Korvpalli Meistriliiga

The Korvpalli Meistriliiga (KML), known as the PAF Korvpalli Meistriliiga for sponsorship reasons, is the top-tier men's basketball league in Estonia. The league is organized by the Estonian Basketball Association and played under FIBA rules.

Korvpalli Meistriliiga

Founded	1925; 100 years ago (1925)
First season	1925
Country	Estonia
Confederation	FIBA Europe
Number of teams	8
Level on pyramid	1
Relegation to	I liiga
Domestic cup(s)	Estonian Cup
International cup(s)	Champions League FIBA Europe Cup
Current champions	BC Kalev/Cramo (14th title) (2023–24)
Most championships	Tartu Ülikool (26 titles)
TV partners	Delfi TV, Inspira
Website	basket.ee
2023–24

The competition was founded in 1925. From the 1998–99 season until the end of the 2001–02 season the league was organized by the Eesti Korvpalliklubide Assotsiatsioon (English: Estonian Basketball Clubs' Association). As of the 2018–19 season, Estonian-Latvian Basketball League regular season games count towards the KML standings, followed by KML Play-offs. The most successful team in the competition is Tartu Ülikool (University of Tartu), with 26 titles.^[1] BC Kalev/Cramo are the defending league champions.

History

Names of the competition

• 1994–1998: Eesti Meeste Korvpalliliiga (EMKL)
• 1998–2002: Eesti Korvpalliklubide Assotsiatsioon (EKKA)
• 2002–present: Korvpalli Meistriliiga (KML)

Title sponsorship

• 2002–2004: Peugeot Korvpalli Meistriliiga
• 2004–2009: Ühispanga/SEB Korvpalli Meistriliiga
• 2009–2013: G4S Korvpalli Meistriliiga
• 2013–2018: Alexela Korvpalli Meistriliiga
• 2018–2019: OlyBet Korvpalli Meistriliiga
• 2019–present: PAF Korvpalli Meistriliiga

Current teams

BC Kalev/Cramo
TalTech

Pärnu

Tartu Ülikool

Rapla

Viimsi

Keila Coolbet
Keila KK

Location of teams in 2024–25 KML

Team	Home city	Arena	Capacity
BC Kalev/Cramo	Tallinn	Tondiraba Sports Center	7,700[2]
		Kalev Sports Hall	1,700[3]
Keila Coolbet	Keila	Keila Health Center	800[4]
Keila KK
Pärnu Sadam	Pärnu	Pärnu Sports Hall	1,820[5]
TalTech/ALEXELA	Tallinn	TalTech Sports Hall	1,000[6]
Tartu Ülikool Maks & Moorits	Tartu	University of Tartu Sports Hall	2,600[7]
Utilitas Rapla	Rapla	Sadolin Sports Hall	958[8]
Viimsi	Haabneeme	Forus Sports Center	500[9]

