René Isaias

Lore & Background

The Élite 2 is the second division of the Ligue Nationale de Basket (LNB), which has organized the league since the year 1987. The regular season champion and the winner of the promotion playoffs from each Élite 2 season are promoted to the top-tier level LNB Élite, replaced by the bottom two teams in LNB Élite. The two last placed teams are relegated to the third level, which is the NM1.

In Their Own Story

The lights of the Estadio Azteca hummed as the crowd held its breath. René Isaias received the ball in the center circle, surrounded by three defenders. With a calm that belied the roaring noise, he feinted left, then stepped right, opening a sliver of space. A simple, weighted pass sliced through the defense like a knife, finding the striker for an easy tap-in. The stadium erupted, but Isaias simply pointed to the sky, his signature celebration, before jogging back to restart the flow.

Reader's Guide

All twenty competing teams play each other twice during the regular season. The team that ends in first place in the table is named league champion and promotes to the LNB Élite. The top eight regular season teams, with exception for the league champion, qualify for the promotion playoffs. During the competition, the Leaders Cup tournament is played. The champion of the Leaders Cup automatically qualifies for the playoffs. The winner of the promotion playoffs, which is played with best-of-three playoff series, promotes to the LNB Élite. The bottom two regular season teams are meanwhile relegated to the third tier Nationale Masculine 1 (NM1) league.

Did You Know?

• The Élite 2 has been organized by the LNB since 1987.
• The regular season champion is promoted directly to LNB Élite.
• The promotion playoffs winner also earns promotion to LNB Élite.
• The bottom two teams are relegated to NM1.