The Liga Nacional de Básquetbol (abbreviated LNB, and literally in English, "National Basketball League"), is the top-tier level of the Paraguayan basketball league system. As of 2025, eleven teams are participating in the league. The yearly winners of this league are considered the Paraguayan basketball champions. Because of this, the champion gets the right to play in the Liga Sudamericana de Baloncesto.
History Amidst the 2020 COVID-19 pandemic, it was announced that the Liga Nacional would return on 22 July 2020. Basket Paraguayo informed that all games would be played at the Polideportivo at the Secretaria Nacional de Deportes.
Sponsorship and television The main companies that sponsor the league are Coca-Cola and Amstel. Regarding coverage, the matches are made under the production of Teledeportes Producciones, and are televised live by Unicanal and Multicable Premium. Occasionally they are broadcast live on Unicanal Plus alternative signal from Unicanal.
Format Metropolitan Basketball League The Metropolitan Basketball League of Paraguay (or Top Professional League) is the most important basketball championship. It is organized by the Paraguayan Basketball Confederation.
The Metropolitan League is held annually and its winners are considered metropolitan champions, with only teams from Asunción and its suburbs eligible to compete. It is also known as the Top 5 tournament as the division consists of 5 teams. Previously it was named Top 4, in 2010 it increased the number of participants to 5, and in 2011 it returned to 4. Since 2012 there are 6 participating teams.
The second division of this league is called Copa Comuneros.
National League Clubs from other areas of the country have the right to participate in the National League, along with those that were the best in the Metropolitan Top Professional League of Asunción.
Super Champions Cup At the end of the season the champions of both leagues (Metropolitan and National) used to play in the Champions Cup and the winner qualified to the South American Club Championship. Since 2017, the champions of the Apertura and Clausura tournaments compete to determine the Super Champion of Paraguay.
The winner is called campeon absoluto (absolute champion).
2025 LNB teams The 11 teamw playing in the 2025 LNB season. Five are from Asunción's Metropolitan League. Club Venue City Ciudad Nueva Polideportivo Luis Fernández Asunción Colonias Gold Estadio Municipal Ka'a Poty Obligado Deportivo Amambay Estadio de la FBA Pedro Juan Caballero Deportivo Campoalto Polideportivo del Comando Logístico Asunción Deportivo Central Gimnasio de la Cooperativa Capiatá Capiatá Deportivo San José Polideportivo León Condou Asunción Félix Pérez Cardozo Polideportivo Efigenio Gonzalez Asunción Guaireña Polideportivo Municipal de Paraguarí Paraguarí Olimpia Kings Polideportivo ODD Asunción San Lorenzo Polideportivo San Lorenzo San Lorenzo Sportivo Luqueño Polideportivo Club de Leones Luque
