# Liga Nacional de Baloncesto Profesional

The National Professional Basketball League (Spanish: Liga Nacional de Baloncesto Profesional or LNBP), officially known as the Liga Caliente LNBP for sponsorship reasons, is the top professional basketball league in Mexico. The league was founded in 2000 with 10 teams.
Notable basketball players who have played in the league include Jamario Moon, Dennis Rodman and Sun Mingming, among many others.

## History
### Foundation

In January 2000, some teams of CIMEBA (Circuito Mexicano de Básquetbol), the national basketball league in Mexico at the time, exited the league, citing CIMEBA's financial difficulties, and decided to form a new league. On March 11, 2000 the league was founded in the city of Durango with 11 teams participating. These were the founding teams, with the respective city and state:
* Algodoneros de la Comarca (Torreon, Coahuila)
* Correcaminos Matamoros de la UAT (Matamoros, Tamaulipas)
* Correcaminos Reynosa de la UAT (Reynosa, Tamaulipas)
* Correcaminos Tampico de la UAT (Tampico, Tamaulipas)
* Correcaminos Victoria de la UAT (Ciudad Victoria, Tamaulipas)
* Dorados de Chiuhuahua (Chihuahua, Chihuahua)
* Garzas de Plata de la UAEH (Pachuca, Hidalgo)
* Indios de la UACJ (Ciudad Juárez, Chihuahua)
* La Ola Roja del Distrito Federal (Mexico City, Distrito Federal)
* Osos de Saltillo (Saltillo, Coahuila)
* Vaqueros de Agua Prieta (Agua Prieta, Sonora)
The first president was Modesto Robledo. The LNBP set out to support and develop professional basketball in Mexico. The first edition of the league started on August 7, 2000 and finished in December, with the regular season finishing on November 11 and the playoffs starting on November 14. The first game was played in Torreón between Algodoneros de Torreón and Dorados de Chihuahua at the Auditorio Municipal: Dorados won, 80–78. The league coexisted in its first seasons with CIMEBA.

## Format
### Regular season

The regular season is played in round-robin format in which the 8 best-placed teams qualify to the postseason. For every game won 2 points are added and for every game lost one point is added. For example: If team one played 10 games and won 7, losing the remaining 3, it would have 17 points; 14 points for the 7 games won and 3 points for the games lost.

### Playoffs

The eight top-seeded teams play each other. The 1st-placed team plays the 8th-place team while the 2nd plays the 7th and the 3rd plays the 6th and so on. The semi-finals are played like the quarterfinals while the Serie Final is played by the two teams remaining with the best-placed team having home field advantage.

