FC Barcelona Bàsquet

The basketball team in the FC Barcelona Sports Club was founded in August of 1926, and this makes FC Barcelona the oldest team in Liga ACB. While there were many positive moments for the team before and after the Second World War, the 1960s were a grim decade for the club. However, resurgence took place in the 1980s with the basketball arm of the sports club receiving greater backing and support than it had previously, FC Barcelona Bàsquet have been one of the leading teams playing in the Spanish basketball league and in European tournaments for the past four decades.

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Titles

Barcelona won their very first Spanish title in 1958/59 but this would be the club’s last domestic title until the 1980s but since then, the club has featured at the top of the league in most seasons. The 80s were a boon period for the Catalan club, winning the title in 1980/81, 1982/83, 19867/87, 1987/88, 1988/89 and then again in the 1989/89 campaign. Success in the 90s came in the 1994/95, 1995/96, 1996/97 and 1998/98 seasons.

After the millennium, Barcelona won the league in 2000/01, 2002/03, 2003/04, 2008/09, 2010/11, 2011/12 and again in 2013/14. These 19 domestic titles sees Barcelona in second place with respect to domestic titles (with Real Madrid on 32 titles) and well ahead of Joventut Badalona, their nearest challengers in third place, who have 4 titles to their name.

Such is the dominance of the big two teams in the Spanish basketball league that only 4 other teams have won the league, sharing 9 titles between them.

Spanish Cup

Barcelona has a proud record in the Spanish Cup, winning it on 23 occasions. It was this cup that gave Barcelona much of their early success, and the team triumphed in 1943, 1945, 1946, 1947, 1949, 1950 and in 1959, this last triumph seeing the Catalan club take a double.

Another run of great success occurred in the 70s and 80s as Barcelona won the cup in 1978, 1980, 1981, 1982 and in 1983, helping the team to another two doubles. Two Spanish Cup successes followed in the 90s, in 1991 and 1994 while the team has also win the Spanish Cup in 2001, 2003, 2007, 2010, 2011 and in 2013, a run which brought another three doubles to Catalonia.

Barcelona have also won the Spanish Supercup on 6 occasions, in 1987/88, 2004, 2009, 2010, 2011 and in 2015.

European glory

The club’s domestic record has been added to with two Euroleague wins, although Barcelona lost out in five finals in the 80s and 90s. The club’s terrible run of form in Euroleague finals was broken in 2002/03 and the club tasted success once again in the 2009/10 season.

• 2002/03 FC Barcelona 76 – Benetton Treviso 65
• 2009/10 FC Barcelona 86 – Olympiacos 68

Barcelona has also triumphed twice in the FIBA Saporta Cup and the FIBA Korac Cup, making them one of the few basketball teams who have triumphed in the three leading European basketball tournaments.

Saporta Cup

The Saporta Cup was the second-tier European tournament for basketball clubs, for teams that won their own domestic cup, and Barcelona’s success in the Saporta up came in the mid-80s when they won in 1984/85 and again in the following season, 1985/86. These triumphs came after a loss in the 1980/81 final.

• 1984/85 FC Barcelona 77 – Zalgiris Kaunas 73
• 1985/86 FC Barcelona 101 – Scavolini Pesaro 86

Korać Cup

The Korac Cup was the third-tier European tournament for basketball clubs and Barcelona’s triumphs came in 1986/87 (marking a third consecutive year of European success) and 1998/99, while the team also lost in the 1974/75 final.

• 1986/87 FC Barcelona 203 – Limoges 171 (106-85 and 97-86)
• 1998/99 FC Barcelona 174 – Adecco Estudiantes 163 (77-93 and 97-70)

Barcelona also won the Intercontinental Cup, triumphing against Monte Líbano of Brazil by a score of 93-89 in 1985. Barcelona also lost in the 1987 Intercontinental Cup final, losing 100-84 to Tracer Milano. Also in 1987, the Catalan club won the European Super Cup and claimed a Triple Crown in 2003 thanks to their lifting of the Spanish league, the Spanish Cup and the Euroleague.

Catalan titles

There is also no disguising the fact that FC Barcelona is extremely proud of their Catalan roots and their role in spreading awareness of Catalonia. The club, as of the end of the 2014/15 campaign, had won 9 Catalan Leagues and 19 Catalan Cups. The Catalan League disbanded in the 1950s with the emergence of the Spanish league but the Catalan Cup is still played for, with FC Barcelona winning the trophy in 2015. This tournament has been running since 1980 and FC Barcelona have appeared in the final 31 times. 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999 and 2007 are the only times in the 36 finals that Barcelona didn’t feature.

Palau Blaugrana

The Palau Blaugrana, which translates into the “Blue and Deep Red Palace” is the home of the basketball, handball, roller hockey and futsal teams of the FC Barcelona Sports Club. The capacity holds 7,585 and it lies in between the Camp Nou and the Mini Estadi. The venue was originally built in 1971 but benefitted from renovations in the early 90s.

Games against NBA opposition

Barcelona has come up against NBA opposition on 7 occasions and they hold a 3-4 record. In 1989, FC Barcelona lost 103-137 to the Denver Nuggets in Rome and in 2003; Barcelona lost at home 80-91 to the Memphis Grizzlies. Barcelona’s first win against NBA opposition came in 2006, with a 104-99 home win against the Philadelphia 76ers.

Barcelona’s next two games against NBA opposition were held in the Staples Centre in Los Angeles in California. In 2008, the Catalan club lost 108-104 to the Los Angeles Lakers and then on the following day, FC Barcelona lost 114-109 to the Los Angeles Clippers.

In 2010, Barcelona gained a measure of revenge with a 92-88 home win against the Lakers and then in 2012, Barcelona defeated the Dallas Mavericks 99-85 in Barcelona.

Notable players

One of the most notable players in FC Barcelona history has to be Juan Carlos Navarro who was hailed the ACB MVP in 2006 and the Euroleague MVP in 2009. Navarro has also made the All-ACB team on four occasions. Juan Antonio San Epifanio holds the record for most games played, most minutes played and most career points scored with FC Barcelona while Navarro holds the record of most assists.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sen9q50bc70

Present squad

In the 2015/16 season, Navarro still has a part to play but key players week-in and week-out include Ante Tomic, Justin Doellman, Alex Abrines and Pau Ribas.

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