All 15 opponents of our team in the Latvian-Estonian Pafbet Basketball League (LEBL) have become known. We suggest that we get to know better who BC "Prometey" will play with during the 2022/2023 season.
Representatives of Latvia:
"VEF Riga"
Current champion of the Latvian-Estonian basketball league. The team from the capital of Latvia has played in every final in the history of the LEBL but won the decisive match only this year. By the way, the player of the Ukrainian national team Vitaly Zotov managed to win as many as three trophies from the VEF last season - winning the LEBL, the championship and the Cup of Latvia. In general, VEF is a 9-time champion of their country. This season, the club from Riga will also play in the FIBA Champions League.
The name VEF came from the radioproducing company that created the basketball club in 1958.
In 1992, the team ceased to exist. However, it was refounded in 2007, the Latvian basketball legend Valdis Valters became the head coach.
At different times, the most famous Latvian basketball players played for VEF: Igors Miglinieks, Ainars Bagatskis, Karlis Muzhnieks. (interesting that all three worked as head coaches in Ukrainian clubs, and one of them is currently leading the National team of Ukraine). By the way, it was Karlis Muzhnieks who “Prometey” started its journey in the Ukrainian Superleague with.
BC "Ventspils"
The first champion of the Latvian-Estonian basketball league (season 2018/2019). The club has existed since 1994, and during this time it became the 10-time champion of Latvia. In 2003 they were the bronze medallist of the FIBA European Cup.
Last season, Ventspils finished third in the LEBL regular season, but lost in the quarterfinals to sixth-placed Estonian KK Viimsa.
BC "Ogre"
As a professional basketball club, it has existed since 2014. The team's highest achievement is bronze in the Latvian-Estonian League 2020/2021, and last season Ogre lost the match for third place. In 2020, the club was the vice-champion of their country.
"University of Latvia"
It’s hard to believe, but this basketball team will celebrate its 100th anniversary in a few years term! It has existed since 1929! In the 1930s, the club won seven Latvian championships, and returned to the First Division of the Latvian League right before the 2010/11 season. The highest achievement to date is 4th place in 2012.
"Valmiera GLASS VIA"
The city of Valmiera has become a real home for Ukrainian basketball players this year: after the start of a full-scale war, about a hundred Ukrainian children basketball players live and train there, and several youth men's and women's National teams of Ukraine hold gatherings there.
In 2011, the Valmiera basketball club debuted in the third division of the Latvian League. Since 2018, they have been playing in LEBL. The head coach of the team is Edmunds Valeiko, who at one time was the captain of BC "Kyiv" and became the champion of the Superleague with the "Wolves", then played in "Odesa" and "Cherkaski Mavpy". After finishing his playing career, he coached Odesa children at the Oleksandr Bilostinny school. In 2008-2009, he was a head coach assistant of the Latvian National team.
BC "Liepaja"
The highest achievement of the team from the Baltic Sea coast is the second place in the Latvian Championship in 1997. It should also be noted that the older brother of Kristaps Porzingis, Janis, once played for this team, as well as for Ventspils and Valmiera.
Last season, Liepaja finished 12th in the LEBL regular season.
Representatives of Estonia
"Parnu Sadam"
The club from the Estonian city of Parnu, founded in 2000. The name is translated from Estonian as "Parnu Port". This year, for the first time, they won the championship of Estonia and bronze of the Latvian-Estonian league. In the regular championship, LEBL finished seventh, however, in the quarterfinals they defeated BC "Kalev/Kramo", which was second in the standings. Also, in the semi-finals, they conceded only two points to the other Estonian team "KK Viimsi", and beat "Ogre" in the match for bronze.
"Tartu Yulikol Max and Moorits"
One of the oldest Estonian basketball clubs. In its most recent history, since 1999, it has won the Estonian championship 7 times, and is a 10-time Cup winner (in total, since 1938, it has 26 championship titles and 17 cups).
In 2008, they played in the Final Four of the FIBA EuroCup. The following season, one of the most famous Georgian basketball players, currently the president of the Georgian Basketball Federation Viktor Sanikidze, who won the dunk contest of the Estonian championship, played in Tartu.
Last season, Ukrainian Oleksandr Kovlyar played for this team and became the vice-champion of Estonia with them. In LEBL, "Tartu" closed the eight of teams that entered the playoffs, and in the 1/4 finals, they lost to the future champion - Riga VEF.
Recently, the club has signed another Ukrainian - Andrii Voynalovich, who finished the last season in the Latvian "Valmiera".
"BC Kalev/Kramo"
The aforementioned Oleksandr Kovlyar transferred to this team from Tartu. "Kalev" is the 2021 LEBL champion, 12-time champion of Estonia, 7-time winner of the Estonian Cup. One of the most successful clubs in the league.
"TALTECH"
The basketball team of the Tallinn University of Technology is the same age as the Latvian university basketball team - it played its first match on February 4, 1928! And since 1951, they have been playing in the highest division of the championship of Estonia. During this time, the team became an 8-time champion and a 7-time winner of the Estonian Cup.
LEBL finished fourth in the regular season last season but lost to fifth-placed Ogre in the quarterfinals.
"AVIS UTILITAS Rapla"
The team from the Estonian city of Rapla, founded in 2004. Vice-champion of Estonia 2017. Last season in LEBL, they stopped one step before the playoffs and gave way "Tartu" to the eighth place, having minus one point in face-to-face matches
"Rakvere Tarvas"
Also, a young club from the city of Rakvere (has been existing since 2006), winner of the Estonian Cup in 2012. "Tarvas" is translated from Estonian as "bison". In the LEBL the team finished second last season having only five wins on the season.
"Tallinn Kalev/Audentes"
"Tallinn Kalev" was the last team of the LEBL preliminary championship. However, a merger with the Audentes sports club was announced in June. The press release about the association states that the goal in the coming season is to compete for medals in both the Latvian-Estonian League and the Estonian Championship and Cup.
"KK Viimsi"
For the club from the town of Vijmsi, last season was the debut in LEBL. And the team immediately became the vice-champion! The team from the suburbs of Tallinn finished the regular championship on the sixth place. In the 1/4 finals, they knocked out the first LEBL champion Ventspils, in the semi-finals - compatriots from the city of Pärnu, but in the game for gold, they lost to VEF Riga without much chance.
Kayla KK
This team debuts in the Latvian-Estonian Basketball League after winning bronze in the first league of Estonia. It’s a real dark horse from the city of Keila. After all, this is, in fact, all that is known about the newcomer of LEBL, which had the status of an amateur club yet last season.
So, as you can see, Prometey is in a very interesting company. Different basketball schools, teams with completely different histories. The oldest clubs are almost 100 years old, there are also those that are just about to come of age, there are yesterday's amateurs, there are yesterday's outsiders who set themselves medal goals this season. So, it will be very interesting!
Let us remind you that the LEBL regular championship will be held in two rounds - the opponents will play with each other at home and away, then the best eight teams will continue the fight in the quarter-final series, the winners of which will advance to the Final Four.
