Founded | 1923 |
---|---|
First season | 1923–24 |
Folded | 1992 |
Country | |
Level on pyramid | 1st tier on Soviet Pyramid |
Related competitions | USSR Cup |
Last champions | Spartak Saint Petersburg (2nd title) |
Most championships | CSKA Moscow (24 titles) |
The USSR Premier Basketball League, or Soviet Union Premier Basketball League (also called Supreme League), was the first-tier men's professional basketball league in the former Soviet Union. The league existed from 1923 to 1991, as the top professional basketball league of the Soviet Union, and from 1991 to 1992, as the top professional basketball league of the CIS. In the years 1924, 1928, 1934, 1935, 1936, 1956, 1959, 1963, and 1967, the league was contested by city teams, regional teams, and state national teams, rather than individual sports clubs.[citation needed]
CSKA Moscow was the league's most successful club, having won the league's championship 24 times, including winning 9 consecutive championships, from 1976 to 1984. The league featured the players of the senior men's Soviet Union national basketball team. The league exists in a similar format today, as the VTB United League. Although, the VTB United League can include clubs from countries that were not a part of the Soviet Union.[citation needed]