Dutch Basketball League

The Dutch Basketball League (DBL), formerly the Eredivisie, was the highest professional basketball league in the Netherlands, run by the Federatie Eredivisie Basketball (FEB). Since 2021, the league has been replaced by the Belgian-Dutch BNXT League.

The league had a closed system: to participate, a team has to have enough money and potential. The league began in 1960 as the Eredivisie and was organized by the NBB and later the FEB. In 1977 the league introduced play-offs. As of 2019, the Dutch Basketball League consists of ten teams and plays under the FIBA rules.

History 2010s Starting with the 2010–11 season, the Eredivisie changed its name to the Dutch Basketball League, shortly the DBL. The beginning of the 2010s saw Donar and ZZ Leiden emerge as top teams in the Netherlands. Donar won five titles, including three straight (2015–2018). The decade also saw clubs disappear due to financial problems, with Amsterdam in 2011, West-Brabant Giants in 2011, Magixx in 2014.Magixx krijgt begroting niet rondMatrixx stopt als sponsor Magixx The decade also saw the emergence of new clubs in Apollo Amsterdam and Den Helder Suns.

In Europe, Donar had one of the biggest successes in Dutch history after reaching the semi-finals of the 2017–18 FIBA Europe Cup. It was the first European semi-final of a team since Amsterdam in 2001.

2020s In December 2019, it was announced that the DBL has partnered with the Belgian Pro Basketball League (PBL) to look at the potential of a future "BeNe League". The 2019–20 season was cancelled prematurely in March because of the COVID-19 pandemic. It was the first time in league history that a season was not finished and no champions were named. Due to the pandemic, entry requirements for the following season were lowered which led to the entrance of Basketball Community Gelderland, The Hague Royals and Almere Sailors.

Format and rules Each team has to play all the other teams in the league four times, twice at home and twice away. This means that the league's regular season ends after all teams play 36 matches. Like many other national domestic leagues in continental Europe, the Dutch Basketball League takes a winter break once each team has played half of its scheduled games.

Playoffs At the end of the league season schedule, the eight best teams in the standings play in a play-off, pitting the first place team in the standings versus the eighth place team in the standings, and so on. The quarter finals are played in a best-of-three format and the semi-finals are played in a best-of-five format, and the finals are played in a best-of-seven format.

In seasons were the number of teams dropped to 9 or lower, six teams qualified for the playoffs. In this case, the numbers one and two qualified for the semifinals and the other four teams played the quarterfinals.

Foreign players The DBL has had many rules in place to restrict the number of foreign players of clubs. This way the league seek to keep developing Dutch talent in the league. For several seasons. Until 2019, teams in the DBL were not allowed to have more than four players without a Dutch passport in their on court team at the same time. 2015–2017: maximum 4 foreign players 2017–2019: maximum 5 foreign players (1 Dutch player at the court any time) 2019–2021: minimum of 6 home grown players

Logos

Clubs Current clubs As of the end of the 2020–21 season: ClubCityArenaCapacity1st seasonin DBLNo. of seasonsin DBLDBL titlesLast titleAlmere SailorsAlmereTopsportcentrum Almere2020–211––Apollo AmsterdamAmsterdamApollohal2012–138––Aris LeeuwardenLeeuwardenKalverdijkje2004–0516––BALWeertSporthal Boshoven2017–184––Heroes Den Bosch's-HertogenboschMaaspoort1962–6354162015Den Helder SunsDen HelderSporthal Sportlaan1981–822961998DonarGroningenMartiniPlaza1970–715172018FeyenoordRotterdamTopsportcentrum1988–8932––Landstede HammersZwolleLandstede Sportcentrum1995–962512019The Hague RoyalsThe HagueSportcampus Zuiderpark2020–211––Yoast UnitedBemmelDe Schaapskooi2020–211––ZZ LeidenLeidenVijf Meihal1967–683142021

Timeline The following is the timeline of the teams in the Dutch Basketball League era (since 2011).

