North London Derby

Verified Timeline

Lore & Background

The club was officially formed on 22 March 1931, after Ángel Cabrera placed an advertisement in the newspaper ABC to recruit players. The first team included Eric Hermes, Luis Hoyos, Emilio Gutiérrez Bringas, Juan Castellví, Jenaro Olives, Máximo Arnáiz, Juan Negrín, Midel, Delgado, Llano, and German player Midelman. Their first official game was played on 22 March 1931, against Dumping BC, and was lost by 19–5, despite Cabrera's 5 points. The 1930s saw the first regional title in 1933, as well as the establishment of the women's team. The team saw an influx of international talent from Spanish colonies, including Freddy Borás, Rafael Deliz, Johnny Báez, among others, which led the team to their first three Spanish national championships, in 1957, 1958 and 1960. For at least half a century, Madrid has been a standard-bearer in European basketball, accumulating a record ten continental titles, based on its dominance in the 1960s. Its early dominance in Spain has resulted in another untouchable cache of 38 national domestic league and 29 national cup trophies. Madrid downed Olimpia Milano in the 1984 Cup Winners' Cup, on free throws made by Brian Jackson, then Petrović had 62 points in the 1989 Cup Winners' Cup final, against Snaidero Caserta. Madrid added a 1988 Korać Cup title, against Cibona Zagreb. In Pablo Laso's era, Real Madrid Baloncesto managed to find consistent success. Spanish top-tier level players of the time, like Sergio Rodríguez and Rudy Fernández, were acquired by the club. Also, ACB Rising Star winner Nikola Mirotić was a part of the team's mix, along with Sergio Llull and Felipe Reyes. This group of players gave Real Madrid Baloncesto 6 Copa del Reys titles, 7 Spanish Super Cup titles, 6 Liga ACB titles, 2 EuroLeague championships, and an FIBA Intercontinental Cup championship. On 17 May 2015, after waiting 20 years to win another EuroLeague championship, Real Madrid won the 2015 EuroLeague championship against Olympiacos. Madrid's Andrés Nocioni was named the Final Four MVP. This title was called La Novena. On 20 May 2018, Real Madrid conquered again the EuroLeague, achieving their tenth title ever. The considered major leader of the team that season would be a Slovenian guard/forward named Luka Dončić, who became the designated MVP of the EuroLeague on all accounts at 19 years old.

In Their Own Story

In the 2022–23 season, Chus Mateo became the new head coach for the team. They signed additional players including Petr Cornelie, Mario Hezonja, Džanan Musa, with Sergio Rodríguez returning for the team, which ranked third in EuroLeague standings. In the playoffs, they faced Partizan in the quarterfinals. Madrid lost its first two games at home. In Game 2 of the quarterfinals, in 1 minute and 40 seconds, Sergio Llull drew a flagrant foul on Kevin Punter; and both teams, as well as players on the bench, went on the court to fight. Guerschon Yabusele slammed Danté Exum, leading Exum injured with a ruptured tendon in his toe and an injured lip and leaving on crutches. The game ended in a brawl. The EuroLeague gave suspensions to Gabriel Deck and Guerschon Yabusele from the Real side and Punter and Mathias Lessort from Partizan's side. Madrid won the next 3 games and became the first EuroLeague team to come back from a 2–0 deficit in the playoffs to qualify to the 2023 EuroLeague Final Four. In the semifinals, they beat Barcelona 78–66. Real Madrid won their record–extending eleventh EuroLeague title, beating Olympiacos in the championship game, the first in 5 years. Real Madrid beating Olympiacos 79–78 in the final. In Liga ACB, the team ended third in regular season but they lost to Barcelona 0–3 in the finals. In the following 2023–24 EuroLeague season, Real ended as a top seed during the regular season with a 27-7 record. In the Quarterfinals, they faced Baskonia with a perfect 3-0, becoming the first team to qualify to the 2024 EuroLeague Final Four in Berlin. In the semifinals, they faced Olympiacos once again, which is the rematch of the previous year's final and Real won 87–76. In the final they faced Panathinaikos AKTOR. Despite an early start in the first quarter, Panathinaikos returned a comeback in the next three quarters. In the third quarter, Real only scored 7 points. Then in the fourth quarter Panathinaikos went a massive game outscoring 31 points out of Real's 19 points in the fourth and final quarter and Real did not comeback afterwards which Panathinaikos won with a big win 95-80 and won its first EuroLeague trophy after thirteen years. Despite that, they won the 2023–24 ACB season beating Murcia 3–1 in the finals.

Reader's Guide

Real Madrid Baloncesto has won a record 38 Spanish League championships, including in 7-in-a-row and 10-in-a-row sequences. They have also won a record 29 Spanish Cup titles, a record 11 EuroLeague Championships, a record 4 Saporta Cups, and a record 5 Intercontinental Cups. Madrid has also won 3 Triple Crowns, which constitute a treble of the national league, cup, and continental league won in a single season. Some of the club's star players over the years have included: Carmelo Cabrera, Arvydas Sabonis, Dražen Petrović, Rudy Fernández, Sergio Rodriguez, Sergio Llull, Felipe Reyes, Serge Ibaka, Mirza Delibašić, Dražen Dalipagić, Nikola Mirotić, Juan Antonio Corbalán, Fernando Martín, Alberto Herreros, Dejan Bodiroga, Luka Dončić, Edy Tavares, Facundo Campazzo, Džanan Musa and Mario Hezonja. Real Madrid also has a developmental basketball team, called Real Madrid B, that plays in the amateur-level Spanish 4th-tier Liga EBA. The club had sponsorship naming periods: Real Madrid Otaysa 1990–1991, Real Madrid Asegurator 1991–1992, and Real Madrid Teka 1992–1995/1996-2000.

Did You Know?

• Real Madrid CF is the only European sports club to have become the European champions in both football and basketball in the same season (2018).
• Real Madrid won its first three Spanish national championships in 1957, 1958 and 1960.
• Dražen Petrović had 62 points in the 1989 Cup Winners' Cup final, against Snaidero Caserta.
• In the 2023 EuroLeague playoffs, Real Madrid became the first team to come back from a 2–0 deficit in the playoffs to qualify to the Final Four.
• Pablo Laso left Real Madrid as the coach who has managed the most games for Madrid (860), having won 659 of them.