# 2008–09 Pro A season

The 2008–09 LNB Pro A season was the 87th season of the French Basketball Championship and the 22nd season since inception of the Ligue Nationale de Basketball (LNB). The regular season started on October 3, 2008 and ended on May 11, 2009. The play-offs were held from May 22, 2009 until June 20, 2009.
ASVEL Lyon-Villeurbanne, after finishing at the top seed of the regular season, won the French Pro A League by defeating Orléans in playoffs final (55-41).

## Promotion and relegation
### At the beginning of the 2008-09 season

Teams promoted from 2007–08 Pro B (French 2nd division)
* Rouen
* Besançon
Teams relegated to 2008–09 Pro B
* Paris-Levallois
* Clermont-Ferrand

### At the end of the 2008-09 season

2008-09 Pro A Champion: ASVEL Lyon-Villeurbanne
Teams promoted from 2008–09 Pro B
* Poitiers
* Paris-Levallois
Teams relegated to 2009–10 Pro B
* Besançon
* Pau-Orthez

## Team arenas

| Team | Home city | Stadium | Capacity |
| Besançon BCD | Besançon | Palais des Sports de Besançon | 4,200 |
| ÉS Chalon-sur-Saône | Chalon-sur-Saône | Le Colisée | 5,000 |
| Cholet Basket | Cholet | La Meilleraie | 5,191 |
| JDA Dijon | Dijon | Palais des Sports Jean-Michel Geoffroy | 5,000 |
| BCM Gravelines Dunkerque | Gravelines | Sportica | 3,500 |
| Hyères Toulon Var Basket | Hyères – Toulon | Palais des Sports de Toulon Espace 3000 | 4,700 2,200 |
| STB Le Havre | Le Havre | Salle des Docks Océane | 3,598 |
| Le Mans Sarthe Basket | Le Mans | Antarès | 6,003 |
| ASVEL Basket | Lyon – Villeurbanne | Astroballe | 5,643 |
| SLUC Nancy Basket | Nancy | Palais des Sports Jean Weille | 6,027 |
| Orléans Loiret Basket | Orléans | Zénith d'Orléans | 5,338 |
| Élan Béarnais Pau-Orthez | Pau-Orthez | Palais des Sports de Pau | 7,813 |
| Chorale Roanne Basket | Roanne | Halle André Vacheresse | 5,020 |
| SPO Rouen Basket | Rouen | Salle des Cotonniers | 1,300 |
| Strasbourg IG | Strasbourg | Rhénus Sport | 6,200 |
| JA Vichy | Vichy | Palais des Sports Pierre Coulon | 3,300 |

## Team standings

* Clinched playoff berth
* Relegated
| # | Team | Pld | W | L | PF | PA |
| 1 | Lyon-Villeurbanne | 30 | 22 | 8 | 2367 | 2133 |
| 2 | Orléans | 30 | 21 | 9 | 2243 | 2058 |
| 3 | Le Mans | 30 | 20 | 10 | 2338 | 2029 |
| 4 | Nancy | 30 | 20 | 10 | 2432 | 2338 |
| 5 | Roanne | 30 | 19 | 11 | 2393 | 2345 |
| 6 | Gravelines-Dunkerque | 30 | 17 | 13 | 2322 | 2230 |
| 7 | Chalon-sur-Saône | 30 | 16 | 14 | 2279 | 2257 |
| 8 | Strasbourg | 30 | 16 | 14 | 2378 | 2324 |
| 9 | Cholet | 30 | 15 | 15 | 2310 | 2307 |
| 10 | Vichy | 30 | 13 | 17 | 2027 | 2090 |
| 11 | Hyères Toulon | 30 | 13 | 17 | 2368 | 2436 |
| 12 | Dijon | 30 | 11 | 19 | 2448 | 2564 |
| 13 | Rouen | 30 | 11 | 19 | 2251 | 2389 |
| 14 | Le Havre | 30 | 10 | 20 | 2286 | 2471 |
| 15 | Besançon | 30 | 9 | 21 | 2268 | 2479 |
| 16 | Pau-Orthez | 30 | 7 | 23 | 2235 | 2595 |

## Playoffs

| Quarter Finals | Quarter Finals | Quarter Finals | Semifinals | Semifinals | Semifinals | Finals | Finals | Finals |
| 1 | Lyon-Villeurbanne | 2 | | | | | | |
| 8 | Strasbourg | 1 | | | | | | |
| 8 | Strasbourg | 1 | 1 | Lyon-Villeurbanne | 2 | | | |
| | | | 4 | Nancy | 1 | | | |
| 4 | Nancy | 2 | 4 | Nancy | 1 | | | |
| 5 | Roanne | 1 | | | | | | |
| 5 | Roanne | 1 | | | | 1 | Lyon-Villeurbanne | 55 |
| | | | | | | 2 | Orléans | 41 |
| 2 | Orléans | 2 | | | | | | | 2 | Orléans | 41 |
| 7 | Chalon-sur-Saône | 0 | | | | | | |
| 7 | Chalon-sur-Saône | 0 | 2 | Orléans | 2 | | | |
| | | | 3 | Le Mans | 1 | | | |
| 3 | Le Mans | 2 | 3 | Le Mans | 1 | | | |
| 6 | Gravelines-Dunkerque | 0 | | | | | | |

## Awards
### Regular Season MVPs

* Foreign MVP: Austin Nichols (Hyères-Toulon)
* French MVP: Alain Koffi (Le Mans)

### Best Coach

* fr:Philippe Hervé (Orléans)

### Most Improved Player

* Rodrigue Beaubois (Cholet)

### Best Defensive Player

* Tony Dobbins (Orléans)

### Rising Star Award

* Thomas Heurtel (Pau-Orthez)

### Player of the month

| Month | Player | Team |
| October | Cedrick Banks | Orléans |
| November | Laurent Foirest | Lyon-Villeurbanne |
| December | Amara Sy | Lyon-Villeurbanne |
| January | Cyril Julian | Nancy |
| February | Dewarick Spencer | Le Mans |
| March | Bobby Dixon | Le Mans |
| April | Ricardo Greer | Nancy |