Club Joventut Badalona

Club Joventut Badalona, S.A.D. is a Spanish professional basketball club based in Badalona, Catalonia, Spain, playing in the Liga ACB and the EuroCup. Known to their fans as La Penya (in English, The Club), it is one of only two teams that have never been relegated from the top division of the Spanish League. The only other is Real Madrid. In 1994, Joventut Badalona became champion of the FIBA European League (today known as the EuroLeague), the first Catalan basketball club to accomplish such a grandiose achievement and the first Spanish team to do so in the modern era Final Four format.
Well-known players have included the Margall brothers (with Josep Maria Margall), Zoran Slavnić, Jordi Villacampa, Rafael Jofresa, Raül López, Rudy Fernández, and Ricky Rubio.
History
Badalona has had a basketball team since 30 March 1930, when Joventut was founded as Penya Spirit of Badalona. Apart from basketball, the club initially had teams involved in several sports including cycling, table tennis, and football. In 1932, the club changed its name to Centre Esportiu Badaloní and in 1939, it was forced to become Club Juventud de Badalona. By 1940, basketball was established as the club's main sport and green and black were adopted as the club's colours.
As one of the founding clubs of the Spanish league, Joventut became also one of the top teams in Spain since the 1950s, developing a great rivalry with Real Madrid and with the other neighbouring teams like FC Barcelona, playing memorable duels. Joventut won their first Spanish Cup in 1948 and their two first leagues in 1967 and 1978.
In 1981, Joventut started its golden era by winning their first European title: the FIBA Korać Cup in 1981, by defeating Carrera Venezia in the final played in Barcelona by 105–104 after a game winning shot by Joe Galvin at the buzzer. Joventut repeated title in 1990, this time beating Scavolini Pesaro in the double-legged final.
One year later, in 1991, Joventut achieved their third league, the first under the ACB and repeated title in the following season, after losing the final of the FIBA European League against Partizan, that won thanks to a buzzer beater of Saša Đorđević. However, in 1994, Joventut won the title after winning the Final Four played in Tel Aviv against Olympiacos.
After two years of decline, Joventut clinched their seventh national cup and in the 2000s, started a new golden era with players like Rudy Fernández, and Ricky Rubio developed in the youth teams of the club. During their years at Badalona, Joventut won a FIBA Europe Cup in 2006, by beating Khimki in the final, a ULEB Cup in 2008, beating Akasvayu Girona in the finals, and the eighth Copa del Rey, also in 2008.
Joventut Badalona is one of the only two teams, along with Real Madrid, to have played every year in the top league.
In the 2017–18 season, Joventut was close of the dissolution, but the shareholders voted to save the club. Finally, it could finish the season in the 15th season and avoided the relegation, despite ending in the worst position ever.
Sponsorship naming
Club Joventut de Badalona has received diverse trade names along its history. These are the Joventut denominations along the years:
Juventud Kalso: 1965–1968
Juventud Nerva: 1968–1971
Juventud Schweppes: 1971–1977
Juventud Freixenet: 1977–1978
Joventut Freixenet: 1978–1981
Joventut Sony: 1981–1982
Joventut Fichet: 1982–1983
Joventut Massana: 1983–1984
Ron Negrita Joventut: 1984–1987
Ram Joventut: 1987–1990
Montigalà Joventut: 1990–1992
Marbella Joventut: 1992–1993
7up Joventut: 1993–1995
Festina Joventut: 1996–1998
Pinturas Bruguer Badalona: 1998–2000
DKV Joventut: 2001–2011
FIATC Joventut: 2011–2016
Divina Seguros Joventut: 2016–2019
Home arenas
Pavelló de la Plana: (1962–72), before 1962, the team played in open air stadiums.
Pavelló d'Ausiàs March: (1972–91), also known as Pavelló Club Joventut (5,000 seats).
Palau Olímpic: (1991–present)
Players
Retired numbers
*Even though number #5 had been retired to honor Rafael Jofresa, from 2002 to 2008 Rudy Fernández kept wearing that number during his stay at the professional team.
Current roster
Depth chart
Notable players
Domestic players:
Rudy Fernández
Josep Maria Margall
Josep Maria Guzmán
Ferran Laviña
Anicet Lavodrama
Raúl López
Dakota Mathias
Darryl Middleton
Álex Mumbrú
Ricky Rubio
Mike Smith
Pere Tomàs
Jordi Villacampa
(Non-EU players):
Aloysius Anagonye
Maceo Baston
Tanoka Beard
Elmer Bennett
Shawn Dawson
Christian Eyenga
Randy Holcomb
Reggie Johnson
Charles Gaines
Harold Pressley
Corny Thompson
Clay Tucker
Andre Turner
Bosman players:
Robert Archibald
Jamie Arnold
Luboš Bartoň
Andrew Betts
Demond Mallet
Alain Digbeu
Milan Gurović
Marcelinho Huertas
Jan-Hendrik Jagla
Simas Jasaitis
Šarūnas Vasiliauskas
Saulius Kulvietis
Alain Koffi
Nicolas Laprovittola
Pops Mensah-Bonsu
Jérôme Moïso
Henk Norel
Petar Popović
Nikola Radulović
Zoran Slavnić
Žan Tabak
Uroš Tripković
Kristaps Valters
Jesse Young
''For a complete list of current and former players, see the Joventut Badalona players category.
