NBL (Czechia) 2026/27

National Basketball League is the premier professional men’s basketball competition in the Czech Republic. Founded in 1993 after the dissolution of Czechoslovakia, the league emerged from the Czechoslovak Extraliga. Ownership lies with the Czech Basketball Federation (ČBF), while daily operations are managed by the Association of League Clubs (ALK), formed in January 1993 by founding clubs including Sparta Praha and Slavia Praha.

The competition features 12 teams playing a distinctive two-phase regular season. Following an initial double round-robin, the 'nadstavba' phase splits participants into two groups based on standings. The top eight teams enter Group A1, playing a double round-robin, while the bottom four join Group A2 for a quadruple round-robin. This structure determines seeding for the playoffs and relegation battles. The playoff system involves the top eight teams, with quarterfinals and semifinals played as best-of-five series. The championship decider is a best-of-seven series.

ERA Basketball Nymburk dominates the competition's history, holding 21 titles as of the 2024/25 season. Their reign includes a historic streak of 16 consecutive titles from 2004 to 2021. They remain the current champions. The league also hosts other notable entities such as USK Praha, the most successful club from the Czechoslovak era, and BK Armex Děčín, a frequent finalist.

Access to the top flight is governed by a strict promotion and relegation system linked to the second-tier 1. liga. The lowest-placed NBL team is directly relegated, while the 1. liga champion gains automatic promotion. Teams finishing 11th or 12th may enter a playoff against a 1. liga contender to secure their place in the top flight. The winner of the NBL is crowned Czech champion and earns qualification for European competitions like the EuroCup or Basketball Champions League. The league has undergone several sponsorship changes, currently known as the Maxa NBL.