Asociación de Clubs de Baloncesto

Infobox sports league
current_season=2008-2009 ACB season
sport=Basketball
founded=1956
teams=18
logo=Asociación de Clubs de Baloncesto.jpg
pixels=180px
title=Spanish ACB League
Asociación de Clubs de Baloncesto
caption=ACB
sport=Basketball
folded=
fame=
motto =
continent=flagicon|EU Europe
country=flagicon|Spain Spain
champion =TAU Vitoria
website= [http://www.acb.com/ ACB.com (Spanish)] [http://www.acb-basket.com/ ACB-basket.com (English)]
ceo =
TV=The ACB (Asociación de Clubs de Baloncesto) is the premier professional basketball league in Spain. It was founded in 1956 with the name of Liga Nacional, changing its name to the current one in 1983.

The ACB league, which is played under FIBA rules, currently consists of 18 teams, including Real Madrid, FC Barcelona, Estudiantes, Joventut Badalona, Tau Baskonia, Pamesa Valencia and Unicaja Málaga.

Famous basketball players who have played in the league include: Juan Antonio Corbalan, Arvydas Sabonis, Pau Gasol, Raúl López, Ralph Sampson, Fernando Martín, Fernando Romay, Andrés Nocioni, Fran Vázquez, Jordi Villacampa, Andre Turner, Dražen Petrović, Juan Antonio San Epifanio (Epi), Alberto Herreros, Roberto Dueñas, Sasha Djordjevic, Sarunas Jasikevicius, Juan Carlos Navarro, Velimir Perasović, Rafa Jofresa, Dejan Bodiroga, Joan Creus, Walter Berry, Carlos Arroyo, Kenny Simpson, Joe Arlauckas, Walter Herrmann, Luis Scola, Rudy Fernandez, Marc Gasol, Jorge Garbajosa, Ricky Rubio and many others.

Other Competitions

*Copa del Rey de Baloncesto

*Supercopa de España de Baloncesto

Liga championship rules

Each team has to play all the other teams in its division twice, one at home and one away. This means that in "Liga ACB" the regular league ends after all teams play 34 matches.

Like many other leagues in continental Europe, the "Liga ACB" takes a winter break once each team has played half of its scheduled matches. One feature of the league that may be unusual to North American observers is that the two halves of the season are played in the same order—that is, the order of each team's first-half fixtures is repeated in the second half of the season. This is normal in Spanish sport; it is also used by La Liga in football.

At the end of the league, the eight best teams start a play-off, playing the regular season champion with the 8th and so on. There are three rounds with five matches on each, and the winner of the final round is the champion of the ACB. This is similar to NBA play-offs, but shorter.

panish championship (1957-1983)

Final Appearances

Teams 2008/09 season

* Alta Gestión Fuenlabrada
* AXA FC Barcelona
* CB Granada
* Cajasol Sevilla
* DKV Joventut
* Gran Canaria Grupo Dunas
* Iurbentia Bilbao
* MMT Estudiantes
* Pamesa Valencia
* Polaris World Murcia
* Real Madrid
* Ricoh Manresa
* TAU Cerámica
* Unicaja Málaga
* Vive! Menorca
* Basket CAI Zaragoza
* Bruesa GBC

Promoted to League ACB

* Basket CAI Zaragoza
* Bruesa GBC

Relegated to League LEB

* Grupo Begar León
* Grupo Capitol Valladolid

Awards

*ACB Most Valuable Player Award
*ACB Rising Star Award

ACB records

*Most Points in a Game:*54 by Juan Antonio San Epifanio, FC Barcelona vs. Joventut Massana on February 18, 1984

*Most Field Goals Made in a Game:*25 by Essie Hollis, Arabatxo Baskonia at OAR Ferrol on February 5, 1984

*Most Three Point Field Goals Made in a Game:*11 by Oscar Schmidt, Fórum Valladolid at CB Murcia on March 19, 1994

*Most Free Throws Made in a Game:*29 by Jeff Lamp, Granada at Fórum Filatélico Valladolid on December 21, 1991

*Most Rebounds in a Game:*29 by Clarence Kea, Juver Murcia vs. Dyc Breogán on December 21, 1991

*Most Assists in a Game:*18 by Joaquim Costa, Valvi Girona vs. Puleva Baloncesto Granada on November 9, 1990

*Most Steals in a Game:*13 by Lance Berwald, BBV Villalba at Caja Guipúzcoa on March 11, 1989

*Most Blocks in a Game:*12 by Fran Vázquez, FC Barcelona at Grupo Capitol Valladolid on January 7, 2007

*Most Points in a Game:*147 - FC Barcelona on January 31, 1987

*Fewest Points in a Game:*40 - Fórum Valladolid on October 4, 2001

*Largest Margin of Victory in a Game:*55 - FC Barcelona defeated Breogán Caixa Galicia 82-137 on April 12, 1986:*55 - Real Madrid defeated Clesa Ferrol 116-61 on October 5, 1985

External links

* [http://www.acb.com Official ACB league page]

* [http://www.acb-basket.com Coverage of the ACB in English]