Unitri/Uberlândia

Lore & Background

Unitri/Uberlândia was founded in 1998 with financial support from the university Unitri. Head coach Ary Vidal arrived later, in the early 2000s. The team won its first title in 2004, the Brazilian Championship, defeating Franca in the finals. In 2004, the team also won the FIBA South American League. The following year, it defended its national title but was defeated by Telemar/Rio de Janeiro, a team that included small forward Marcelinho Machado. Two years later, Unitri was eliminated in the league's semifinal series by Franca. In the 2010–11 and 2011–12 NBB seasons, the team was defeated in the quarterfinals playoff series by Brasília and Flamengo, respectively.

Reader's Guide

Unitri/Uberlândia holds significance in Brazilian basketball as a team that quickly rose to national prominence after its founding in 1998. Its 2004 Brazilian Championship victory, a 3–0 sweep of Flamengo, marked its first major title. The team also achieved continental success by winning the FIBA South American League in 2005 and finishing as runner-up in the same competition in 2004, as well as runner-up in the South American Club Championship in 2005. Domestically, the team has been a dominant force in the Minas Gerais State League, winning 14 titles between 1998 and 2014. Despite later playoff eliminations in the NBB, the team's early achievements and consistent regional success underscore its role in developing basketball in Minas Gerais and Brazil.

Did You Know?

• Unitri/Uberlândia was founded in 1998; head coach Ary Vidal arrived in the early 2000s.
• The team won its first Brazilian Championship in 2004, beating Franca in the finals.
• The team has won 10 or 11 Minas Gerais State League titles between 1998 and 2014.