Founding of FC Bayern Munich in 1900
German basketball power house with a rich history and modern resurgence.
FC Bayern München Basketball GmbH, commonly referred to as Bayern Munich, is a professional basketball club, a part of the FC Bayern Munich sports club, based in Munich, Germany. The club competes domestically in the Basketball Bundesliga (BBL) and internationally in the EuroLeague for their male team and in the 2. DBBL for their female team. The club has won six German championships, and five German Cups in its history.
Quick Facts
- First president
- Not applicable (Franz John was the founding president of the football club, not the basketball section)
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. 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.
Reader's Guide
Bayern Munich was founded in 1900 when a number of football enthusiasts split from a Munich gymnastics club (MTV 1879). The basketball section was founded in 1946 after one former football player started the team after retiring from his former sport. The club won German championships in 1954 and 1955, and the German Cup in 1968. In 1966, the club was a founding member of the Basketball Bundesliga.
After relegation in 1974, the club returned to the BBL in 1987 and stayed until 1989. In 2008, led by then-president Uli Hoeneß and vice-president Bernd Rauch, the club announced plans to return to the top level. In 2010, club members voted for a financial injection, and the team hired national team head coach Dirk Bauermann. In 2011, the team became fully professional.
In the 2012–13 season, the club reached the BBL semifinals. Thanks to a wild card, Bayern played in the EuroLeague in the 2013–14 season, reaching the Top 16 stage. On 18 June 2014, Bayern won its third national title, beating Alba Berlin 3–1 in the Finals. In the 2014–15 season, Bayern lost in the BBL Finals to Brose Baskets.
The team won its next championship in 2018, beating Alba Berlin 3–2. In the following years, Bayern became a power house in the BBL and a regular in the EuroLeague.
Did You Know?
- Bayern Munich once drew 40,000 fans to an open-air test game against Lancia Bolzano in 1956.
- The club's home arena BMW Park seats 6,700 spectators, while SAP Garden for EuroLeague games seats 12,500.
- Malcolm Delaney won both the BBL MVP and Finals MVP in 2014.
More in Club History & Eras
Elsewhere in Bayern Munich
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