Novo Basquete Brasil (NBB; English: New Basketball Brazil) is the Brazilian premier professional men's basketball league. It is organized by the Liga Nacional de Basquete (LNB; English: National Basketball League), in a new format of Brazil's previous top-tier level basketball competition, the Campeonato Brasileiro de Basquete (Brazilian Basketball Championship). The NBB is managed by the Brazilian basketball associations, which were founding members of the LNB.
Format The NBB is the annual basketball league that is promoted by the national Brazilian league (LNB) organizing body, and is endorsed by the Brazilian Basketball Confederation (CFB). The first phase of the season consists of fifteen teams playing against each other, on a home and away basis. Then the top eight teams go to the playoffs, where the top ranked team plays against the one in the eighth place, the second from the top plays the seventh, and so on. Each playoff series is a best-of-five, apart from the championship final, which is a single game. In all of those, the best placed team has the home court advantage. Finally, the best placed teams in the league qualify to the South American top-tier level FIBA Americas League and the South American second-tier level FIBA South American League.
LOB
The NBB has a promotion and relegation format with the Brazilian second-tier level league, the Liga Ouro de Basquete (LOB) (Gold Basketball League). The worst performing teams of each NBB season are relegated down to the second-tier level LOB, while the best performing teams of each LOB season are promoted up to the top-tier level NBB.
LDB
The NBB also features an Under-20 age development league, called the Liga de Desenvolvimento de Basquete (LDB) (Developmental Basketball League).
History 2009 season The NBB inaugural season didn't have the participation of founding-members Iguaçu, Londrina, Ulbra/Rio Claro, and Uberlândia.
2009–10 season For the second NBB edition, the LNB confirmed the participation of 14 teams. Limeira and Bira-Lajeado could not keep their squads, thus did not join the season. On the other hand, Londrina joined the League, while an Araraquara/Palmeiras deal brought back to the national competition one of the most traditional Brazilian clubs.
2010–11 season The 15 teams from the previous season confirmed their participation. The third NBB edition also featured former national and South American champions Uberlândia, who managed to gather a strong squad sponsored by Brasília's former partner, Universo. After a one-year hiatus, Limeira returned to the League. Besides that, first-timers Rio Claro and Iguaçu joined as well.
2012–13 season For the first time, the NBB had eighteen participating teams, a record in the NBB's history. The three-time champion, Brasília, came once again as the title favorite. But their greatest rival Flamengo, assembled a team to break this hegemony, and thus win the NBB after four years. Uberlândia emerged as one of the favorites for the title, as well as São José. The rookies were the teams of Suzano, Mogi das Cruzes, Palmeiras, and Basquete Cearense. Of the four, the only team to qualify for the playoffs was Basquete Cearense. The last two were Tijuca and Suzano. Suzano, due to financial difficulties, dismounted their team to the championship final, while Tijuca played a small promotion tournament with Fluminense and Macaé, respectively champion and runner-up of Supercopa Brasil de Basquete. In the playoffs, a surprise: the champions of the past three editions were eliminated in the quarterfinals by São José. In the semifinals, Flamengo eliminated São José 3–2, and Uberlândia swept Bauru by 3–0. The final, played in one game in Rio de Janeiro, was won by the super-team of Flamengo, who after four years, won their second title of the NBB.
NBB rivalries
Teams Team Home city Arena Capacity Bauru Bauru Ginásio Panela de Pressão 2,000BotafogoRio de JaneiroGinásio Oscar Zelaya1,500 Brasília Brasília Nilson Nelson Gymnasium 11,397 Caxias do Sul Caxias do Sul Ginásio do SESI 4,500 Corinthians São Paulo Ginásio Wlamir Marques 6,500 Flamengo Rio de Janeiro Ginásio do Maracanãzinho 11,800 Fortaleza/Cearense Fortaleza Centro de Formação Olímpica 17,100 Franca Franca Ginásio Pedrocão 6,000 Minas Belo Horizonte Juscelino Kubitschek Arena 4,000 Mogi das Cruzes Mogi das Cruzes Ginásio Professor Hugo Ramos 5,000 Pato Pato Branco Ginásio do SESI 1,000 Paulistano São Paulo Ginásio Antônio Prado Junior 1,280 Pinheiros São Paulo Poliesportivo Henrique Villaboim 850 São José São José dos Campos Ginásio Lineu de Moura 2,620 São Paulo São Paulo Ginásio do Morumbi 1,918 União Corinthians Santa Cruz do Sul Ginásio Poliesportivo Arnão 6,000 Unifacisa Campina Grande Arena Unifacisa 1,200VascoRio de JaneiroGinásio Vasco da Gama1,000