Players at the NBA draft
Head coaches
Xavier Estruch: 1939–1941
Luis Antoja: 1941–1943
Gironés: 1943–1944
Xavier Estruch: 1944–1946
Vicenç Lleal: 1946–1947
José Tomas: 1947–1948
José Vila: 1947–1950
José Maria Costa: 1950–1951
José Grau: 1951–1953
Joaquín Broto: 1953–1955
J. Jiménez: 1955–1956
Joaquín Broto: 1956–1958
Rafael Murgadas: 1958–1959
José Grau: 1959–1961
Joan Canals: 1961–1962
Antonio Molina: 1962–1963
Albert Gasulla: 1963–1964
Antonio Molina: 1963–1964
Eduardo Kucharski: 1965–1969
Josep Lluís Cortés: 1969–1972
Clinton Morris: 1972–1973
Josep Lluís Cortés: 1973–1975
Eduardo Kucharski: 1975–1976
Josep María Meléndez: 1975–1977
Antoni Serra: 1977–1979
Josep Lluís Cortés: 1979–1980
Manel Comas: 1980–1982
Joaquín Costa Prat: 1981–1982
Jack Schrader: 1982–1983
Aíto García Reneses: 1983–1985
Miquel Nolis: 1985–1986
Alfred Julbe: 1986–1989
Herb Brown: 1989–1990
Lolo Sainz: 1990–1993
Željko Obradović: 1993–1994
Pedro Martínez: 1994–1995
Miquel Nolis: 1994–1995
Zoran Slavnić: 1995–1996
Alfred Julbe: 1996–2000
Josep María Izquierdo: 1999–2001
Manel Comas: 2000–2003
Aíto García Reneses: 2003–2008
Sito Alonso: 2008–2010
Pepu Hernández: 2010–2011
Salva Maldonado: 2011–2016
Diego Ocampo: 2016–2018
Carles Duran: 2018–present
Logos
Uniforms
The Joventut jerseys have always been green with a black stripe across the chest, and the shorts have been traditionally black, with the exception of some years that have been green too. The traditional away jerseys have been white, although in 2008–09 a new silver alternate jersey was introduced.
Rivalries
Joventut has a traditional rivalry with provincial neighbours FC Barcelona. Both teams face in the Catalan basketball derby.
Season by season
Honours
Domestic competitions
Spanish League
Winners (4): 1966–67, 1977–78, 1990–91, 1991–92
Runners-up (10): 1958, 1959–60, 1961–62, 1968–69, 1970–71, 1972–73, 1984–85, 1986–87, 1989–90, 1992–93
Spanish Cup
Winners (8): 1948, 1953, 1955, 1958, 1969, 1976, 1997, 2008
Runners-up (13): 1966, 1968, 1970, 1971, 1972, 1974, 1985, 1986, 1987, 1990, 1993, 1998, 2004
Spanish Super Cup
Winners (2): 1986, 1987
Runners-up (1): 1988
European competitions
EuroLeague
Winners (1): 1993–94
Runners-up (1): 1991–92
Final Four (2): 1992, 1994
FIBA Saporta Cup (defunct)
Runners-up (1): 1987–88
Semifinalists (4): 1971–72, 1972–73, 1976–77, 1985–86
FIBA Korać Cup (defunct)
Winners (2): 1980–81, 1989–90
Semifinalist (3): 1975–76, 1977–78, 1990–91
EuroCup Basketball
Winners (1): 2007–08
Semifinalists (1): 2002–03
FIBA EuroChallenge (defunct)
Winners (1): 2005–06
European Basketball Club Super Cup (semi-official, defunct)
Runners-up (2): 1990, 1991
3rd place (1): 1987
Worldwide competitions
McDonald's Championship (defunct)
Runners-up (1): 1991
Other competitions
FIBA International Christmas Tournament (defunct)
Runners-up (3): 1967, 1970, 1978
Vielha, Spain Invitational Game
Winners (1): 2014
Regional competitions
Catalan League
Winners (11): 1986, 1987, 1988, 1990, 1991, 1992, 1994, 1998, 2005, 2007, 2008
Runners-up: 1981, 1982, 1984, 1985, 1993, 1995, 1997, 1999, 2001, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013
Catalan Championship (defunct)
Winners (5): 1949, 1952, 1953, 1954, 1957
Runners-up (5): 1948, 1950, 1951, 1955, 1957
Individual awards
ACB Most Valuable Player
Tanoka Beard – 2002
ACB Rising Star/Best Young Player
Ricky Rubio – 2007
Guillem Vives – 2014
ACB Finals MVP
Corny Thompson – 1991
Mike Smith – 1992
Spanish Cup MVP
Andre Turner – 1997
Rudy Fernández – 2004, 2008
ULEB Eurocup Finals MVP
Rudy Fernández – 2008
EuroChallenge Final Four MVP
Rudy Fernández – 2006
EuroLeague Rising Star
Rudy Fernández – 2007
All-ACB Team
Rudy Fernández – 2007, 2008
Ricky Rubio – 2008
Nicolás Laprovittola – 2019
Klemen Prepelič – 2020
Xabier López-Arostegui – 2021
ACB Slam Dunk Champion
Christian Eyenga – 2009
Wheelchair basketball
Joventut Badalona has also a wheelchair basketball team which currently plays in the División de Honor, the Spanish top league.
In 2011 the team, which was known as Joventut GAM by sponsorship reasons, was dissolved and two years later was re-launched again. In its first season after the re-opening, the team promoted to División de Honor.
Season by season
See also
1991 McDonald's Championship
References
External links
Liga ACB teams
Basketball teams in Catalonia
Basketball teams established in 1930
EuroLeague-winning clubs
Wheelchair basketball teams in Spain
1986 FIBA World Championship players