 |
| Valmiera Glass/VIA | Valmiera | Vidzeme Olympic Center |
| VEF Rīga | Rīga | Arena Riga Olympic Sports Centre |
| Ventspils | Ventspils | Ventspils Olympic Center |
| Rīgas Zeļļi | Rīga | Daugava Sports Hall |
Latvian champions
Latvian SSR champions
Latvian champions
| Club | Winners | Runners-up | Winning years |
|---|---|---|---|
| VEF Rīga | 12 | 4 | 2011, 2012, 2013, 2015, 2017, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024, 2025 |
| Ventspils | 10 | 12 | 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2009, 2014, 2018 |
| Brocēni | 8 | 2 | 1992, 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999 |
| Barons | 2 | 3 | 2008, 2010 |
| ASK Riga | 1 | 1 | 2007 |
| Valmiera | 1 | 0 | 2016 |
| Bonus | 0 | 4 | |
| Skonto | 0 | 3 | |
| Ogre | 0 | 1 | |
| Metropole | 0 | 1 | |
| Liepāja | 0 | 1 | |
| Rīgas Zeļļi | 0 | 1 |
Total number of national champions won by Latvian clubs. Table includes titles won during theLatvian Championships (1924–1944) and (1992–present) and theUSSR Premier Basketball League (1945–1992).
| Club | Trophies | Years won |
|---|---|---|
| VEF Rīga | 12 | 2011, 2012, 2013, 2015, 2017, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024, 2025 |
| Ventspils | 10 | 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2009, 2014, 2018 |
| Brocēni | 8 | 1992, 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999 |
| Rīgas ASK | 6 | 1939, 1940, 1941, 1955, 1957, 1958 |
| Universitātes Sports | 5 | 1930, 1934, 1935, 1936, 1937 |
| JKS Rīga | 3 | 1925, 1929, 1932 |
| Starts Rīga | 3 | 1938, 1943, 1944 |
| Rīgas FK | 2 | 1926, 1927 |
| LSB Rīga | 2 | 1924, 1928 |
| Barons | 2 | 2008, 2010 |
| Latvju Jaunatne | 1 | 1931 |
| Latvijas Valsts Karoga Apvienība | 1 | 1933 |
| ASK Riga | 1 | 2007 |
| Valmiera | 1 | 2016 |
| Team | Titles | Champion years |
|---|---|---|
| Rīgas ASK | 16 | 1939, 1940, 1941, 1953, 1957, 1962, 1965, 1966, 1967, 1969, 1973, 1975, 1976, 1978, 1987, 1988 |
| VEF Rīga | 12 | 2011, 2012, 2013, 2015, 2017, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024, 2025 |
| Ventspils | 10 | 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2009, 2014, 2018 |
| Rīgas VEF | 9 | 1954, 1955, 1956, 1958, 1959, 1960, 1961, 1971, 1974 |
| Brocēni | 8 | 1992, 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999 |
| Universitātes Sports | 5 | 1930, 1934, 1935, 1936, 1937 |
| Daugava Rīga | 4 | 1945, 1946, 1947, 1948 |
| LVU Rīga | 4 | 1950, 1952, 1989, 1990 |
| JKS Rīga | 3 | 1925, 1929, 1932 |
| Starts Rīga | 3 | 1938, 1943, 1944 |
| RPI Rīga | 3 | 1979, 1982, 1984 |
| Rīgas FK | 2 | 1926, 1927 |
| LSB Rīga | 2 | 1924, 1928 |
| Liepājas Sarkanais Metalurgs | 2 | 1963, 1968 |
| Lokomotīve Rīga | 2 | 1964, 1970 |
| BK Ķekava | 2 | 1977, 1981 |
| Jelgava SCO | 2 | 1985, 1986 |
| 9. Auda | 2 | 1972, 1991 |
| Barons | 2 | 2008, 2010 |
| Latvju Jaunatne | 1 | 1931 |
| Latvijas Valsts Karoga Apvienība | 1 | 1933 |
| Dinamo Rīga | 1 | 1951 |
| BK Ādaži | 1 | 1980 |
| LVFKI Rīga | 1 | 1983 |
| ASK Riga | 1 | 2007 |
| Valmiera | 1 | 2016 |
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