List of Champions Source: 1937 Olimpia 1938 Club Guaraní 1939 Rowing Club 1940 Club Guaraní 1941 Rowing Club 1942 Olimpia 1943 Olimpia (undefeated) 1944 Olimpia 1945 Rowing Club 1946 Olimpia 1947 Olimpia 1948 Olimpia 1949 Olimpia 1950 Olimpia 1951 Olimpia (undefeated) 1952 Olimpia (undefeated) 1953 Olimpia (undefeated) 1954 Olimpia 1955 Olimpia 1956 Olimpia 1957 Olimpia 1958 Libertad 1959 Olimpia 1960 Olimpia 1961 Club Nacional 1962 Cerro Porteño 1963 Ciudad Nueva 1964 Ciudad Nueva 1965 Ciudad Nueva 1966 Olimpia 1967 Ciudad Nueva 1968 Ciudad Nueva 1969 Ciudad Nueva 1970 Olimpia 1971 Olimpia 1972 Libertad 1973 Olimpia 1974 Ciudad Nueva and Libertad 1975 Ciudad Nueva 1976 Olimpia 1977 Libertad 1978 Olimpia 1979 Libertad 1980 Olimpia 1981 Olimpia 1982 Sol de América 1983 Sol de América 1984 Sol de América 1985 Ciudad Nueva1986 Libertad 1987 Libertad 1988 Olimpia 1989 Rowing Club 1990 Libertad 1991 Deportivo San José 1992 Olimpia 1993 Deportivo San José 1994 Olimpia and Sol de América 1995 Sol de América 1996 Sol de América 1997 Deportivo San José 1998 Sol de América 1999 Sol de América 2000 Deportivo San José 2001 Deportivo San José 2002 Deportivo San José 2003 Deportivo San José and América of Pilar 2004 Deportivo San José 2005 Libertad 2006 Deportivo San José 2007 Sol de América 2008 LibertadLibertad campeón 2009 LibertadABC Color (ed.) Premiarán a los mejores de la temporada 2009. (Dec 8, 2009). Retrieved Nov 22, 2012, (in Spanish) 2010 Sol de América 2011 Sol de América 2012 Cerro PorteñoParaguay.com (ed.) Doblete Centenario: Doblete centenario: ¡Cerro, campeón absoluto del básquetbol!. (Nov. 26, 2012). Retrieved Dic. 10, 2012, (in Spanish) 2013 Libertad 2014 Cerro Porteño 2015 Libertad 2016 Olimpia Kings
Apertura and Clausura format 2017A Olimpia Kings 2017C Olimpia Kings 2018A Olimpia Kings 2018C Deportivo San José 2019A Olimpia Kings 2019C Deportivo San José 2020 not held due to COVID-19 2021 Deportivo San José 2022A Deportivo San José 2022C Deportivo San José 2023A Deportivo San José 2023C Deportivo San José 2024A Deportivo San José 2024C Deportivo San José 2025A Olimpia Kings 2025C Olimpia Kings 2026A Deportivo San José
Performance by club Total Olimpia Kings 36 titles Deportivo San José 19 titles Sol de América 11 titles Libertad 9 titles Ciudad Nueva 9 titles Rowing Club 4 titles Club Guaraní 2 titles Cerro Porteño 2 title Nacional Asunción 1 title América de Pilar 1 title CNR El Mbiguá 1 title
Breakdown of titles Olimpia: 1937, 1942, 1943 undefeated, 1944, 1946, 1947, 1948, 1949, 1950, 1951 undefeated, 1952 undefeated, 1953 undefeated, 1954, 1955, 1956, 1957, 1959, 1960, 1966, 1970, 1971, 1973, 1976, 1978, 1980, 1981, 1988, 1992 and metropolitan 1994) Libertad: 13 absolute tournaments (1958, 1972, 1974, 1977, 1979, 1986, 1987, 1990, 2005, 2008, 2009, 2013 and 2015, single metropolitan tournament) and 8 short tournaments (metropolitan 2008 and 2009, National League 2009, metropolitan Top5 in 2010 and National League 2011, metropolitan Top 5 in 2013, National League 2013 and Apertura 2016)
Sol de América: 11 absolute tournaments (1982, 1983, 1984, Integración 1994, 1995, 1996, 1998, 1999, 2007, 2010 and 2011) and 5 short tournaments (Apertura 2007, Supercopa 2007, Liga Nacional 2008 and 2010 and metropolitan 2011)
San José: 9 absolute tournaments (1991, 1993, 1997, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004 and 2006) and five short tournaments (metropolitan 2001, National League 2001, metropolitan Apertura 2006, metropolitan Clausura 2006 and metropolitan Clausura 2007)
Ciudad Nueva: 9 (1963, 1964, 1965, 1967, 1968, 1969, 1974, 1975 and 1985)
Rówing Club: 4 (1939, 1941, 1945 and 1989)
Cerro Porteño: 3 absolute tournaments (1962, 2012 and 2014, single metropolitan tournament) and two short (metropolitan top 5 in 2012 and National League 2012)
Guaraní : 2 (1938 and 1940)
Nacional: 1 (1961)
América de Pilar: 1 (2003 National League).
