# 1996–97 LEB season

The 1996–1997 LEB season was the inaugural season of the Liga Española de Baloncesto, the new second tier of the Spanish basketball.

## LEB table

| Pos | Team | Pld | W | L | PF | PA | PD | Pts | Promotion, qualification or relegation |
| 1 | Gijón Baloncesto | 26 | 18 | 8 | 2153 | 2027 | +126 | 44 | Qualification to quarterfinals |
| 2 | CajaCantabria | 26 | 18 | 8 | 2319 | 2136 | +183 | 44 | Qualification to quarterfinals |
| 3 | Breogán | 26 | 17 | 9 | 2238 | 2196 | +42 | 43 | Qualification to quarterfinals |
| 4 | Ciudad de Huelva | 26 | 16 | 10 | 2149 | 2086 | +63 | 42 | Qualification to quarterfinals |
| 5 | Viajes Aliguer | 26 | 16 | 10 | 2346 | 2202 | +144 | 42 | Qualification to round of 16 |
| 6 | Melilla V Centenario | 26 | 16 | 10 | 2309 | 2180 | +129 | 42 | Qualification to round of 16 |
| 7 | Lucentum Alicante | 26 | 15 | 11 | 1941 | 1884 | +57 | 41 | Qualification to round of 16 |
| 8 | Andorra | 26 | 13 | 13 | 2061 | 2016 | +45 | 39 | Qualification to round of 16 |
| 9 | Cajasur Córdoba | 26 | 11 | 15 | 2149 | 2198 | −49 | 37 | Qualification to round of 16 |
| 10 | Gráficas García Inca | 26 | 10 | 16 | 2159 | 2230 | −71 | 36 | Qualification to round of 16 |
| 11 | Bilbao Patronato | 26 | 9 | 17 | 1989 | 2191 | −202 | 35 | Qualification to round of 16 |
| 12 | Peñas Huesca | 26 | 8 | 18 | 2060 | 2174 | −114 | 34 | Qualification to round of 16 |
| 13 | Askatuak | 26 | 8 | 18 | 1872 | 2135 | −263 | 34 | Relegation playoffs |
| 14 | Tenerife Canarias | 26 | 7 | 19 | 2182 | 2272 | −90 | 33 | Relegation playoffs |

## LEB Playoffs

The two winners of the semifinals are promoted to Liga ACB.
| Round of 16 | Round of 16 | Round of 16 | Quarterfinals | Quarterfinals | Quarterfinals | Semifinals | Semifinals | Semifinals | Finals | Finals | Finals |
| | | | 1 | Gijón Baloncesto | 2 | | | | | | |
| | | | 8 | BC Andorra | 3 | | | | | | |
| 8 | BC Andorra | 3 | 8 | BC Andorra | 3 | | | | | | |
| 9 | Cajasur Córdoba | 1 | | | | | | | | | |
| 9 | Cajasur Córdoba | 1 | | | | 4 | CB Ciudad de Huelva | 3 | | | |
| | | | | | | 8 | BC Andorra | 2 | | | |
| | | | 4 | CB Ciudad de Huelva | 3 | | | | | | |
| | | | 5 | Viajes Aliguer | 0 | | | | | | |
| 5 | Viajes Aliguer | 3 | 5 | Viajes Aliguer | 0 | | | | | | |
| 12 | CB Peñas Huesca | 0 | | | | | | | | | |
| 12 | CB Peñas Huesca | 0 | | | | | | | 2 | CajaCantabria | 1 |
| | | | | | | | | | 4 | CB Ciudad de Huelva | 2 |
| | | | 2 | Caja Cantabria | 3 | | | | | | |
| | | | 7 | CB Lucentum Alicante | 1 | | | | | | |
| 7 | CB Lucentum Alicante | 3 | 7 | CB Lucentum Alicante | 1 | | | | | | |
| 10 | Gráficas García Inca | 2 | | | | | | | | | |
| 10 | Gráficas García Inca | 2 | | | | 2 | CajaCantabria | 3 | | | |
| | | | | | | 3 | CB Breogán | 2 | | | |
| | | | 3 | CB Breogán | 3 | | | | | | |
| | | | 6 | Melilla V Centenario | 1 | | | | | | |
| 6 | Melilla V Centenario | 3 | 6 | Melilla V Centenario | 1 | | | | | | |
| 11 | Bilbao Patronato | 0 | | | | | | | | | |

## Relegation playoffs

| Finals | Finals | Finals |
| 13 | Askatuak | 1 |
| 14 | Tenerife Canarias | 3 |

### Relegation system

There were not directly relegations of the last qualified teams in the league. If a team is the last qualified during two consecutive years or is between the two last teams during three seasons, losses its berth.