Prva A Liga

The Prva A liga, for sponsorships reasons named the Erste Liga, is the top-tier professional basketball league in Montenegro. It is the highest basketball division organized by the Basketball Association of Montenegro (KSCG). It was established in 2006. shortly after Montenegro declared its independence from Serbia and Montenegro.

Prva A liga
Founded2006 (2006)
First season2006–07
CountryMontenegro
ConfederationFIBA Europe
Number of teams12
Level on pyramid1
Relegation toPrva B Liga
Current championsBudućnost (14th title)
Most championshipsBudućnost (14 titles)
CEOVeselin Brajovic
TV partnersRTCG
Websitewww.kscg.me

The league is sponsored by and named after Erste Bank. Currently, two clubs from the area are playing in the regional ABA League. The most successful club in the Prva A liga is Budućnost Podgorica, which has won 14 titles, after winning the 2022 championship.

History

Before independence

During their history, many Montenegrin basketball clubs played in the top-tier basketball leagues of SFR Yugoslavia, FR Yugoslavia, and Serbia and Montenegro, including Budućnost, Lovćen, Sutjeska, Mornar, KK Primorka, KK Berane, Jedinstvo, and KK Temko Nikšić.

1946–1991: SFR Yugoslavia

From 1946 to 1991, two clubs from Montenegro, Berane (formerly KK Ivangrad) and Budućnost, played in the First Federal Basketball League. Others played in the Second Yugoslav League (during the 80's - First B League) and the Republic League.

Budućnost played in the First League during the nine seasons, with third place on the 1985–86 season as their biggest success at that time.

Below is the list of all-time participants of Montenegrin clubs in the First Yugoslav League.[1]

Club66818283848586878891
Berane 12---------
Budućnost -881087391210

1992–2006: Serbia and Montenegro

After the breakup of SFR Yugoslavia, until the Montenegrin independence in 2006, eight different Montenegrin teams participated in the First League of FR Yugoslavia / Serbia and Montenegro (YUBA League). Budućnost is the only team which played every single season in that competition, winning the three champion titles. Except them, Lovćen, Mornar, Sutjeska and Primorka are the only teams which participated in more than one season at the highest rank.

During that period, Budućnost became a founder of ABA League, too, where they play an important role until today. At the same time, Budućnost played its first seasons in Euroleague with the quarterfinals as their biggest success in the history of competition.

Below is the list of all-time participants of Montenegrin clubs in the YUBA League.[2]

Club929394959697989900010203040506
Budućnost 1010111624211124576
Lovćen -91014118699456818-
Mornar --71112714------129
Sutjeska ---8----12----16-
Jedinstvo ---15-----------
Berane ---27-----------
Temko ---29-----------
Primorka ----------11---17

As the most successful Montenegrin basketball team, Budućnost won three national titles in the First League of Yugoslavia.

Club Winners Runners-up Winning Years
KK Budućnost Podgorica
3
1
 1998–99, 1999–00, 2000–01

After independence

Soon after the Montenegrin independence referendum, Basketball Federation of Montenegro founded its own competitions, with the First League as a top-tier competition. During the all history, KK Budućnost was strongly dominant side.
Every season have two parts. During the first part, 8 to 10 clubs are playing league, without teams who are playing in ABA League. Until the season 2019-2020, in the second part, four best-placed teams from the league and two Montenegrin clubs from ABA League were competing in Superliga and four best-placed sides from that phase were participating in playoffs. Final series of playoffs is lasting until three wins of one opponent.
From season 2006-07 to 2016-17, every single champions' title won KK Budućnost. From 2006 to 2012, team from Podgorica created an impressive row of 89 wins with only one defeat in domestic championship. Except that, until 2015, team from Podgorica won every playoff final series with 3-0.
On season 2015-16, during the regular phase of the championship, game between KK Ulcinj and KK Jedinstvo finished with result 127-23. That was the biggest victory in the history of Montenegrin Championship. Except that, KK Ulcinj's player Miloš Popović on the same game scored 59 points, which is another all-time record of Montenegrin League.[3] An unexpected change came on season 2017-18, when KK Mornar won their first ever national title. In the finals, they surprisingly won the series against ABA League title holder - KK Budućnost (3-1).
Budućnost made a comeback on season 2018-19, defeating Mornar in the finals. During 2019, Montenegrin basketball federation implemented a new system of competition. Instead Superliga as the second phase, two best teams from the first part of season and two Montenegrin representatives in ABA League are directly qualifying for the playoff series.
Season 2019-20 was interrupted after 20 weeks, due to the coronavirus pandemic and Montenegrin basketball federation decided to erase every single result from that edition of competition.[4]

Champions

Since the establishing of competition, only two teams won the titles of Montenegrin champion. In 2018, Mornar was the second team to win the league after a streak of 11 consecutive trophies achieved by Budućnost.