* – Indicates championship season

Former clubs

The following clubs are not competing in the DBL during the 2020–21 season, but have previously competed in the DBL for at least one season. Teams in italics were folded and do not exist anymore. ClubCityCurrent leagueFirst season inDBLMost recentseason inDBLSeasonsin DBLDBLtitlesLast DBL titleAgon Amsterdam / Racing AgonaAmsterdam1961–621972–7312–– Almere Pioneers Promotiedivisie 1998–99 2006–07 9 – – Amsterdam Basketball – 1995–96 2010–11 15 7 2009AMVJAmsterdamRegional1966–671––ASVUAmstelveen–1963–641974–755–– GOBA Regional levels 1990–91 1995–96 4 – – Blue StarsaDiemenRegional1960–611975–761311970 BSW – 1982–83 2016–17 24 1 1994 BVG Promotiedivisie 1979–80 1 – –Landlust / Canadians AmsterdamaAmsterdam–1960–611992–933221963 C3 Cobra's – 2000–01 1 – – DAS Delft Regional levels 1986–87 1988–89 3 – –DEDaAmsterdamRegional1960–611973–7414 Dutch Windmills – 2018–19 1 – –DunckersHilversumRegional levels1995–961–– EiffelTowers Nijmegen – 2000–01 2004–05 5 1 2003Herly AmsterdamaAmsterdamRegional1960–611968–69911969 NAC – 2000–01 2001–02 2 – – Magixx – 2005–06 2013–14 9 – –Monark AmsterdamaAmsterdam–1960–611963–644–– Orca's Urk Eerste Divisie 1983–84 1990–91 8 – – Puncha Promotiedivisie 1960–61 1982–83 22 2 1975 Red Giants Eerste Divisie 1987–88 1994–95 8 – –SVE UtrechtUtrecht–1965–661970–71611967SuvrikriThe Hague–1966–671971–726––The ArrowsaRotterdam–1960–611963–644–– The Wolves Amsterdama – 1960–61 1968–69 9 5 1965 Tonego Regional levels 1980–81 1986–87 8 – –Typhoons HaarlemHaarlem–1961–621––USaAmstelveenRegional1960–611966–676–– Virtus Eerste Divisie 1983–84 2000–01 8 – – West-Brabant Giants – 2003–04 2010–11 8 – –Wilskracht AmsterdamAmsterdam–1964–651969–706–– ZBVS Santpoort – 1960–61 1 – –

a: Founding member of the DBL.

Champions

List of Dutch Basketball League winners (1945–present) 1945–46 DED 1946–47 DED 1947–48 APGS 1948–49 AMVJ 1949–50 DED 1950–51 AMVJ 1951–52 DED 1952–53 DED 1953–54 DED 1954–55 AMVJ 1955–56 DED 1956–57 The Wolves Amsterdam 1957–58 DED 1958–59 Blue Stars 1959–60 The Wolves Amsterdam 1960–61 The Wolves Amsterdam 1961–62 Landlust 1962–63 Landlust 1963–64 The Wolves Amsterdam 1964–65 The Wolves Amsterdam 1965–66 Herly Amsterdam 1966–67 SVE Utrecht 1967–68 Flamingo's Haarlem 1968–69 Punch Delft 1969–70 Blue Stars 1970–71 Levi's Flamingo's 1971–72 Levi's Flamingo's 1972–73 Levi's Flamingo's 1973–74 Transol RZ 1974–75 Raak Punch 1975–76 Kinzo Amstelveen 1976–77 Kinzo Amstelveen 1977–78 Parker Leiden 1978–79 EBBC Den Bosch 1979–80 EBBC Den Bosch 1980–81 Nashua Den Bosch 1981–82 Nationale-Nederlanden Donar 1982–83 Nashua Den Bosch 1983–84 Nashua Den Bosch 1984–85 Nashua Den Bosch 1985–86 Nashua Den Bosch 1986–87 Nashua Den Bosch 1987–88 Nashua Den Bosch 1988–89 Direktbank Den Helder 1989–90 Commodore Den Helder 1990–91 Commodore Den Helder 1991–92 Commodore Den Helder 1992–93 Canoe Jeans Den Bosch 1993–94 Lanèche Weert 1994–95 Mustang Jeans Den Helder 1995–96 America Today Den Bosch 1996–97 Libertel Den Bosch 1997–98 Hans Verkerk Keukens Den Helder 1998–99 Ricoh Astronauts 1999–00 Ricoh Astronauts 2000–01 Ricoh Astronauts 2001–02 Ricoh Astronauts 2002–03 EiffelTowers Nijmegen 2003–04 MPC Capitals 2004–05 Demon Astronauts 2005–06 EiffelTowers Den Bosch 2006–07 EiffelTowers Den Bosch 2007–08 My Guide Amsterdam 2008–09 EclipseJet-MyGuide Amsterdam 2009–10 GasTerra Flames 2010–11 Zorg en Zekerheid Leiden 2011–12 EiffelTowers Den Bosch 2012–13 Zorg en Zekerheid Leiden 2013–14 GasTerra Flames 2014–15 SPM Shoeters Den Bosch 2015–16 Donar 2016–17 Donar 2017–18 Donar 2018–19 Landstede Zwolle 2019–20 Not awarded 2020–21 ZZ Leiden 2021–22 Heroes Den Bosch 2022–23 ZZ Leiden 2023–24 ZZ Leiden 2024–25 Heroes Den Bosch 2025–26 Landstede Hammers

