The MBA shield is the second oldest competition of the Malta Basketball Association after the league and the knock-out competition.

The first edition was carried out in the season 1986/87. Traditionally it is the competition that opens the basketball season year after year although it's final games has in the recent years been transferred to a later date.

However the tradition that the first game of the season is from the MBA shield competition is still kept.

Back in the years of its origin, clubs used the MBA shield to do their final tunings especially in the period of years when the foreign player played in Malta.

Two years after the start of the men's competition the women's Shield was also introduced and nowadays there's also the second division shield. As the name confirms the winner takes a trophy in the form of a shield which is kept for one year.

The MBA shield was always played since 1986 with the exception of year 2003. That season the MBA was passing from a terrible experience due to extreme flooding at Ta’ Qali and due to time constraints, this competition was not held.

Since the beginning of the MBA shield seven different teams won this competition. Luxol are the team that won it most - seven times followed by Siggiewi, Pembroke and Paola Stars who won this for four times.

Paola Stars in fact won the first four editions consecutively and in season 1990/91 Luxol won their first of three consecutive victories.

Sliema Juventus won the 1993/94 followed by Siggiewi. Another different team won the 1995/96 shield – Depiro followed again by Siggiewi and two times Pembroke.

Luxol won the 1999/2000 shield with Hamrun, Pembroke and Siggiewi winning the other three before the flooding year.

Luxol twice, Pembroke and Siggiewi won the last four editions.

In the women's competition, 6 different teams won the MBA shield. Floriana won the first two followed by Luxol and again Floriana. Luxol, Hibs and Birkirkara won the next three editions before three consecutive wins again by Hibs.

Naxxar interrupted this streak however Hibs re-won the shield in the successive season followed by Depiro. Hibs and the Depiro shared the honors in the last editions.