In 1993, the Campeonato Panamericano de Clubes de Básquetbol was created as the top tierPan American tournament, running from 1993 until 2000. In December 2007, the FIBA Americas League was introduced to occupy this level of competition. The FIBA Americas League was formed in 2007, as a professional intercontinental men's basketball club competition, under the organization of FIBA Americas, with the goal of creating a world-class top level multinational basketball league in the Americas region. The league was modeled after the EuroLeague, Europe's top-tier level multinational club basketball league. The main reason for creating the league was the promotion and growth of the sport, and the increased level of competition that would come from the creation of a multinational super league in the FIBA Americas region. Another one of the main goals in the creation of the league was to eventually revive the dormant FIBA Intercontinental Cup, so that clubs from the FIBA Americas region could once again directly compete against top EuroLeague teams in official games, and so that an official world cup championship could once again be contested. FIBA World decided to revive the FIBA Intercontinental Cup in 2013, deciding that the champions of the FIBA Americas League would play against the champions of the EuroLeague, to decide on the world club champion. It was then decided by FIBA World that the tournament would be played every year from then on for the foreseeable future. Since 2016, the FIBA Americas League champions play against the champions of one of the two European second-tier level competitions, the FIBA Champions League. Another goal in creating the league was to form a league system of teams that could form a partnership with the EuroLeague and NBA on playing friendly games during the preseason, in the same way that the EuroLeague and NBA teams were already playing against each other during the preseason. This was finally realized in the 2014–15 preseason, when teams from the FIBA Americas League played against teams from both the EuroLeague and the NBA.
Names of the top-tier level Pan American competition
* Campeonato Panamericano de Clubes de Básquetbol :
FIBA Americas era:
* FIBA Americas League:
Format
Under the original format, 16 participating clubs were divided in four groups, of four teams each. The top two clubs of each group qualified for the quarterfinals. The quarterfinals winners then played a four-team group stage, in a yet to be determined host city. Under the current format, the 16 participating clubs are divided in four groups, of four teams each. The top two clubs of each group qualify for the semifinals. The semifinals winners qualify to play at the FIBA Americas League Final 4, in a yet to be determined host city. The final four format was held for the first time in 2014. The last game of the tournament is called the Grand Final.
