Liga Española de Baloncesto (1957–1983)


The Liga Española de Baloncesto, whose top division was known as Primera División, was the old 1st Tier level basketball league in Spain, from 1957 to the 1982–83 season. It was organized by the Spanish Basketball Federation, and it was contested by the best clubs of the country. In 1983, the clubs decided to create the Basketball Clubs Association, and transformed the top division into the new Liga ACB, although that league was also named Primera División until 1988.

Format

The league was played in a double round-robin format without playoffs. Two points were conceded for a winning game, one for a draw, and no points for the loser. The worst teams of each season were relegated to the second division. The winner of the league qualified for the FIBA European Champions Cup.

History

The league was created in 1957 with the aim of publicising the basketball in Spain. In its first edition composed by six teams, two from Madrid and four from the province of Barcelona, and played with a double round-robin format. The league was played in 49 days at only two venues: Frontón Vista Alegre in Madrid and Palacio de Deportes de Montjuic in Barcelona.
Two years later, teams from other regions first entered in the league.

Winners




Source

Titles

Liga Nacional Primera División Top Scorers by season

SeasonTop ScorerClubScoring Average / Total Points
1957 Alfonso MartínezReal Madrid18.0
1958 Alfonso Martínez Real Madrid17.2
1958–59 Johnny BáezReal Madrid19.9
1959–60 Alfonso Martínez
Johnny Báez 		Barcelona
Real Madrid		20.2
439 points
1960–61 Francisco LlobetOrillo Verde20.4
1961–62 Wayne HightowerReal Madrid19.7
1962–63 Emiliano RodríguezReal Madrid19.9
1963–64 Emiliano Rodríguez Real Madrid22.7
1964–65 Lorenzo AlocénHelios24.2
1965–66 Miles AikenÁguilas23.9
1966–67 Alfonso Martínez Joventut Badalona22.1
1967–68 Clifford LuykReal Madrid24.3
1968–69 Charles ThomasSan José Irpen25.6
1969–70 Charles Thomas San José Irpen24.1
1970–71 Alfredo Pérez GómezBreogán27.1
1971–72 Gonzalo Sagi-VelaEstudiantes21.6
1972–73 Alfredo Pérez Gómez Breogán23.2
1973–74 John CoughranYMCA31.7
1974–75 Ray PriceBaskonia32.2
1975–76 Walter Szczerbiak
Bob Fullarton 		Real Madrid
Breogán		30.9
968 points
1976–77 Bob GuyetteBarcelona32.0
1977–78 Essie HollisAskatuak41.0
1978–79 Nate Davis
Webb Williams 		Askatuak
Baskonia		34.5
730 points
1979–80 Nate Davis Valladolid29.7
1980–81 Lars HansenOAR Ferrol27.4
1981–82 Larry McNeillCanarias34.4
1982–83 Claude GregoryBaskonia30.6

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