Real Madrid Baloncesto (English: Real Madrid Basketball) is a Spanish professional basketball club that was founded in 1931, as a division of the Real Madrid CFmulti sports club. They play domestically in the Liga ACB, and internationally in the EuroLeague.
Similarly to the Real Madrid athletic association's football club, the basketball team has been the most successful of its peers in both Spain and Europe. Real Madrid CF is the only European sports club to have become the European champions in both football and basketball in the same season.
For at least half a century, Madrid has been a standard-bearer in European basketball, accumulating a record ten continental titles, based on its dominance in the 1960s. Its early dominance in Spain has resulted in another untouchable cache of 36 national domestic league and 28 national cup trophies. And almost every time that Madrid did not play in Europe's top-tier level competition, it won a different continental trophy – four Saporta Cups, a Korać Cup, and a ULEB Cup – as a stepping-stone back to the big time.
Real Madrid won the 1992 Saporta Cup trophy against PAOK, on a buzzer-beating jumper by Rickey Brown. It was not until Sabonis arrived in Madrid, when Real won its eighth EuroLeague title in 1995, by beating Olympiacosin the final. Madrid next won the 1997 Saporta Cup title against Verona, but no more European-wide trophies came for the club in the next decade.
Madrid still found success at home, winning Spanish League titles in 2000 and 2005. It all changed in 2007, when Joan Plaza was promoted to the club's head coach position. With the help of players like Louis Bullock, Felipe Reyes, and Álex Mumbrú, Madrid added a new trophy to its roll of honours, the ULEB Cup, as it won 12 of its last 13 games and downed Lietuvos Rytas by a score of 75–87 in the 2007 ULEB Cup Final. Moreover, Madrid finished in 2nd place in the 2006–07 Spanish League regular season, and stayed strong in its play in Palacio Vistalegre during the Spanish league playoffs; they lifted the club's 30th national league trophy by besting their arch-rivals, Winterthur FC Barcelona, 3–1 in the Spanish League title series in 2007.
2011–2022: Pablo Laso era
Sergio Llull grew as a player under Laso to become one of the most valuable ACB guards[1]
On 17 May 2015, after waiting 20 years to win another EuroLeague championship, Real Madrid won the 2015 EuroLeague championship against Olympiacos. Madrid's Andrés Nocioni was named the Final Four MVP. This title was called La Novena.[2] Following the EuroLeague title, the 2014–15 ACB season's championship was also won by Real. Because Real also won the national Spanish Cup and the national Spanish Supercup that season, the club won its first "Quadruble crown".[3]
On 27 September 2015, 34 years after their last FIBA Intercontinental Cup title, Real Madrid won their fifth FIBA Intercontinental Cup trophy, after defeating the Brazilian League club Bauru. Sergio Llull was named the MVP of the tournament. Real Madrid thus made it a record five FIBA Intercontinental Cup titles won, and with the Intercontinental Cup title.
On 20 May 2018, Real Madrid conquered again the EuroLeague, achieving their tenth title ever. The considered major leader of the team that season would be a Slovenian guard/forward named Luka Dončić, who became the designated MVP of the EuroLeague on all accounts at 19 years old.
On 5 June 2022, Pablo Laso suffered a heart attack.[4][5] Exactly one month later, Real Madrid parted ways with him citing "medical reasons exclusively" and adding that keeping him as a coach in his health condition would have been "a risk that this institution cannot assume".[6][7] Laso left Real Madrid as one of the greatest coaches in the club's history, having won 22 titles, which ties him with Lolo Sainz in the second place for most trophies won with Real Madrid, only behind Pedro Ferrándiz with 27. Laso is also the coach who has managed the most games for Madrid (860), having won 659 of them. He was succeeded at Real Madrid's helm by his assistant Chus Mateo.[8]
Arvydas Romas Sabonis is a Lithuanian former professional basketball player and businessman. Recognized as one of the best European players of all time and one of the best big-man passers in the history of the game, he won the Euroscar six times and the Mr. Europa Award twice. He played in a variety of leagues, including the Spanish ACB League, and spent seven seasons in the National Basketball Association (NBA). Playing the center position, Sabonis won a gold medal at the 1988 Summer Olympics, in South Korea, for the Soviet Union, and later earned bronze medals at the 1992 Olympic Games and 1996 Olympic Games representing Lithuania. He retired from professional basketball in 2005. Sabonis was selected by the Portland Trail Blazers in the first round of the 1986 NBA draft, but he did not play his first NBA game until 1995, at the age of 30.
Club Deportivo Saski-Baskonia, S.A.D commonly known as Saski Baskonia and also known simply as Baskonia, is a professional basketball team based in Vitoria-Gasteiz, Spain. The team plays in the Liga ACB and the EuroLeague.
The Spain men's national basketball team represents Spain in international basketball competitions. They are managed by the Spanish Basketball Federation, the governing body for basketball in Spain. Spain is the current European champion.
Club Baloncesto Estudiantes, S.A.D., known simply as Estu and as Movistar Estudiantes for sponsorship reasons, is a basketball team based in the city of Madrid, Spain. It is a member of the Asociación de Clubes de Baloncesto (ACB). Founded in 1948, it is one of the most recognized basketball teams in Spain.
Sergio Llull Melià is a Spanish professional basketball player and the team captain for Real Madrid of the Spanish Liga ACB and the EuroLeague. He is a 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) combo guard.
