Gathered in general assembly this Monday, the LNB recorded the calendar of the end of the season for the Jeep Elite and the Pro B. From April 1, French basketball will return to a normal rhythm.
In 2021, there will be a French basketball champion! To avoid a new white season because of the health context, the clubs voted overwhelmingly in favor of continuing the Jeep Elite despite the imposed closed session. Whether the public returns to the theaters or not, the LNB recorded the calendar for the end of the season during a general assembly held this Monday morning. “We had a consultation with the presidents. The general assembly was very quick with votes over 90% -95%. Even behind closed doors, the Jeep Elite and the Pro B must go to the end as soon as the international window has ended and the players return to the clubs, ”explained Alain Béral, the president of the LNB, at a press conference. The championships will therefore resume on the weekend of March 7.
A Final 8 over three days to designate the new champion
To go to the end of the Jeep Elite and Pro B championships before June 15, the date of departure for international players in the selection, the pace will be high. The clubs will play at least four games in March, two at home and two away. From April 1, there will be no more restriction to allow the sequence of meetings. “Many clubs have even positioned themselves to play more in March,” said the president of the LNB. At the end of the regular seasons which must end before mid-June, we will know the two Pro B clubs who will be promoted to the upper floor and the residents of Jeep Elite who will be qualified for European competitions.. To discover the identity of the new champion of France, it will be necessary to wait a few more days. Despite the absence of international players, the first division clubs wanted a Final 8 to be held after June 15. The first eight of the regular season will meet on neutral ground in a unique place still unknown to compete for the title over three days.
Twenty matches for each club and concerns for the European teams
After having spared the finances of professional clubs by organizing as few games behind closed doors as possible since the start of the season, a strategy that authorities have welcomed, the need to resume full time has taken over. While the exact end-of-season schedule won’t be released until later today, it should be very dense. In a little over three months, each Jeep Elite and Pro B club will have to play around 20 games. A real challenge, especially for the teams still involved in European competitions and who have to observe a score of people returning from trips outside the European Union. In this context, the signing of an additional medical joker will be authorized. There have been many upgrades since September and the start of the season, but once summer arrives, the Jeep Elite will have a new champion.
