Semaine des As
 |
|
| Sport | Basketball |
|---|---|
| Founded | 2003 |
| No. of teams | 8 |
| Country |
 France
|
| Continent |
 Europe
|
| Most recent champion(s) |
Monaco (2nd title) |
| Most titles |
Pau-Orthez (4 titles) |
| TV partner(s) | Sport+ |
| Related competitions |
LNB Pro A French Cup Match des Champions |
| Official website | LNB.fr (French) |
The Leaders Cup is an annual cup competition for French professional basketball teams. Created in 2003, it is organized by the Ligue Nationale de Basketball (LNB), which also organizes the top two division French basketball leagues (Pro A, and Pro B).
Inspired by the Spanish Copa del Rey, the Final Eight format has always been used. At the end of the first half of the regular season, the top eight teams (or the top seven teams and the tournament's host team) from the first division French LNB Pro A League qualify. The eight teams play-off at one venue over four days, eventually producing a winner. The Final Eight is one of the highlights of the French basketball calendar. The winner of the competition is entitled to a spot to compete at the FIBA Europe EuroChallenge competition.
The Tournoi des As (Tournament of Aces) is the ancestor competition of the current Semaine des As from 1988 to 1993. At the end of the season, the 4 top teams from the French League qualified. Over 2 days competition, the first of the regular season was opposed to the fourth and the second to the third through semi-finals games. The 2 losing teams of the first day would meet for the third place spot while the two semi-finals winner would compete for the title.
Interrupted for ten years, the cup is returning in 2003 and is largely inspired from the Spanish Copa del Rey format. The first edition was organised in Pau, France. The competition is traditionally organized in February and the top eight teams at the end of half-season play-off over four days. The competition has often been highly disputed, producing a different winner every year except in 2009, when Le Mans won its second title, after the 2006 edition.
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Wikipedia