Guaros de Lara (basketball)

Guaros de Lara (basketball)
Guaros de Lara is a Venezuelan professional basketball club, that is based in Barquisimeto, Lara, Venezuela. Guaros de Lara BBC has existed as a club in various different forms since 1983. It has existed in its current form since 2003.
The club competes in the Venezuelan LPB. The club has won two Venezuelan LPB national domestic titles. On the international stage, the club also has one continental FIBA South American League title, and three intercontinental titles, consisting of two FIBA Americas League titles and one FIBA Intercontinental Cup title.
History
In 1982, Flavio Fridegotto decided to sell his ownership in the Colosos de Carabobo basketball team, which led the club move from Carabobo, to the city of Acarigua. In Acarigua, the club began to compete under the name of Bravos de Portuguesa, in 1983. In 1993, the club moved to Barquisimeto, and changed its name to Malteros de Lara. In 1995, the club changed its name to Bravos de Lara.
The club again relocated, as it moved to the city of Guanare. After moving to Guanare, the club re-named itself to Bravos de Portuguesa once again, in 1998. Former NBA player Carl Herrera played with the team in 1999. In 2003, Carlos García Ibáñez bought the Bravos de Portuguesa club, and he subsequently moved it back to the city of Barquisimeto. After the club returned to Barquisimeto, it was re-named to Guaros de Lara.
In 2016, Guaros de Lara won the 2016 FIBA Americas League championship, and was crowned as the champion of all of Latin America, for the first time. Following their FIBA Americas League championship, Guaros also won the 2016 FIBA Intercontinental Cup, and thus they were crowned world basketball club champions, after beating the Skyliners Frankfurt in the final.
In 2017, Guaros successfully defended their Americas intercontinental title, by defeating Weber Bahía Blanca, by a score of 88–65, in the final of the years' Americas League. Later, they also won their first Venezuelan League national domestic title, by defeating Marinos de Anzoátegui, 4–2, in the Venezuelan League's finals. Afterwards, they won the 2017 FIBA South American League championship, which was the club's first South American continental championship; after defeating Estudiantes Concordia, 3–1, in the league's finals.
Arena
Guaros de Lara plays their home games at the 10,000 seat capacity Domo Bolivariano arena.
Honours
Domestic
Venezuelan League
Champions (2): 2017, 2018
Runners-up (4): 2005, 2006, 2015, 2019
South America
FIBA South American League
Champions (1): 2017
Latin America
FIBA Americas League
Champions (2): 2016, 2017
Runners-up (1): 2019
Worldwide
FIBA Intercontinental Cup
Champions (1): 2016
Runners-up (1): 2017
Current roster
Depth chart
Notable players
Luis Bethelmy
Néstor Colmenares
Gregory Echenique
Windi Graterol
Heissler Guillént
Miguel Marriaga
José Gregorio Vargas
Gregory Vargas
David Cubillán
David Cooke
Zach Graham
Lazar Hayward
Damion James
Davon Jefferson
Mario Little
Nate Robinson
Robert Upshaw
Damien Wilkins
Branko Cvetković
Head coaches
Che García
Iván Déniz
Fernando Duró
References
External links
Guaros de Lara Official website
Latin-Basket.com Team Page
Basketball teams in Venezuela