Results Season Champion Final result Runner-up Season MVP Coach of the Year 2009 Flamengo (1) Brasília Marcelinho Machado (FLA) Paulo Sampaio (FLA) 2009–10 Brasília (1) Flamengo Marcelinho Machado (FLA) Lula Ferreira (BRA) 2010–11 Brasília (2) Franca Guilherme Giovannoni (BRA) Hélio Rubens (FRA) 2011–12 Brasília (3) São José Murilo Becker (SJO) Régis Marrelli (SJO) 2012–13 Flamengo (2) Uberlândia Marquinhos (FLA) Lula Ferreira (FRA) 2013–14 Flamengo (3) Paulistano David Jackson (LIM) Gustavo de Conti (PAU) 2014–15 Flamengo (4) Bauru Alex Garcia (BAU) Dedé Barbosa (LIM) 2015–16 Flamengo (5) Bauru Marquinhos (FLA) José Alves Neto (FLA) 2016–17 Bauru (1) Paulistano Desmond Holloway (PIN) Gustavo de Conti (PAU) 2017–18 Paulistano (1) Mogi das Cruzes Marquinhos (FLA) Gustavo de Conti (PAU) 2018–19 Flamengo (6) Franca J.P. Batista (MOG) Léo Figueiró (BOT) 2019–20 2020–21 Flamengo (7) São Paulo Lucas Mariano (SPA) Gustavo de Conti (FLA) 2021–22 Franca (1) Flamengo Bruno Caboclo (SPA) Helinho Garcia (FRA) 2022–23 Franca (2) São Paulo Lucas Dias (FRA) Helinho Garcia (FRA)2023–24Franca (3)Flamengo Lucas Dias (FRA) Paulo Cézar Jaú (BAU)2024–25Franca (4)Minas Dontrell Brite (BAU) Léo Costa (MIN)2025–26Franca (5)Pinheiros Georginho de Paula (FRA) Gustavo de Conti (PIN)
Titles by club TeamsWinLossTotalYear(s) wonYear(s) lost Flamengo73102009, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2019, 20212010, 2022, 2024 Franca5262022, 2023, 2024, 2025, 20262011, 2019 Brasília3142010, 2011, 20122009 Bauru12320172015, 2016 Paulistano12320182014, 2017 São Paulo022—2021, 2023 São José011—2012 Uberlândia011—2013 Mogi das Cruzes011—2018 Minas011—2025 Pinheiros011—2026
NBB awards
NBB Topscorer
All-Star Weekend
Similarly to other basketball leagues around the world, the NBB organises an all-star game, which showcases the best players of the league. In addition to the game, a dunk contest, three-point contest and "Skills Challenge" are organised.
Records Marcelinho Machado scored 63 points in the match between Flamengo and São José (101–89), in 2010, at the Arena da Barra.Marcelinho with 63 points, Fulvio with 21 assists – ge.globo.com He scored 16 three-pointers (16/21 attempts) Marquinhos has been elected MVP (most valuable player) three times in the NBB (2012/13, 2015/16 and 2017/18) In 2010, Murilo Becker scored 16 two-pointers for Tenis Minas against Saldanha (102–85). His record was equaled in 2019 by Batista, for Mogi, against Joinville. Fúlvio distributed 21 assists for São José against Uberlândia (94–97) in 2018. In that match he broke his own record, of 18 assists The highest rebounder in a single game of the NBB, was Leonardo and Mãozinha. Leozão was the first to reach the mark of 24 rebounds in the game between Basquete Cearense and Campo Mourão (77–69) in 2018. It was equaled in the 2021 edition by Mãozinha for Corinthians against Basquete Cearense (126–122). Point guard Anthony has the most free throws mark in NBB history scoring 19 for Macaé Basquete against Caxias do Sul (73–67), in 2017. In the game, he attempted 21 free throws (success rate of around 90%).
Players with most games Source: Veja recordes do NBB
As of the first round of the 2022–23 season.
Rank Player Games Career Carlos Olivinha 495 Shamell Stallworth 471 Larry Taylor 461 Alex 460 Jhonatan Luz 460 Rafael Mineiro 451 Marquinhos Vieira 450 Jefferson William 443 Shilton dos Santos 434 Guilherme Teichmann 430
All-time scorers Source: Veja recordes do NBB
As of the first round of the 2022–23 season.
Rank Player Points Games Career Average Shamell Stallworth 8,374 471 Marquinhos Vieira 7,977 450 Alex 7,161 460 Carlos Olivinha 6,558 495 Larry Taylor 5,987 461 Jefferson William 5,884 443 Guilherme Giovannoni 5,792 349 Marcelinho Machado 5,709 314 Betinho Duarte 5,471 417 Lucas Mariano 5,208 380
Notable players
Rafael "Bábby" Araújo Leandro Barbosa Anderson Varejão Vítor Benite Valtinho da Silva Bruno Caboclo Gui Santos Cristiano Felício Alex Garcia Guilherme Giovannoni Vítor Faverani Didi Louzada Rafael Luz Duda Machado Marcelinho Machado Carlos Olivinha Raul Neto Fab Melo Marquinhos Vieira Lucas Nogueira / Larry Taylor Juan Pablo Figueroa Walter Herrmann Federico Kammerichs Nicolás Laprovíttola Facundo Sucatzky Franco Balbi Joel Muñoz Ronald Ramón Darington Hobson Marc Brown Robby Collum Tyrone Curnell Robert Day Kyle Fuller Desmond Holloway David Jackson Kyle Lamonte Jerome Meyinsse Bernard Robinson Joseph Shipp Shamell Stallworth Rashad McCants
See also Brazilian Championship São Paulo State Championship Rio de Janeiro State Championship
References
External links Official website New Basketball Brazil at Latinbasket.com