Titles by season

Below is the list of final series of Montenegrin Basketball League playoffs.

SeasonChampionScoreRunner-upChampion's CoachPlayer of the season
2006–07Budućnost3–0LovćenMontenegro Dejan RadonjićSerbia Vladimir Micov (Budućnost)
2007–08Budućnost3–0MogrenMontenegro Dejan RadonjićSerbia Nikola Otašević (Budućnost)
2008–09Budućnost3–0PrimorjeMontenegro Dejan RadonjićSerbia Nikola Otašević (Budućnost)
2009–10Budućnost3–0LovćenMontenegro Dejan RadonjićSerbia Čedomir Vitkovac (Budućnost)
2010–11Budućnost3–0MornarMontenegro Dejan RadonjićMontenegro Vladimir Dragičević (Budućnost)
2011–12Budućnost3–0SutjeskaMontenegro Dejan RadonjićMontenegro Bojan Dubljević (Budućnost)
2012–13Budućnost3–0SutjeskaMontenegro Dejan RadonjićMontenegro Aleksa Popović (Budućnost)
2013–14Budućnost3–0ZetaMontenegro Igor JovovićMontenegro Suad Šehović (Budućnost)
2014–15Budućnost3–1SutjeskaMontenegro Igor JovovićUnited States J. R. Reynolds (Budućnost)
2015–16Budućnost3–1MornarMontenegro Igor ĐaletićUnited States Julius Jenkins (Budućnost)
2016–17Budućnost3–2MornarMontenegro Igor ĐaletićBosnia and Herzegovina Nemanja Gordić (Budućnost)
2017–18Mornar3–1BudućnostMontenegro Mihailo PavićevićUnited States Derek Needham (Mornar)
2018–19Budućnost3–2MornarMontenegro Petar Mijović
2019–20Canceled due to the coronavirus pandemic[5]
2020–21Budućnost3–0MornarSerbia Dejan Milojević
2021–22Budućnost3–2MornarSerbia Aleksandar Džikić
2022–23Budućnost3–0Studentski CentarMontenegro Petar Mijović

Montenegrin League

Below is a list of clubs with titles won in Montenegrin Basketball League.

ClubTitlesRunners-upYears Won
Budućnost1512007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2019, 2021, 2022, 2023
Mornar162018

Overall

Below is an overall list, with titles won in both leagues - Montenegrin Basketball League and FR Yugoslavia / Serbia and Montenegro Championship.

ClubTitlesRunners-upYears Won
Budućnost1821998-99, 1999-00, 2000–01, from 2006-07 to 2016-17, 2018–19, 2020-21, 2021-22, 2022-23
Mornar162018

Performances by clubs

Final placements

Since establishing, in Montenegrin basketball league participated 21 different teams. Club which played every single season until now are KK Budućnost, KK Jedinstvo, KK Lovćen, KK Mornar and KK Ulcinj.

Club070809101112131415161718192122
ABS Primorje -458979911------
All Stars -------------12-
Budućnost 111111111112111
Centar ------1111-------
Danilovgrad 564771010-91010910119
Gorštak ---610----------
Ibar ------8757577811
Jedinstvo 89910697888986106
Lovćen 2572346610644447
Ljubović ----11----------
Mornar 486323524221222
Mogren 72898----------
Milenijum --------------10
Podgorica -----8-------64
Pljevlja -------------13-
Primorje 1945 -11211------1110878
Rudar -1010------------
SC Derby ---------9811933
Stršljen ---------11-----
Sutjeska 6311--2252363355
Teodo ---556343435-912
Ulcinj 37344541075765--
Zeta -------26---1114-

All-time table

All-time Montenegrin First League table is a ranking of all Montenegrin basketball clubs based on their performance in national top tier. Highlighted clubs played in the First League in the 2021/22 season.

