Liga Profesional de Baloncesto  The Liga Profesional de Baloncesto (LPB) is the Venezuelan first division national professional basketball league. Founded in 1974 as Liga Especial de Baloncesto, it adopted the name Liga Profesional de Baloncesto in the 1993 season. Marinos are the team with most championships with 11. The winners and runners-up of each LPB season qualify for the FIBA Americas League regular season. The 2018 season was the last played with the name Liga Profesional de Baloncesto: in 2019 a new competition called Copa LPB was played. In late 2019 the president of the Venezuelan Basketball Federation Hanthony Coello announced the creation of a new league called SuperLiga Profesional de Baloncesto; in March 2020 the Venezuelan Basketball Federation announced that the planning of the new league was halted due to the coronavirus pandemic. In 1974 the league was founded as "Liga Especial de Baloncesto" (Special Basketball League). The initiative came from Leonardo Rodríguez, who had come back from the United States in September 1973 and had proposed the creation of a league to Arturo Redondo, the then-president of the Venezuelan Basketball Federation. Before the foundation of this league, which involved teams from all over the country, basketball was practiced at state level. The first edition of the league included four teams: Ahorristas de Caracas, Beverly Hills (also from Caracas), Colosos de Carabobo and Toyotas de Aragua. The first league was won by Ahorristas de Caracas, which defeated Colosos de Carabobo in the championship series, 3–2. The first MVP was American forward Robert Lewis of Colosos de Carabobo. In 1975 two teams joined the league: Panteras del Táchira and Petroleros del Zulia. In 1975, Sam Shepherd of Panteras del Táchira scored a then-record 57 points against Petroleros del Zulia; that season also saw the first LPB All-Star Game. The 1975 league title was won by Colosos de Carabobo, which defeated Panteras del Táchira in the final series. In 1976, two more teams joined: Caribes de Anzoátegui and Universitarios de Mérida. The 1976 season saw the first Venezuelan player to won the MVP trophy: center Ramón Rivero of Panteras del Táchira.