The ACB Most Valuable Player Award is an annual award of the Liga ACB, the top-tier professional basketball league in Spain. The ACB handed out the award first after the 1991–92 ACB season. Since then, four players have won the award more than once: Darryl Middleton, Arvydas Sabonis, Tanoka Beard, and Luis Scola. Additionally, only six Spanish players have won the award: Juan Carlos Navarro, Marc Gasol, Felipe Reyes, Fernando San Emeterio, Sergio Llull and naturalized Spanish player Nikola Mirotić. The winner of the award is determined by voting by coaches, players, fans, and the media.
This page details the EuroLeague's individual season statistical basketball leaders since the 1991–92 season. Under previous EuroLeague competition formats, the "Regular Season" stats leaders were not counted as the official league stats leaders in the EuroLeague. Only the "Full Season" stats leaders were counted as the official league leaders of the EuroLeague. Therefore, playing solely in the "Regular Season" phase of previous EuroLeague season formats, did not qualify a player to be among the league's leaders. To qualify to be among the EuroLeague season stats leaders, a player must play in at least 51% of the possible games that can be played in a given season.
Gustavo Alfonso Ayón Aguirre is a Mexican professional basketball player for Venados de Mazatlán competing in the CIBACOPA league. He also represents the senior Mexican national basketball team in international national team competitions. Standing at a height of 6 ft 10 in (2.08 m), he plays at the center position. Ayon is a two−time All-EuroLeague Second Team selection.
Pablo Laso Biurrun is a Spanish professional basketball coach and former player who is currently in charge of Bayern Munich of the Basketball Bundesliga and the EuroLeague. He was the head coach of Real Madrid for eleven seasons from 2011 to 2022, guiding them to two EuroLeague championships and six ACB titles. As a player, he was a prominent point guard in Spain and Italy.
Juan Antonio Orenga Forcada is a retired Spanish professional basketball player, and a current professional basketball coach. He is the current head coach of the Guangzhou Loong Lions of the Chinese Basketball Association (CBA).
Nikola Mirotić is a Montenegrin-Spanish professional basketball player for Olimpia Milano of the Italian Lega Basket Serie A (LBA) and the EuroLeague. The power forward is a four-time All-EuroLeague Team member, and previously played for Real Madrid of the Liga ACB. Mirotić was drafted with the 23rd pick in the 2011 NBA draft, and played in the NBA from 2014 for the Chicago Bulls, New Orleans Pelicans and Milwaukee Bucks, before returning to Spain in the 2019 offseason.
Klemen Prepelič is a Slovenian professional basketball player for Galatasaray Ekmas of the Turkish Basketbol Süper Ligi (BSL). He also represents the Slovenian national basketball team internationally. Standing at 1.91 m, he plays at the shooting guard position.
Real Madrid Baloncesto B is the reserve team of Real Madrid. The team currently plays in the amateur level 4th tier level league of Spain, the Liga EBA.
Barça Bàsquet, commonly referred to as FC Barcelona and colloquially known as Barça, is a professional basketball team based in Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain. It is a part of the FC Barcelona multi-sports club, and was founded on 24 August 1926, which makes it the oldest club in the Liga ACB. The team, which competes in the Liga ACB and the EuroLeague, is one of the most successful basketball teams domestically as well as internationally. Two times European champions, Barça completed a triple crown in 2003 by winning the season's league, cup and EuroLeague. Their home arena is the Palau Blaugrana, which was opened on 23 October 1971. They share the facilities with the roller hockey, futsal, and handball teams of the club.
Facundo "Facu" Campazzo Avedano is an Argentine professional basketball player for Real Madrid of the Spanish Liga ACB and the EuroLeague. At a height of 5 ft 10 in (1.78 m) tall, he plays at the point guard position. He is also a member of the senior Argentina national basketball team.
Walter Samuel "Edy" Tavares da Veiga is a Cape Verdean professional basketball player for Real Madrid of the Spanish Liga ACB and the EuroLeague. He was selected with the 43rd overall pick in 2014 NBA draft by the Atlanta Hawks and has played internationally for the Cape Verde national basketball team. Tavares receives praise as a physical phenomenon, standing 7 ft 3 in (2.21 m) tall and possessing a 7 ft 9 in (2.36 m) wingspan.
The EuroLeague is the highest level tier and most important professional club competition between basketball teams in Europe, with teams from up to 18 countries, from members of FIBA Europe, mostly consisting of teams from ULEB member national domestic leagues. The EuroLeague's records for individual players, coaches, and teams have been set over two different eras of the competition. The league's first era, when the competition was organized by FIBA, and the league's second era, organized by EuroLeague Basketball.
The rosters of each season's champions and finalists of the top-tier level European-wide professional basketball competition in Europe, the EuroLeague. From 1958, through the present.
Destiny Usman Garuba Alari is a Spanish professional basketball player for the Golden State Warriors of the National Basketball Association (NBA). Listed at 2.03 m, he plays at both the power forward and center positions.
The 2022–23 season was Real Madrid's 92nd in existence, their 67th consecutive season in the top flight of Spanish basketball and 16th consecutive season in the EuroLeague. It was also the first season since 2010–11 without Pablo Laso, one of the most successful coaches in the club's history.
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2023–24 Real Madrid Baloncesto season 
