{{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 Junior ABA League|2017–18]] |folded = |divisions = 2 |teams = 12 |feeds = |promotion = |relegation = |levels = 1st |pyramid = |domest_cup = |supercup = |confed_cup = |champions = {{flagicon|SRB}} [[KK Mega Basket|Mega Basket U19]] (2nd title) |season = [[2020–21 Junior ABA League|2020–21]] |most_champs = 3 titles<br>{{flagicon|SRB}} [[KK Mega Basket|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 [[Yugoslavia|regional]] competition between men's teams from six countries: [[Bosnia and Herzegovina]], [[Croatia]], [[Montenegro]], [[North Macedonia]], [[Serbia]] and [[Slovenia]].
== History == The [[ABA League JTD|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.<ref name=aba1>{{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}}</ref> On October 26, 2017, participants, hosts and dates for the [[2017–18 Junior ABA League|inaugural tournament]] was confirmed.<ref name="j-aba2">{{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}}</ref>
[[KK Mega Basket|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 [[KK Crvena zvezda (youth)|Crvena zvezda]]. In 2019, the second Final Four tournament took place in [[Slavonski Brod]], where [[KK Cibona|Cibona]] became champion beating Crvena zvezda in the final.
On 12 March 2020, the [[ABA League JTD|ABA League Assembly]] temporarily suspended the [[2019–20 Junior ABA League|2019–20 season]] due to the [[COVID-19 pandemic in Europe|COVID-19 pandemic]].<ref>{{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}}</ref> On 27 May 2020, the ABA League Assembly canceled indefinitely the season due to the COVID-19 pandemic.<ref>{{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}}</ref>
== Finals == {| class="wikitable" |- ! width=60 |Season !! Host city !! width=200 |Champion !! width=200 |Runner-up !! Score !! width=150 |[[Junior ABA League MVP|MVP]] !! width=180 |Champion's Coach |- | {{center|[[2017–18 Junior ABA League|2017–18]]}} || {{flagicon|BIH}} [[Laktaši]] | {{flagicon|SRB}} '''[[KK Mega Basket|Mega Bemax U19]]''' || {{flagicon|SRB}} [[KK Crvena zvezda (youth)|Crvena zvezda U19]] || 82–60 | {{flagicon|GEO}} [[Goga Bitadze]] || {{flagicon|SRB}} [[Vlada Vukoičić]] |- | {{center|[[2018–19 Junior ABA League|2018–19]]}} || {{flagicon|HRV}} [[Slavonski Brod]] | {{flagicon|CRO}} '''[[KK Cibona|Cibona U19]]''' || {{flagicon|SRB}} [[KK Crvena zvezda (youth)|Crvena zvezda U19]] || 73–68 | {{flagicon|CRO}} [[Roko Prkačin]] || {{flagicon|CRO}} Ivan Juran |- | {{center|[[2019–20 Junior ABA League|2019–20]]}} || {{flagicon|SRB}} [[Belgrade]] | colspan=3|'''Canceled''' due to the [[COVID-19 pandemic in Europe|COVID-19 pandemic]] | {{NA|Not awarded}} || {{NA|None}} |- | {{center|[[2020–21 Junior ABA League|2020–21]]}} || {{flagicon|SRB}} [[Čajetina]] | {{flagicon|SRB}} '''[[KK Mega Basket|Mega Soccerbet U19]]''' || {{flagicon|MNE}} [[KK Budućnost|Budućnost VOLI U19]] || 92–83 | {{flagicon|SRB}} [[Nikola Jović]] || {{flagicon|SRB}} [[Dragoljub Avramović]] |- | {{center|[[2021–22 Junior ABA League|2021–22]]}} || {{flagicon|SLO}} [[Ljubljana]] | {{flagicon|SRB}} '''[[KK Mega Basket|Mega Mozzart U19]]''' || {{flagicon|MNE}} [[SC Derby|SC Derby U19]] || 88–74 | {{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}} [[KK Mega Basket|Mega Basket]] |{{center|3}} |{{center|0}} |2018, 2021, 2022 |— |- | {{flagicon|CRO}} [[KK Cibona|Cibona]] |{{center|1}} |{{center|0}} |2019 |— |- | {{flagicon|SRB}} [[KK Crvena zvezda (youth)|Crvena zvezda]] |{{center|0}} |{{center|2}} |— |2018, 2019 |- | {{flagicon|MNE}} [[KK Budućnost|Budućnost]] |{{center|0}} |{{center|1}} |— |2021 |- | {{flagicon|MNE}} [[KK Studentski centar|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 == * [[Junior ABA League Ideal Starting Five|Ideal Starting Five]] * [[Junior ABA League MVP|Most Valuable Player ]]
==See also== * [[Euroleague Basketball Next Generation Tournament]] * [[VTB United Youth League]]
==References== {{Reflist}}
==External links== * [https://www.aba-liga.com/newslist.php?cat=Junior Junior Adriatic League] * [https://www.eurobasket.com/Adriatic-League/basketball.aspx Adriatic League page at Eurobasket.com]
{{Adriatic League}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:ABA Junior}} [[Category:U19 ABA League Championship| ]] [[Category:2017 establishments in Europe]] [[Category:Sports leagues established in 2017]] [[Category:Under-19 basketball competitions between national teams|ABA]] [[Category:ABA League|junior]]