Finals

The two teams that advance to the Finals of the play-offs play against each other in a best-of-seven playoff format. +Recent Dutch Basketball League seasons FinalsSeasonWinner(s)ScoreRunners-up Donar West-Brabant Giants ZZ Leiden Donar Den Bosch ZZ Leiden ZZ Leiden Aris Leeuwarden Donar Den Bosch Den Bosch Donar Donar Landstede Zwolle Donar Landstede Zwolle Donar ZZ Leiden Landstede Zwolle Donar ZZ Leiden Heroes Den Bosch Heroes Den Bosch ZZ Leiden ZZ Leiden Donar ZZ Leiden Heroes Den Bosch Heroes Den Bosch ZZ Leiden Landstede Hammers ZZ Leiden

Performance by club Teams shown in italics are no longer in existence. Teams in bold are currently playing in the DBL. +Eredivisie / Dutch Basketball League winners by clubClubWinsSeasons won Heroes Den Bosch 1978–79, 1979–80, 1980–81, 1982–83, 1983–84, 1984–85, 1985–86, 1986–87, 1987–88, 1992–93, 1995–96, 1996–97, 2005–06, 2006–07, 2011–12, 2014–15, 2021–22, 2024–25 DED 8 1945–46, 1946–47, 1949–50, 1951–52, 1952–53, 1953–54, 1955–56, 1957–58 Amsterdam 7 1998–99, 1999–00, 2000–01, 2001–02, 2004–05, 2007–08, 2008–09 Donar 7 1981–82, 2003–04, 2009–10, 2013–14, 2015–16, 2016–17, 2017–18Den Helder 6 1988–89, 1989–90, 1990–91, 1991–92, 1994–95, 1997–98 ZZ Leiden 1977–78, 2010–11, 2012–13, 2020–21, 2022–23, 2023–24 The Wolves Amsterdam 1959–60, 1960–61, 1963–64, 1964–65Flamingo's Haarlem 1985–86, 1970–71, 1971–72, 1972–73 AMVJ 3 1948–49, 1950–51, 1954–55Blue Stars 1958–59, 1969–70 Landlust 1961–62, 1962–63Punch Delft 1968–69, 1974–75 Amstelveen 1975–76, 1976–77 Landstede Hammers 2018–19, 2025–26 APGS 1947–48Herly Amsterdam 1965–66 SVE Utrecht 1966–67 RZ 1973–74BSW Weert 1993–94 Matrixx Magixx 2002–03

Records

All-time scoring leaders

The following are the ten players with the most points in the Eredivisie or DBL: +RankPlayerPointsPlayedPPG19,87849120.127,81058313.437,38560512.247,26265611.057,11929724.066,84248114.276,33853811.886,09927722.096,00032918.2105,94335716.7115,94310158.8115,9426963.5

Awards

Most Valuable Player Playoffs MVP All-Star Team Coach of the Year Defensive Player of the Year Most Improved Player MVP Under U23 Sixth Man of the Year Rookie of the Year All-Defense Team All-Rookie Team Statistical Player of the Year All-Star Game MVP All-Star Game U23 MVP

See also Basketball Cup Dutch Basketball Supercup

References

External links

Official website DBL at Eurobasket.com