SE Palmeiras (basketball)

Lore & Background

The basketball department was founded in 1923 by pioneers Nicolino Spina and Estevam J. Stratta, whose leadership helped grow the sport in Brazil. On April 24, 1924, the club—then known as Palestra Itália—joined other organizations to form the São Paulo Basketball Federation. In November 1925, Oscar Paolillo and Estevam Stratta became the first Palestra Itália athletes to represent the São Paulo Basketball Team.

Palmeiras won state titles in 1932, 1933, and 1934—three in a row—and added further championships in 1958, 1961, 1963, 1972, and 1974. In 1934, the men's team participated in the Campeonato Sudamericano de Clubes Campeones in Buenos Aires as a club (Palestra Itália), not as the Brazilian national team, earning third place. They returned to the same club competition in 1935 in Rio de Janeiro. A popular fan phrase emerged: 'It’s with the foot, it’s with the hand, Palestra is Champion!' reflecting success in both football and basketball.

World War II forced the club to scale back amateur sports, but Palmeiras returned to top levels in the late 1950s and early 1960s, remaining competitive through the early 1980s. From the 1980s onward, economic changes led the club to focus on youth development. Today, the team competes in the Campeonato Paulista and the Novo Basquete Brasil.

Reader's Guide

Palmeiras basketball holds significance as one of Brazil's pioneering clubs, instrumental in organizing the São Paulo Basketball Federation in 1924. Its early dominance—seven state titles in eight years—helped popularize the sport in the 1920s and 1930s. The club's men's team twice represented Brazil at the South American Championship (1934, 1935), a rare international distinction for a club at that time. The phrase 'It’s with the foot, it’s with the hand, Palestra is Champion!' captures its dual success in football and basketball. Despite setbacks during World War II, Palmeiras revived in the late 1950s and won a national championship in 1977, along with a South American Club Championship runners-up finish that same year. The club's shift to youth development from the 1980s onward reflects broader economic changes in Brazil. Palmeiras remains a competitive force in regional and national leagues, with a legacy of producing notable players and coaches.

Did You Know?

• Palmeiras basketball was founded in 1923 by Nicolino Spina and Estevam J. Stratta.
• The club helped form the São Paulo Basketball Federation on April 24, 1924.
• Palmeiras participated in the Campeonato Sudamericano de Clubes Campeones in 1934 and 1935 as a club, not as the Brazilian national team.
• The club won its only national championship in 1977.