Top Basketball Leagues to Follow in 2026

Top Basketball Leagues to Follow this Year

If you’ve ever watched international basketball tournaments, you might have wondered where all the players come from. It may come as a bit of a surprise to learn that there are professional basketball leagues all over the world, most of which you can wager on. In this piece, we are going to quickly talk about 10 leagues that you can watch in 2026, so let’s get right to it.

Top 10 Professional Basketball Leagues in 2026

Below is a breakdown of the top basketball leagues to follow this year, including domestic powerhouses and elite international competitions:

NBA – Obviously, the NBA needs no introduction, as it sits at the top of the professional pyramid. The NBA is home to the best players in the world, with 30 teams battling it out to get to the Finals for a chance at the NBA Championship. This is where the best of the best play, but there is certainly a pathway to the NBA from some of the other leagues that we are going to talk about now.

EuroLeague (Europe) – If you follow soccer, then the best way that we can describe the EuroLeague is that it is similar to the Champions League. The best teams in Europe play in this league, and it is not uncommon to see former NBA players playing with some of the bigger teams. The EuroLeague is easily the most popular basketball league outside of the NBA.

Spanish Liga ACB – In terms of domestic leagues, the Spanish Liga is considered to be the cream of the crop. Real Madrid and Barcelona are the top teams in the Spanish Liga and quite commonly serve as feeder clubs for talented players heading to the NBA. If you want to watc top prospects play, this is what you should be watching.

Turkish Basketball Super League (BSL) – This league has risen in prominence in recent years thanks to heavy financial investments. It is now easily one of the top domestic leagues in the world and frequently feeds teams into the EuroLeague. Again, it is not unusual to see a lot of former NBA players playing in the Turkish League.

Australian NBL – Next up, we head Down Under for another domestic basketball league that sits at the top of the second-tier level of pro basketball. The NBL plays year round and is quickly becoming a great source of talent for both the NBA Draft and G League.

French Betclic Elite (LNB Pro A) – In recent years, we have seen a lot of top prospects come out of the top league in France. The most well known of that batch is almost certainly Victor Wembanyama, and while he is the biggest star, he will almost certainly not be the last player we see coming out of France.

VTB United League (Eastern Europe) – If you are looking for a more physical form of basketball, you might well get a kick out of the VTB United League. This one feature teams from Russia and neighboring countries. The style of play here is different, which is what makes it all the more interesting.

German Basketball Bundesliga (BBL) – Again, there are a couple of teams that routinely come out of the domestic German league and into EuroLeague and EuroCup. Bayern Munich and Alba Berlin are perhaps the best known of the bunch. This is a solid alternative for basketball fans looking for quality games coming out of Europe.

Italian Lega Basket Serie A (LBA) – In terms of age, the LBA serves as one of the oldest professional basketball leagues in Europe. Again, this league very often sends teams to the EuroLeague, with the likes of Olimpia Milano and Virtus Bologna among the most talented and successful.

Chinese CBA (bonus mention) – The Chinese league is a little more difficult to find data on, as well as also being difficult to find places to watch. If you can find it, though, you will once again see a lot of former NBA players still playing and performing at a high level.

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