The change is now ! At the end of a general assembly held this Wednesday afternoon, the National Basketball League (LNB) announced several new features from the 2024-2025 season. A(r)evolution whose culmination is the creation of Play-In in Betclic Élite (and also in Pro B). This system already exists in the NBA and, since this year, in the Euroleague.
Concretely, instead of only concerning the first eight teams in the regular season as has been the case for several years, this new feature will allow the ten best teams in the championship to fight for the title. The first six will directly qualify for the quarter-finals of the playoffs. Those ranked from 7th to 10th place will participate in these new Play-Ins “according to the same format as the NBA and the Euroleague” indicates the LNB.
The winner of the duel between 9th and 10th will face the loser of the match between 7th and 8th. The winner will enter the playoffs and will be opposed to the 1st of the regular season. The winner between 7th and 8th will go directly to the playoffs and will face the No. 2 of the regular season.
“It adds spice to the final stages”
“This makes it possible to involve more teams until the end of the season and to be in line with the current basketball culture since the Euroleague and the NBA do it,” explains Fabrice Jouhaud, general director of the League. This adds spice to the final phases which are already full of drama. »
Another major novelty is the creation of a new competition, a sort of tournament of champions. It will see the light of day in September 2025 and will concern four teams, namely the French Betclic Élite champion, the winner of the Leaders Cup, the winner of the Coupe de France and the French Pro B champion.
“We want to give ourselves time to organize this event as best as possible in an emblematic location,” announces Jouhaud. Given the organization of the Paralympic Games, it is complicated if not impossible in 2024. Nothing prevents the event from then being traveling. » This emblematic place should be the central court of Roland-Garros.
Finally, the League, undoubtedly to avoid the waltz of players during the season and the same imbroglio as that caused by the Metropolitans, decided “to limit the number of changes in the squad of clubs to three, between [la première journée] and February 28. Teams will be able to “proceed with two recruitments of medical freelancers after February 28, in the event of a long-term injury to a professional player”.