Title holders

• 1925: Tallinna Sport
• 1927: Tallinna Kalev
• 1928: Tallinna Vitjas
• 1929: Tallinna Russ
• 1930: Tallinna Kalev
• 1931: Tallinna Kalev
• 1932: Tallinna Russ
• 1933: Tallinna Russ
• 1934: Tartu NMKÜ
• 1935: Tallinna NMKÜ
• 1936: Tartu NMKÜ
• 1937: Tartu NMKÜ
• 1938: Tartu EASK
• 1939: Tartu EASK
• 1940: Tartu EASK
• 1941: Tallinna Dünamo
• 1942: Tartu Kalev
• 1944 Summer: Tartu Kalev
• 1944 Winter: Tallinna Kalev
• 1945: Tallinna Kalev
• 1946: Tallinna Kalev
• 1947: Tallinna Kalev
• 1948: Tartu ÜSK
• 1949: Tartu ÜSK
• 1950: Tartu ÜSK
• 1951: Tartu ÜSK
• 1952: Tartu ÜSK
• 1953: Tallinna Kalev
• 1954: Tallinna Kalev
• 1955: Tallinna Kalev
• 1956: TRÜ
• 1957: EPA
• 1958: TRÜ
• 1959: TRÜ
• 1960: EPA
• 1961: TPI I
• 1962: TPI I
• 1963: TPI I
• 1964: TPI I
• 1965: TPI I
• 1966: TPI I
• 1967: Tallinna Kalev
• 1968: Tallinna Kalev
• 1969: TRÜ
• 1970: TRÜ
• 1971: Tallinna Kalev
• 1972: TRÜ
• 1973: TRÜ
• 1974: Harju KEK
• 1975: TRÜ
• 1976: TRÜ
• 1977: TRÜ
• 1977–78: TRÜ
• 1978–79: Harju KEK
• 1980: Standard
• 1981: Metallist
• 1981–82: Standard
• 1982–83: Standard
• 1983–84: TPI I
• 1984–85: TPI I
• 1985–86: Standard
• 1986–87: Standard
• 1987–88: Standard
• 1988–89: Standard
• 1989–90: Standard
• 1990–91: Asto
• 1991–92: BC Kalev
• 1992–93: BC Rafter
• 1993–94: Asto
• 1994–95: BC Kalev/Auma
• 1995–96: BC Kalev
• 1996–97: BC Tallinn
• 1997–98: BC Kalev
• 1998–99: BC Tallinn
• 1999–00: Tartu Ülikool-Delta
• 2000–01: Tartu Ülikool-Delta
• 2001–02: Tallinna Kalev
• 2002–03: Tallinna Kalev
• 2003–04: TÜ/Rock
• 2004–05: Ehitustööriist
• 2005–06: BC Kalev/Cramo
• 2006–07: TÜ/Rock
• 2007–08: TÜ/Rock
• 2008–09: BC Kalev/Cramo
• 2009–10: TÜ/Rock
• 2010–11: BC Kalev/Cramo
• 2011–12: BC Kalev/Cramo
• 2012–13: BC Kalev/Cramo
• 2013–14: BC Kalev/Cramo
• 2014–15: TÜ/Rock
• 2015–16: BC Kalev/Cramo
• 2016–17: BC Kalev/Cramo
• 2017–18: BC Kalev/Cramo
• 2018–19: BC Kalev/Cramo
• 2019–20: Cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
• 2020–21: BC Kalev/Cramo
• 2021–22: Pärnu Sadam
• 2022–23: BC Kalev/Cramo
• 2023–24: BC Kalev/Cramo

Finals

Season	Champion	Series	Runner-up	Champion's coach	Finals MVP
1992–93	BC Rafter	2–0	Asto	Riho Soonik	Not awarded
1993–94	Asto	2–1	Baltika	Jaanus Levkoi
1994–95	BC Kalev/Auma	3–1	BC Tallinn	Jaak Salumets
1995–96	BC Kalev	3–0	KK Tartu	Jaak Salumets
1996–97	BC Tallinn	3–1	Baltika	Üllar Kerde
1997–98	BC Kalev	3–1	BC Tallinn	Maarten van Gent
1998–99	BC Tallinn	3–0	Nybit	Üllar Kerde
1999–00	Tartu Ülikool-Delta	3–0	Tallinna Kalev	Teet Laur
2000–01	Tartu Ülikool-Delta	3–0	Tallinna Ülikoolid-A. Le Coq	Jüri Neissaar
2001–02	Tallinna Kalev	3–2	Tartu Rock	Üllar Kerde
2002–03	Tallinna Kalev	4–2	TTÜ/A. Le Coq	Andres Sõber
2003–04	TÜ/Rock	4–2	EBS/Nybit	Tõnu Lust
2004–05	Ehitustööriist	4–3	TÜ/Rock	Allan Dorbek
2005–06	BC Kalev/Cramo	4–3	TÜ/Rock	Aivar Kuusmaa	James Williams
2006–07	TÜ/Rock	4–2	Tallinna BC Kalev/Cramo	Algirdas Brazys	Tanel Tein
2007–08	TÜ/Rock	4–0	Tallinna BC Kalev/Cramo	Üllar Kerde	Brian Cusworth
2008–09	BC Kalev/Cramo	4–2	TÜ/Rock	Nenad Vučinić	Kristjan Kangur
2009–10	TÜ/Rock	4–2	BC Rakvere Tarvas	Indrek Visnapuu	Janar Talts
2010–11	BC Kalev/Cramo	4–0	TÜ/Rock	Aivar Kuusmaa	Armands Šķēle
2011–12	BC Kalev/Cramo	4–0	Tartu Ülikool	Aivar Kuusmaa	Tanel Sokk
2012–13	BC Kalev/Cramo	4–0	TÜ/Rock	Alar Varrak	Tanel Sokk
2013–14	BC Kalev/Cramo	4–0	TÜ/Rock	Alar Varrak	Vlad Moldoveanu
2014–15	TÜ/Rock	4–1	BC Kalev/Cramo	Gert Kullamäe	Tanel Kurbas
2015–16	BC Kalev/Cramo	4–1	TÜ/Rock	Alar Varrak	Rolands Freimanis
2016–17	BC Kalev/Cramo	4–0	AVIS UTILITAS Rapla	Alar Varrak	Branko Mirković
2017–18	BC Kalev/Cramo	4–0	Tartu Ülikool	Donaldas Kairys	Kristjan Kangur
2018–19	BC Kalev/Cramo	3–0	Tallinna Kalev/TLÜ	Donaldas Kairys	Branko Mirković
2019–20	Not held due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
2020–21	BC Kalev/Cramo	3–1	Pärnu Sadam	Roberts Štelmahers	Chavaughn Lewis
2021–22	Pärnu Sadam	3–0	Tartu Ülikool Maks & Moorits	Heiko Rannula	Andris Misters
2022–23	BC Kalev/Cramo	3–0	Tartu Ülikool Maks & Moorits	Heiko Rannula	Oleksandr Kovliar
2023–24	BC Kalev/Cramo	3–0	Tartu Ülikool Maks & Moorits	Heiko Rannula	Ben Shungu