– Finals for absolute championship titles between winners of short tournaments, take place from 2007 (in 2006 San José conquered the two segments and an extra final was not necessary).Source: aips-america.com (2016)
Records and statistics Only club won undefeated titles is Olimpia (4): 1943, 1951, 1952, 1953 In 1974 Ciudad Nueva and Libertad were declared both champions Clubs that automatically won the absolute championships (double: Metropolitan + Nacional) in the same year before 2007: Libertad 9 (1958, 1972, 1974, 1977, 1979, 1986, 1987, 1990, 2005) Deportivo San José 9 (1991, 1993, 1997, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2006) Sol de América 8 (1982, 1983, 1984, Integración 1994, 1995, 1996, 1998, 1999) Cerro Porteño 1 (1962) Clubs that won the absolute Champions Cup (super cup: Metropolitan winners vs Nacional winners) after 2007: Libertad 4 (2008, 2009, 2013, 2015) Cerro Porteño 2 (2012, 2014) Sol de América 3 (2007, 2010, 2011) Clubs with most absolute titles in total: Libertad 13 (1958, 1972, 1974, 1977, 1979, 1986, 1987, 1990, 2005, 2008, 2009, 2013, 2015) Sol de América 11 (1982, 1983, 1984, Integración 1994, 1995, 1996, 1998, 1999, 2007, 2010, 2011) Deportivo San José 9 (1991, 1993, 1997, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2006) Cerro Porteño 3 (1962, 2012, 2014)
Finals Metropolitan League SeasonChampionResultRunner-up1994 Olimpia Asunción 2001Deportivo San José 2006 Apertura Deportivo San José 3-0 Libertad 2006 Clausura Deportivo San José 2007 AperturaClub Sol de América 2007 Clausura Deportivo San José 2008 Metropolitan League (2008) - latinbasket.com Libertad 3-0 Club Sol de América2009 Libertad 3-1 Club Sol de América2010 Libertad Olimpia Asunción2011 Club Sol de América Libertad2012 Metropolitan League (2012) - latinbasket.com Cerro Porteño 3-2 Libertad2013 Libertad 3-0 Club Sol de América2014 Metropolitan League (2014) - latinbasket.com,Gazeta Deportiva (ed.) Cerro Porteño campeón de la Liga Metropolitana de Básquetbol . 1 de octubre de 2014 Cerro Porteño 3-0 Felix Perez Cardozo2015 Metropolitan League (2015) - latinbasket.com Libertad 3-1 Club Sol de América2016 Apertura Metropolitan League (2016) - latinbasket.com Libertad 2-1 Sportivo Luqueno2016 Clausura Olimpia Kings 2-0 Libertad2017 Apertura Metropolitan League (2017) - latinbasket.com(Olimpia y Libertad a las finales del Metropolitano (2017) - d10.ultimahora.comOlimpia es rei del Metropolitano (2017) - d10.ultimahora.com Olimpia Kings 2-1 Libertad2017 Clausura - Ventaja para Olimpia Kings (2017) abc.com Olimpia Kings 2-0 Deportivo San José2018 Apertura Metropolitan League (2018) - latinbasket.com Olimpia Kings 3-1 Deportivo San José2018 Clausura Deportivo San José 3-2 Olimpia Asunción 2019 AperturaOlimpia Asunción 3-1 Deportivo San José2019 Clausura Metropolitan League (2019) - latinbasket.com- San José es el campeón (2018) - abc.com Deportivo San José 3-1 Olimpia Kings
National League SeasonChampionResultRunner-up1994 Club Sol de América 2003 América de Pilar 2-1 Sacachispas de Encarnación2004 Deportivo San José 2005 Libertad 2008 LNB (2008) - latinbasket.com Libertad 4-3 Club Sol de América2009 LNB (2009) - latinbasket.com Libertad 4-0 Club Sol de América2010 LNB (2010) - latinbasket.com Club Sol de América Olimpia Asunción2011 LNB (2011) - latinbasket.com Libertad 3-2 Club Sol de América2012 LNB (2012 ) - latinbasket.com Cerro Porteño 3-1 Club Sol de América2013 Libertad 3-1 Club Sol de América
Champions Cup (2006-2016) A Series etween the Metrpolitano and National champions for the absolute champion of the year. A Super Cup'' trophy with a ticket for the South American Club Championship. Finals started in 2007.
YearChampionResultRunner-up2006 Deportivo San José no final -2007 Club Sol de América 2008 Libertad no final -2009 Libertad no final -2010 Club Sol de América 3-2 Libertad 2011 ABC Color (ed.) Sol de América es el magnífico campeón absoluto. (2 dic 2011). Consultado el 22 nov 2012. Club Sol de América 3-0 Libertad 2012 Cerro Porteño no final -2013 Libertad no final -2015 Libertad no final -2016 Olimpia Asunción Libertad
2006: Deportivo San José won it automatically as winners of both Apertura and Clausura 2008, 2009, 2013: Libertad won it automatically as winners of both Metropolitan and National leagues. 2012: Cerro Porteño won it automatically as winners of both Metropolitan and National leagues.
LNB (2021-present)