Rank Club Town Seasonsa Gamesb W L Win% PO Apps
1KK BudućnostPodgorica152111941792%15
2KK MornarBar1535422413063%12
3KK LovćenCetinje1540925215762%8
4KK PodgoricaPodgorica367392858%1
5KK TeodoTivat1129016212858%5
6KK SutjeskaNikšić1333819414457%7
7KK UlcinjUlcinj1335918917053%5
8KK IbarRožaje92099711247%0
9KK MogrenBudva5137637446%1
10SC DerbyPodgorica6131597245%2
11KK JedinstvoBijelo Polje1536614821841%0
12KK DanilovgradDanilovgrad1433613120539%1
13KK ZetaGolubovci4107406738%1
14KK ABS PrimorjeHerceg Novi82097613336%1
15KK Primorje 1945Herceg Novi81886612235%1
16KK MilenijumPodgorica11761135%0
17KK GorštakKolašin254153928%0
18All StarsSpuž12261627%0
19KK CentarBijelo Polje252124023%0
20KK LjubovićPodgorica11831517%0
21KK RudarPljevlja25274514%0
22KK StršljenGusinje12432113%0
22PljevljaPljevlja1222209%0

^a Including current season (2021/22)
^b Playout games against teams from Prva B Liga are not counted

Attendances by season
Season Avg Overall M H CH CL
2006–07 562 64,700 115 2,500 Ulcinj (1,071) Nikšić (379)
2007–08 452 66,900 148 2,000 Ulcinj (736) Primorje 1945 (313)
2008–09 456 69,700 153 1,500 Ulcinj (1,006) Nikšić (257)
2009–10 493 75,400 153 2,000 Ulcinj (1,113) Primorje 1945 (271)
2010–11 497 70,600 142 1,700 Teodo (950) Ljubović (222)
2011–12 429 55,800 130 1,500 Teodo (692) Podgorica (131)
2012–13 514 78,150 152 2,500 Ulcinj (840) Primorje 1945 (214)
2013–14 426 64,800 152 1,500 Ibar (686) Centar (214)
2014–15 485 74,100 153 3,000 Ibar (1,086) Zeta (207)
2015–16 579 71,200 123 3,000 Ibar (1,050) S. Centar (127)
2016–17 497 62,200 125 3,000 Mornar (1,675) S. Centar (119)
2017–18 645 70,950 110 3,500 Mornar (1,487) S. Centar (106)
2018–19 569 75,100 132 3,000 Mornar (1,222) Zeta (108)
2019–20 Canceled due to the coronavirus pandemic
2019–20 Without attendance due to the coronavirus pandemic

M = Number of matches (only matches with spectators counted); H = Highest attendance on one match; CH = Club with highest average attendance; CL = Club with lowest average attendance

Current season
Prva A Liga is located in Montenegro
BudućnostS. CentarPodgorica
Danilovgrad
All Star
Ibar
Jedintsvo
Lovćen
Teodo
Mornar
Primorje
Primorje
Sutjeska
Zeta
Zeta
Pljevlja
Locations of the 2020–21 Prva A Liga teams

Competition format

Eleven of the fourteen teams that play the league join the regular season. After that phase, two best teams from the regular season are qualifying for the playoffs, where they play against the two 2020–21 ABA League teams (Budućnost Voli and Mornar).Except that, two best teams from regular season are qualifying for the next season of ABA 2 League. The last qualified team is relegated to Prva B Liga.[6]

Teams
Club City Arena Capacity
Budućnost VOLI Podgorica Morača 6,000
Danilovgrad Danilovgrad Gradska dvorana 1,200
Ibar Rožaje Bandžovo Brdo 2,500
Jedintsvo Bijelo Polje SC Nikoljac 3,000
Lovćen Cetinje SRC Lovćen 1,500
Mornar Bar Topolica 3,500
Pljevlja Pljevlja SC Ada 3,000
Podgorica Podgorica Bemax Arena 2,000
Primorje Herceg Novi SC Igalo 2,000
Studenski centar Podgorica University Sports Center 1,500
Sutjeska Nikšić Nikšić Sports Center 3,000
All Star Spuž Academy Danilovgrad 600
Teodo Tivat Župa SC 1,500
Zeta Golubovci House of basketball 500

Montenegrin basketball clubs in ABA League

Clubs from Montenegrin League are permanent participants of ABA League, one of strongest team competitions in Europe. In 2001, one of founders was Montenegrin side Budućnost Podgorica, which is among most successful members of competition. Except Budućnost, in ABA League played three other clubs from Montenegro - Lovćen, Sutjeska and Mornar.
KK Budućnost won ABA champions’ title on season 2017-18, which is the most significant success of Montenegrin clubs in that competition until now.
Except that, Budućnost was a finalist on season 2018-19 and played seven times in semifinals (five times lost the game or series), while Mornar played once in that phase of playoffs.
Below is list of participation of Montenegrin clubs by every season of ABA League.