## Teams

| Team | City | Arena | Capacity | Founded | Joined | Head coach |
| East Division |||||||
| Abejas de León | León, Guanajuato | Domo de la Feria | 4,463 | 2009 | 2009 | Javier Muñoz |
| Correbasket UAT | Ciudad Victoria, Tamaulipas | Gimnasio Multidisciplinario UAT Victoria | 2,600 | 2000 | 2022 | Marcus Moore |
| Dorados de Chihuahua | Chihuahua City, Chihuahua | Gimnasio Manuel Bernardo Aguirre | 9,600 | 2000 | 2019 | Guillermo Narvarte |
| Freseros de Irapuato | Irapuato, Guanajuato | Inforum Irapuato | 3,000 | 2023 | 2023 | Walter McCarty |
| Fuerza Regia de Monterrey | Monterrey, Nuevo León | Gimnasio Nuevo León | 5,000 | 2001 | 2001 | Pablo García |
| Halcones de Xalapa | Xalapa, Veracruz | Arena Macuiltépetl | 8,000 | 2003 | 2021 | Paco Olmos |
| Panteras de Aguascalientes | Aguascalientes City, Aguascalientes | Gimnasio Hermanos Carreón | 3,000 | 2003 | 2023 | Pepo Martínez |
| Santos del Potosí | San Luis Potosí City, San Luis Potosí | Auditorio Miguel Barragán | 3,400 | 2003 | 2023 | Manolo Cintrón |
| West Division |||||||
| Astros de Jalisco | Guadalajara, Jalisco | Arena Astros | 3,509 | 2019 | 2019 | Leandro García |
| El Calor de Cancún | Cancún, Quintana Roo | Polifórum Benito Juárez | 4,800 | 2024 | 2024 | Juan José Pidal |
| Diablos Rojos del México | Benito Juárez, Mexico City | Gimnasio Olímpico Juan de la Barrera | 5,242 | 2024 | 2024 | Nicolás Casalánguida |
| Halcones Rojos Veracruz | Veracruz City, Veracruz | Auditorio Benito Juárez | 4,000 | 2003 | 2023 | Carlos Rivera |
| Lobos Plateados de la BUAP | Puebla City, Puebla | Arena BUAP | 3,500 | 2004 | 2024 | Claudio Arrigoni |
| Mineros de Zacatecas | Zacatecas City, Zacatecas | Gimnasio Marcelino González | 3,458 | 2017 | 2022 | Pedro Carrillo |
| Plateros de Fresnillo | Fresnillo, Zacatecas | Gimnasio Solidaridad Municipal | 4,500 | 2019 | 2019 | Sebastián Ginóbili |
| Soles de Mexicali | Mexicali, Baja California | Auditorio PSF | 4,779 | 2005 | 2005 | Esteban Gatti |

## List of champions

| Season | Champion | Result | Runner-up |
| 2000 | Correcaminos UAT Tampico | 4–2 | Correcaminos UAT Victoria |
| 2001 | Gallos de Pelea de Ciudad Juárez | 4–1 | Lobos UAdeC |
| 2002 | Correcaminos UAT Victoria | 4–3 | Correcaminos UAT Matamoros |
| 2003 | Panteras de Aguascalientes | 4–2 | La Ola Roja del Distrito Federal |
| 2004 | Santos de San Luis | 4–2 | Halcones de Xalapa |
| 2005 | Halcones de Xalapa | 4–1 | Lobos UAdeC |
| 2006 | Soles de Mexicali | 4–3 | Halcones de Xalapa |
| 2007–08 | Halcones de Xalapa | 4–3 | Soles de Mexicali |
| 2008–09 | Halcones de Xalapa | 4–2 | Soles de Mexicali |
| 2009–10 | Halcones de Xalapa | 4–1 | Halcones Rojos Veracruz |
| 2010–11 | Toros de Nuevo Laredo | 4–2 | Pioneros de Quintana Roo |
| 2011–12 | Halcones Rojos Veracruz | 4–1 | Toros de Nuevo Laredo |
| 2012–13 | Toros de Nuevo Laredo | 4–2 | Halcones de Xalapa |
| 2013–14 | Halcones Rojos Veracruz | 4–3 | Pioneros de Quintana Roo |
| 2014–15 | Soles de Mexicali | 4–1 | Pioneros de Quintana Roo |
| 2015–16 | Pioneros de Quintana Roo | 4–3 | Soles de Mexicali |
| 2016–17 | Fuerza Regia de Monterrey | 4–2 | Soles de Mexicali |
| 2017–18 | Soles de Mexicali | 4–1 | Capitanes de Ciudad de México |
| 2018–19 | Fuerza Regia de Monterrey | 4–2 | Capitanes de Ciudad de México |
| 2019–20 | Soles de Mexicali | 4–3 | Fuerza Regia de Monterrey |
| 2020 | Fuerza Regia de Monterrey | 3–1 | Aguacateros de Michoacán |
| 2021 | Fuerza Regia de Monterrey | 4–0 | Astros de Jalisco |
| 2022 | Abejas de León | 4–0 | Astros de Jalisco |
| 2023 | Fuerza Regia de Monterrey | 4–1 | Astros de Jalisco |
| 2024 | Diablos Rojos del México | 4–1 | Halcones de Xalapa |

