1900 Founding

Lore & Background

Founded in 1946, Bayern's basketball section had early success in the 1950s and 1960s, before mostly disappearing from the national first level in the following three decades. The team had a resurgence in 2010s and has since been among Germany's best teams, as well as a EuroLeague regular.

In Their Own Story

Inside the Gasthaus Gisela, tobacco smoke mingled with the tension of rebellion. Franz John stood before his companions, not as a gymnast subordinate, but as an architect of change. There were no grand speeches recorded in history books, only the scratching of pens signing away their loyalty to MTV 1879. Outside, the Munich winter raged, but inside, a resolve burned hotter than the gaslight: they would build a club where football reigned supreme.

Reader's Guide

Bayern plays its domestic home games at BMW Park, which was opened in 1972, while international games are played at the SAP Garden, which opened in 2024. FC Bayern Munich Basketball also has a reserve team that plays in German third-tier level ProB.

Did You Know?

• Bayern Munich's basketball section was founded in 1946 after a former football player started the team.
• The club drew 40,000 fans to an open-air test game against Lancia Bolzano in 1956.
• Bayern was a founding member of the Basketball Bundesliga in 1966.
• The club won its first German championship in 60 years in 2014, beating Alba Berlin 3–1 in the Finals.