Venezuelan players join Mexico's professional basketball league

Six Venezuelan basketball players and a Venezuelan coach are set to compete in the 2026 season of Mexico's Liga Nacional de Baloncesto Profesional (LNBP). The move highlights the league's growing appeal to international talent and offers the athletes a high‑level platform during the off‑season of their national competitions.

The players are Anyelo Cisneros and Yeferson Guerra with Mineros de Zacatecas; Franger Pirela and Christians Gutiérrez with Freseros de Irapuato; Michael Carrera with Diablos Rojos de México; and José Ascanio with Astros de Jalisco. Coach Christopher Gutiérrez will lead Irapuato. Carrera, a 2024 champion, and Pirela, a former Real Madrid youth player, bring experience, while the others seek to stay active and boost their chances for the 2027 World Cup qualifiers with the Venezuelan national team.