Season Club Pos P W L Note
2001–02 Budućnost Podgorica 9 22 9 13
2003–04 Budućnost Podgorica 5 26 16 10
Lovćen Cetinje 14 26 5 21 Relegated
2004–05 Budućnost Podgorica 14 30 9 21 Relegated
2006–07 Budućnost Podgorica 5 26 16 10
2007–08 Budućnost Podgorica 6 29 16 13 Playoffs: Quarterfinals
2008–09 Budućnost Podgorica 6 26 15 11
2009–10 Budućnost Podgorica 5 26 15 11
2010–11 Budućnost Podgorica 4 27 15 12 Final four: Semifinals
2011–12 Budućnost Podgorica 4 27 18 9 Final four: Semifinals
2012–13 Budućnost Podgorica 5 26 16 10
2013–14 Budućnost Podgorica 5 26 15 11
2014–15 Budućnost Podgorica 3 31 21 10 Playoffs: Semifinals
2015–16 Budućnost Podgorica 3 28 23 5 Playoffs: Semifinals
Sutjeska Nikšić 13 26 9 17 Relegated
2016–17 Budućnost Podgorica 4 29 19 10 Playoffs: Semifinals
Mornar Bar 8 26 10 16
2017–18 Budućnost Podgorica 1 29 22 7 Playoffs: Champions
Mornar Bar 4 25 15 10 Playoffs: Semifinals
2018–19 Budućnost Podgorica 2 30 20 10 Playoffs: Finals
Mornar Bar 9 22 8 14

European competitions
A EuroCup home game of Budućnost Podgorica, which represents Montenegro each season
Main article: Montenegrin basketball clubs in European competitions

Clubs from Montenegro have been playing in European basketball competitions since the 1980s. Until 2006, they represented SFR Yugoslavia and FR Yugoslavia. Almost all European seasons by Montenegrin clubs are played by KK Budućnost. Exceptions are three seasons played by KK Mornar Bar and one European performance by KK Lovćen Cetinje.

The most successful period was the end of the 1990s and the beginning of new century. At that time, KK Budućnost played in the finish phases of EuroLeague. In that period, Budućnost often played games against greatest European basketball teams like FC Barcelona, Real Madrid, CSKA Moscow, Panathinaikos, Olympiacos, Maccabi Tel Aviv.

Budućnost made their comeback to Euroleague on season 2018-19, with few impressive results as wins against CSKA Moscow, Real Madrid and FC Barcelona.

During the overall history, three different Montenegrin clubs played in FIBA/ULEB competitions. KK Budućnost played in numerous competitions (Euroleague, Eurocup/ULEB Cup, Saporta Cup/FIBA EuroCup, FIBA Korać Cup). KK Mornar played in ULEB EuroCup, Basketball Champions League and FIBA Europe Cup, while KK Lovćen played one season in FIBA Korać Cup.

Records

As of the end of FIBA/ULEB competitions 2019–20 season.

Team Seasons First Last G W L
KK Budućnost Podgorica
23
1986-87
2019-20
285
107
178
KK Mornar Bar
4
2016-17
2019-20
58
19
39
KK Lovćen Cetinje
1
1998-99
1998-99
6
1
5

See also

References
  1. "Košarkaška Liga Srbije". www.kls.rs. Archived from the original on 26 February 2009. Retrieved 12 January 2022.
  2. "Košarkaška Liga Srbije". www.kls.rs. Archived from the original on 24 February 2009. Retrieved 12 January 2022.
  3. "Eurobasket".
  4. "Košarkaški savez Crne Gore".
  5. "U Crnoj Gori poništena sezona". b92.net. Retrieved 15 May 2020.
  6. "Utvrđen raspored i kalendar takmičenja Erste lige" (in Montenegrin). Montenegrin Basketball Federation. 17 October 2018. Retrieved 18 October 2018.
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