The leading professional men’s basketball League in Turkey is the Turkish Basketball League (TBL) or Turkiseh Premier Basketball League.
The league was established by the Turkish Basketball Federation on December 13, 1969. Turkish Second Basketball League or the TB2L was also established with two divisions (A and B).The first basketball game in Turkey was played in 1904 and it was held at the Robert College in Istanbul.
In 1911 Galatasaraylisesi created the first basketball team and was followed by the Fenerbache in 1913. In 1927 an unofficial league was found in Istanbul that lasted until foundation of the regional official league in 1933.The leading clubs of Istanbul, Izmir and Ankara started to organize basketball championships from 1946 onwards.
Turkish Basketball League tournament takes place every season. In this competition, 16 teams qualify and compete with each other twice. Eight teams will qualify in the playoff games commenced at the end of that season. The two top performing teams from the Second League move on to play in the Premier Team.
The two least performing teams of the Premier League, however, are to play against the third and fourth teams from the Second League. They will compete in a one game knock-out playoff.
The two winning teams qualify in the Premier League while the two losing teams are demoted to the Second League. Like in the case of CASA TED Kolejililer and Mutlu Akü Selçuk Üniversitesi of the Premier league placed in the last two ranks therefore they were demoted to Second League in season 2008–09. Bornova Belediye and Tofaş of the Second League took the places of the said team for season 2009–10.
The teams who have won several times in the championships are the following: Efes Pilsen (the strongest team in the league) with 13 championships; Eczacibasi with 8 championships; ITU with 5 championships; Fenerbahche with 4 championships; Ulkerspor with 4 championships; Galatasaray with 4 championships; Tofas with 2 championships; Karsiyaka, Besiktas Muhafizgucu and Altinordu each with 1 championship won. The Clubs joining the competition for season 2010-11 are; Aliaga Petkim from the city of Aliaga established in 1993, Antalya B.B. from the city of Antalya that was established in 1995, Bandirma Banvit from Bandirma tat was established in 1994, the Besiktas Cola Turka from istanbul that was established in 1903, the Bornova Beledive from the city of Izmir that was established in 1986.
Olin Edirne from Edirne tat was established in 2006, Efes Pilsen SK from Istanbul that was established in 1976, Erdemir Zonguldak from Kdz. Eregli established in 2000, Fenerbache Ulker from Istanbul established in 1907, Galatasaray Café Crown also from Istabul established in 1905, Medical Park Trbzonspor from the city of Trabzon established in 2008, Mersin B.B. SK from Mersin and established in 1993, the Tofas S.K from Bursa established in 1974, OYAK Renault also from Bursa established in 1974, Pinar Karsiyaka from Izmir that was established in 1912 and lastly the Turk Telekom BK from the city of Ankara and was stablished in 2010.
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