## Championships

| Team | Championship | Runner-up | Year(s) won |
| Fuerza Regia de Monterrey | 5 | 1 | 2016–17, 2018–19, 2020, 2021, 2023 |
| Soles de Mexicali | 4 | 4 | 2006, 2014–15, 2017–18, 2019–20 |
| Halcones de Xalapa | 4 | 4 | 2005, 2007–08, 2008–09, 2009–10 |
| Halcones Rojos Veracruz | 2 | 1 | 2011–12, 2013–14 |
| Toros de Nuevo Laredo | 2 | 1 | 2010–11, 2012–13 |
| Pioneros de Quintana Roo | 1 | 3 | 2015–16 |
| Correcaminos UAT Victoria | 1 | 1 | 2002 |
| Correcaminos UAT Tampico | 1 | 0 | 2000 |
| Gallos de Pelea de Ciudad Juárez | 1 | 0 | 2001 |
| Panteras de Aguascalientes | 1 | 0 | 2003 |
| Santos de San Luis | 1 | 0 | 2004 |
| Abejas de León | 1 | 0 | 2022 |
| Diablos Rojos del México | 1 | 0 | 2024 |
| Astros de Jalisco | 0 | 3 | |
| Capitanes de Ciudad de México | 0 | 2 | |
| Lobos UAdeC | 0 | 2 | |
| Aguacateros de Michoacán | 0 | 1 | |
| Correcaminos UAT Matamoros | 0 | 1 | |
| Ola Roja del Distrito Federal | 0 | 1 | |

## Copa Independencia winners

The Copa Independencia (Independence Cup) was a tournament created by the LNBP.
| Season | Champion | Runner-up |
| 2004 | Lobos UAdeC | Lechugueros de León |
| 2005 | Lobos UAdeC | Correcaminos UAT Victoria |
| 2006 | Lobos Grises UAD | Halcones de Xalapa |
| 2007–08 | Lobos Grises UAD | Halcones Rojos Veracruz |

## Former teams

* Aguacateros de Michoacán
* Águilas Rojas de San Juan del Río
* Ángeles de Puebla
* Algodoneros de la Comarca
* Ángeles Guerreros de Acapulco
* Astros de Tecate
* Barreteros de Zacatecas
* Bravos de Piedras Negras
* Bucaneros de Campeche
* Caballeros de Culiacán
* Capitanes de Ciudad de México
* Cimarrones de Ensenada
* Cometas de Querétaro
* Coras de Nayarit
* Correcaminos UAT Matamoros
* Correcaminos UAT Reynosa
* Correcaminos UAT Tampico
* Cosmos de Tijuana
* Estrellas Indebasquet del Distrito Federal
* Gallos de Pelea de Ciudad Juárez
* Gansos Salvajes UIC
* Gambusinos de Fresnillo
* Garzas de Plata UAEH
* Garzas Guerreras UATX
* Gigantes del Estado de México
* Guerreros de Guerrero Cumple
* Guerreros de Morelia
* Guerreros del Norte
* Halcones UV Córdoba
* Huracanes de Tampico
* Indios de Ciudad Juárez
* Indios UACJ
* Jaguares de la Bahía
* Jefes de Fuerza Lagunera
* Laguneros de La Comarca
* Lechugueros de León
* Leñadores de Durango
* Libertadores de Querétaro
* Lobos UAdeC
* Lobos Grises UAD
* Loros UdeC
* Mayas de Yucatán
* Navegantes de Ensenada
* Ola Roja del Distrito Federal
* Ola Verde de Poza Rica
* Osos de Guadalajara
* Petroleros de Ciudad del Carmen
* Pilares del Distrito Federal
* Pioneros de Quintana Roo
* Potros ITSON de Obregón
* Tecolotes UAG
* Titanes Capital del Distrito Federal
* Titánicos de León
* Toros de Nuevo Laredo
* Tuberos de Colima
* Unión Zacatecas
* Vaqueros de Agua Prieta
* Volcanes del Estado de México
* Zorros UMSNH