Junior ABA League

{{Infobox basketball league

|name = Junior ABA League

|image =

|pixels =

|caption = ABA2 League Vertical logo

|country = {{Unbulleted list|{{BIH}}|{{HRV}}|{{NMK}}|{{MNE}}|{{SRB}}|{{SVN}}}}

|former names =

|other countries=

|confed = FIBA Europe

|founded = {{Start date and age|2017|7}}

|first = 2017–18

|folded =

|divisions = 2

|teams = 12

|feeds =

|promotion =

|relegation =

|levels = 1st

|pyramid =

|domest_cup =

|supercup =

|confed_cup =

|champions = {{flagicon|SRB}} Mega Basket U19 (2nd title)

|season = 2020–21

|most_champs = 3 titles
{{flagicon|SRB}} Mega Basket U19

|tv =

|website =

|current =

}}

The Junior ABA League, officially known as the U19 ABA League Championship, is a regional boy's youth age basketball tournament that is contested between the youth selections of basketball clubs from the ABA League. It is run by the ABA League JTD. It is a regional competition between men's teams from six countries: Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Serbia and Slovenia.

History

The ABA League Assembly, held on July 24, 2017 in Belgrade, Serbia, decided to organize the Junior League with a desire to strengthen its position as the main power for development of basketball in the region.{{cite web|url=https://www.aba-liga.com/news.php?id=38503|title=The ABA League Second Division will start from the 2017/18 season|publisher=aba-liga.com|date=13 June 2018|access-date=1 August 2017}} On October 26, 2017, participants, hosts and dates for the inaugural tournament was confirmed.{{cite web |title=Beginning of ABA League season meets highest standards, Junior Tournaments system confirmed |url=https://www.aba-liga.com/news.php?id=38986 |website=aba-liga.com |access-date=13 June 2018}}

Mega Bemax became champions of the first-ever U19 ABA League Championship Final Four tournament, which took place in Laktaši in 2018, as they have beaten Crvena zvezda. In 2019, the second Final Four tournament took place in Slavonski Brod, where Cibona became champion beating Crvena zvezda in the final.

On 12 March 2020, the ABA League Assembly temporarily suspended the 2019–20 season due to the COVID-19 pandemic.{{cite web |title=ABA competitions suspended |url=https://www.aba-liga.com/news.php?id=43502 |website=aba-liga.com |access-date=2 April 2020}} On 27 May 2020, the ABA League Assembly canceled indefinitely the season due to the COVID-19 pandemic.{{cite web |title=Conclusions of the ABA League j.t.d. Assembly |url=https://www.aba-liga.com/news.php?id=43575 |website=aba-liga.com |access-date=28 May 2020}}

Finals

class="wikitable"
width=60 |SeasonHost citywidth=200 |Championwidth=200 |Runner-upScorewidth=150 |MVPwidth=180 |Champion's Coach
{{center|2017–18}}{{flagicon|BIH}} Laktaši

| {{flagicon|SRB}} Mega Bemax U19

{{flagicon|SRB}} Crvena zvezda U1982–60

| {{flagicon|GEO}} Goga Bitadze

{{flagicon|SRB}} Vlada Vukoičić
{{center|2018–19}}{{flagicon|HRV}} Slavonski Brod

| {{flagicon|CRO}} Cibona U19

{{flagicon|SRB}} Crvena zvezda U1973–68

| {{flagicon|CRO}} Roko Prkačin

{{flagicon|CRO}} Ivan Juran
{{center|2019–20}}{{flagicon|SRB}} Belgrade

| colspan=3|Canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic

| {{NA|Not awarded}}

{{NA|None}}
{{center|2020–21}}{{flagicon|SRB}} Čajetina

| {{flagicon|SRB}} Mega Soccerbet U19

{{flagicon|MNE}} Budućnost VOLI U1992–83

| {{flagicon|SRB}} Nikola Jović

{{flagicon|SRB}} Dragoljub Avramović
{{center|2021–22}}{{flagicon|SLO}} Ljubljana

| {{flagicon|SRB}} Mega Mozzart U19

{{flagicon|MNE}} SC Derby U1988–74

| {{flagicon|MNE}} Andrija Grbović

{{flagicon|SRB}} Dragoljub Avramović

Records and statistics

= By club =

class="wikitable sortable"
width="150"|Club

! width="80"|Won

! width="80"|Runner-up

!Years won

!Years runner-up

{{flagicon|SRB}} Mega Basket

|{{center|3}}

|{{center|0}}

|2018, 2021, 2022

|—

{{flagicon|CRO}} Cibona

|{{center|1}}

|{{center|0}}

|2019

|—

{{flagicon|SRB}} Crvena zvezda

|{{center|0}}

|{{center|2}}

|—

|2018, 2019

{{flagicon|MNE}} Budućnost

|{{center|0}}

|{{center|1}}

|—

|2021

{{flagicon|MNE}} Studentski centar

|{{center|0}}

|{{center|1}}

|—

|2022

= By country =

class="wikitable sortable"
width="170"|Club / Nation

! width="80"|Won

! width="80"|Runner-up

! width="80"|Finals

{{flag|Serbia}}

|{{center|3}}

|{{center|2}}

|{{center|5}}

{{flag|Croatia}}

|{{center|1}}

|{{center|0}}

|{{center|1}}

{{flag|Montenegro}}

|{{center|0}}

|{{center|2}}

|{{center|2}}

{{flag|Bosnia and Herzegovina}}

|{{center|0}}

|{{center|0}}

|{{center|0}}

{{flag|North Macedonia}}

|{{center|0}}

|{{center|0}}

|{{center|0}}

{{flag|Slovenia}}

|{{center|0}}

|{{center|0}}

|{{center|0}}

Awards

See also

References

{{Reflist}}