Titles by team

Team	Titles	Champion years
Tartu Ülikool[a]	26	1938, 1939, 1940, 1948, 1949, 1950, 1951, 1952, 1956, 1958, 1959, 1969, 1970, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1976, 1977, 1978, 2000, 2001, 2004, 2007, 2008, 2010, 2015
Tallinna Kalev[b]	20	1927, 1930, 1931, 1944[c], 1945, 1946, 1947, 1953, 1954, 1955, 1967, 1968, 1971, 1992, 1993, 1995, 1996, 1998, 2002, 2003
BC Kalev/Cramo[d]	14	2005, 2006, 2009, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2021, 2023, 2024
TPI	8	1961, 1962, 1963, 1964, 1965, 1966, 1984, 1985
Standard	8	1980, 1982, 1983, 1986, 1987, 1988, 1989, 1990
Tallinna Russ	4	1928, 1929, 1932, 1933
TTÜ-A. Le Coq[e]	4	1991, 1994, 1997, 1999
Tartu NMKÜ	3	1934, 1936, 1937
Tartu Kalev	2	1942, 1944[f]
EMÜ[g]	2	1957, 1960
Harju KEK	2	1974, 1979
Tallinna Sport	1	1925
Tallinna NMKÜ	1	1935
Tallinna Dünamo	1	1941
Metallist	1	1981
Pärnu Sadam	1	2022

1. Includes results as Tartu EASK, Tartu ÜSK and TRÜ
2. Folded in 2005
3. Winter tournament
4. Includes results as Ehitustööriist
5. Includes results as Asto and BC Tallinn
6. Summer tournament
7. Includes results as EPA

Awards

• KML Most Valuable Player Award
• KML Finals Most Valuable Player Award
• KML Best Defender Award
• KML Best Young Player Award
• KML Coach of the Year Award
• KML All-Star Five

See also

• Estonian-Latvian Basketball League
• Estonian Basketball Cup

References

1. "Kullaklubi". Basket.ut.ee (in Estonian). Retrieved 1 July 2023.
2. "Tondiraba Jäähall". spordiregister.ee (in Estonian). Retrieved 31 August 2023.
3. "Kalevi Spordihall". spordiregister.ee (in Estonian). Retrieved 31 August 2023.
4. "Keila Tervisekeskus". spordiregister.ee (in Estonian). Retrieved 31 August 2023.
5. "Pärnu Spordihall". spordiregister.ee (in Estonian). Retrieved 31 August 2023.
6. "Tallinna Tehnikaülikooli spordihoone". spordiregister.ee (in Estonian). Retrieved 31 August 2023.
7. "Tartu Ülikooli Spordihoone". spordiregister.ee (in Estonian). Retrieved 31 August 2023.
8. "Sadolin Spordihoone". spordiregister.ee (in Estonian). Retrieved 31 August 2023.
9. "FORUS Spordikeskus Viimsi". spordiregister.ee (in Estonian). Retrieved 31 August 2023.

External links

• Official website