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| Founded | 2005; 20 years ago (2005) |
|---|---|
| First season | 2005–06 |
| Country | Lithuania |
| Confederation | FIBA Europe |
| Number of teams | 15 |
| Level on pyramid | 2 |
| Promotion to | LKL |
| Relegation to | RKL |
| Current champions | Telšiai (1st title) (2024/25) |
| Most championships | BC Sūduva-Mantinga (4 titles) |
| Website | nklyga.lt |
TheNational Basketball League (NKL) (Lithuanian:Nacionalinė krepšinio lyga), also known as7bet-NKL for sponsorship reasons, is the second-tier basketballminor league inLithuania. It is placed below the top divisionLietuvos krepšinio lyga (LKL). The competition currently consists of 15 teams.[1] The champions of the league have the option to promote to the LKL. However, this rarely happens, as most clubs do not meet the requirements for budget and seating capacity.
The league was established in 2005, when the second division LKAL (Lietuvos Krepšinio A Lyga,Lithuanian Basketball A League) was abolished and split into two divisions, the NKL, which is its direct successor, and the newly founded third divisionRKL.
NKL necessitates an arena with a seating capacity of 500 in order to enter in the competition.[2][3]
| Team | Arena | Capacity | City | Founded |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| BC Atletas | Garliava Arena | 1,300 | Garliava | 1962 |
| BC Delikatesas | Saulės Elementary School Sports Hall | 300 | Joniškis | 1994 |
| BC Jurbarkas-Karys | Antanas Giedraitis-Giedrius Gymnasium Sports Hall | 500 | Jurbarkas | 2016 |
| BC Kretinga | Kretinga Arena | 822[4] | Kretinga | 1999 |
| BC Olimpas Palanga | Palanga Arena | 1,180[5] | Palanga | 2023 |
| BC Olimpas Plungė | Žemaitijos Suvenyras Sports Hall | UDC | Plungė | 1989 |
| BC Neptūnas-Akvaservis | Klaipėda KKRC | 400 | Klaipėda | 1987 |
| BC Perlas | Vilkaviškis Sport Center | 800 | Vilkaviškis | 2017 |
| BC Rytas-2 | NBA Basketball School Arena | 1,490 | Vilnius | 2003 |
| BC Stekas | Ukmergė TVM Sports Hall | UDC | Ukmergė | 2010 |
| BC Sūduva-Mantinga | Marijampolė SC Sports Hall | 800[6] | Marijampolė | 2006 |
| BC Šilutė | Šilutės Vydūno Gymnasium | 650 | Šilutė | 1990 |
| BC Telšiai | Telšiai Sport Arena | 1,000[6] | Telšiai | 2012 |
| BC Vytis-VDU | Šakiai JKSC Sports Hall | 800 | Šakiai | 2005 |
| Valdas Adamkus Center | 288 | Akademija | ||
| BC Žalgiris-2 | Žalgiris Training Center | 500 | Kaunas | 1999 |
| Rank | Club | Titles | Runner-up | Champion years | Level | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | BC Sūduva-Mantinga | 4 | 1 | 2015–16, 2016–17, 2018–19, 2019–20 | 2. | NKL |
| 2 | BC Neptūnas-Akvaservis | 3 | 2 | 2006–07, 2014–15, 2017–18 | 2. | NKL |
| 3 | BC Mažeikiai M Basket | 2 | 2 | 2012–13, 2013–14 | 1. | LKL |
| – | BC Žalgiris-2 | 2 | 2 | 2007–08, 2022-23 | 2. | NKL |
| 5 | BC Jonava | 1 | 2 | 2020–21 | 1. | LKL |
| – | BC Telšiai | 1 | 2 | 2024–25 | 2. | NKL |
| 7 | BC Lietkabelis-2 | 1 | 1 | 2009–10 | † | |
| 8 | Š.Marčiulionio KA-Twomenas [lt] | 1 | 0 | 2005–06 | † | |
| – | Labas Gas Prienai | 1 | 0 | 2008–09 | † | |
| – | BC Pieno žvaigždės | 1 | 0 | 2010–11 | † | |
| – | BC Atletas | 1 | 0 | 2011–12 | † | |
| – | Gargždai | 1 | 0 | 2021–22 | † | |
| – | Jurbarkas-Karys | 1 | 0 | 2023–24 | 2. | NKL |
† Marks defunct or inactive former winners of the competition.
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