Real Madrid Baloncesto

Did You Know?

• Luka Dončić became the EuroLeague MVP at 19 years old when Real Madrid won its tenth title in 2018.
• In the 2022–23 EuroLeague playoffs, Real Madrid became the first team to come back from a 2–0 deficit in the playoffs to qualify for the Final Four.

History

In 1931, Ángel Cabrera ran a newspaper ad in ABC looking for players to start a basketball team. The original lineup included Eric Hermes, Luis Hoyos, Emilio Gutiérrez Bringas, Juan Castellví, Jenaro Olives, Máximo Arnáiz, Juan Negrín, Midel, Delgado, Llano, and German player Midelman. The club officially came together on March 22, 1931, under the name Real Madrid Baloncesto. Club president Luis Usera wanted to branch out beyond football, so he pushed for this new section. That debut season brought a Copa Chapultepec win and games in the Castilla regional league. Their very first match, also on March 22, 1931, ended in a 19–5 loss to Dumping BC, with Cabrera scoring all five points. A month later, the team opened its home court in the Chamartín area. By 1933, they had their first regional title, and a women’s squad was formed. After dominating the regional league, they moved up to the national level, where their first top-tier game against Iluro resulted in a 21–17 defeat. Players from Spanish colonies—Freddy Borás, Rafael Deliz, and Johnny Báez among them—helped the team capture its first three Spanish championships in 1957, 1958, and 1960. In 1984, Madrid beat Olimpia Milano for the Cup Winners’ Cup thanks to free throws from Brian Jackson. Dražen Petrović dropped 62 points in the 1989 Cup Winners’ Cup final against Snaidero Caserta. A 1988 Korać Cup title came against Cibona Zagreb. The 1992 Saporta Cup was won on a buzzer-beating jumper by Rickey Brown against PAOK. The 1997 Saporta Cup victory over Verona was the last European trophy for the club that decade.

Home arenas

The team's first home was Estadio Chamartín (1931–1936), an outdoor court under the football stadium stands. Subsequent venues included Frontón Recoletos (1939–1952), Frontón Jai Alai (1952–1965), Colegio Maravillas (1965), Pabellón de la Ciudad Deportiva del Real Madrid (1966–1986), Palacio de Deportes de la Comunidad de Madrid (1986–1998), Pabellón Parque Corredor (1998–1999), Pabellón Raimundo Saporta (1999–2004), Palacio Vistalegre (2004–2010), Caja Mágica (2010–2011), and Palacio de Deportes – Movistar Arena (2011–present).