Welcome to the Number 1 fanpage of the Adriatic Basketball Association League! Whether you’ve come across this page searching for the meaning of the abbreviation ABA or you’re already aware what it stands for, you’re very welcome to stay and find out what this site is all about. As long as you like basketball, you’ll find it interesting and informative. Mind you, this is not the official page of ABA League – if you’re looking for that, you can find it at www.aba-liga.com. Call me Alexandar. I’ll be your host. So, let the game begin! First, I’ll explain what ABA is and what it encompasses. I’ll also give you the details on the rules of the association. Then, you’ll have the chance to read a brief history of the association and a compare and contrast with NBA. Finally, I’ll let you know what you should expect from this page.

What’s ABA?

As you’ve probably guessed already, ABA stands for Adriatic Basketball Association, also known as the Adriatic League. This is a professional basketball league for club teams from countries situated along the Adriatic coast. At least that’s how it started, hence the name. However, later more countries were included. Unlike EuroLeague, which is an all-European championship, this league is regional.

Which Countries Participate in It?

Initially, the league consisted of former Yugoslavia states Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Macedonia, Montenegro, Serbia and Slovenia. Later on, other clubs from other countries were added, such as the Czech Republic, Israel, Hungary and Bulgaria. However, during recent seasons, the league has gone back to its basics. The participants, the champions, the fans – it’s all about the former Yugoslavia countries, so the association stays true to its name.

A Brief History

The Adriatic Basketball Association was founded in 2001. It has since then been run privately by a company that is a member of the EuroLeague board. That makes ABA League an official regional championship, part of the general European one. Due to sponsorship deals, the league has had different names, namely Goodyear League and NLB League. It could be said that ABA inspired the founding of similar leagues throughout Europe, such as the Baltic Basketball League (est. 2004) and the Balkan International Basketball League (est. 2008).

The Rules

The rules changed a few times while the league was shaping into what it is today but I’ll give you the details of their current state. There are fourteen teams. During the season, each of them plays against every other team twice – a home and away game. Once all the games are played, the top 4 proceed to the play-offs. The two semi-finals are a clash of the first with the fourth team and the second with the third team. The winner of each semi-final goes to the final, where the champion is determined. Finally, no matter what the table standing before the semi-finals is, the top two positions are occupied by the two teams that have participated in the final.

ABA Vs. NWA

Despite its enormous popularity and enviable media coverage, NBA is a national association. It’s the primary basketball league of a very large country, yet it’s still only basketball on a national level. ABA, on the other hand, is a cross-country endeavour, a fun and friendly way of uniting the peoples of the former Yugoslavia both internally and externally to the nearby countries in a region that’s been the battlefield of political turmoil far too many times. It is of great significance and should continue to serve as a symbol of positive attitude, friendship and unity.

Stats & Fun Facts

You probably love watching basketball but what can you do in-between rounds? A fun thing to do is keep track of your favourite players and teams, writing down curious facts – bits and pieces of information that probably not even players themselves note. I’ve selected a few fun facts for you to read and get to know ABA Liga better:

• KK Partizan have won the greatest number of titles – they are 6 so far.
• Israeli team Maccabi Tel Aviv was the 2011/12 champion, which makes them the only non-Adriatic title holder.
• The country with the most titles – currently 11 – is Serbia.
• The longest winning streak belongs to Crvena zvezda (20 games during the 2014/15 season).
• The longest losing streak belongs to Levski Sofia (21 games during the 2014/15 season).

Those, of course, are subject to change and they will change in due time. Then, some of those will probably remain true. For example, KK Partizan didn’t lose a single game during the first half of the current season and they are still on their winning streak, so it would be a surprise if they don’t win the title once more.

What to Expect on This Site

I must confess the official site is pretty awesome – you can find videos of the matches, interviews with the players and manager, a choice of social media profiles to follow for updates and even a fantasy basketball league. But that’s the official site, nonetheless. My intention is to tackle the league from a fan perspective. Here’re some of the topics I’ll be focusing on:

• News
• Fan Feedback
• Statistics
• Interesting Facts

I plan on making this site your portal into everything ABA Liga. There will also be a blog some time soon, so stay tuned for more info. In you have any comments or suggestions, send them over. This is a work in progress – a website from the fans for the fans. I hope you’ll enjoy your stay.