Le Mans Sarthe Basket

Le Mans Sarthe Basket, commonly known as MSB or Le Mans, is a professional basketball club that is from the city of Le Mans, France. The team plays in the French League and internationally in the Basketball Champions League.
History
The Modern Sport Club (1939–1993)
In 1928, French businessmen, Léopold Gouloumés arrived at the city Mans and founded the food association: the Société des Comptoirs Modernes. Like many other industries at the time, him and Bernard Gasnal, founded their own sport club called Goulou Club in 1938. But in September 1939 the Second World War broke out and the men were needed to fight. With the male absent, women decided to persuade the Goulou Club into creating a basketball team for them.
In 1941, the French government prohibited sport clubs to use the name of an industry so the Goulou Club changed its name to Modern Sporting Club.
In 1952, Le Mans frills won the title of champions of France. Then following that success Bernard Gasnal founded a men's team. In 1963 the team joined the elite.
The following years from 1969 to 1970 was very successful, they won the French Cup in 1964 and the French League championship in 1978 and 1979.
After the euphoria of the European games, the club was struggling to survive due to the rising dominance of CSP Limoges and Pau-Orthez
The SCM existed after the MSB was created and was concerned about the amateur part of the association.
In continuation (since 2008)
The 2008–2009 season will be more prosperous for the club. In addition to a third place in the regular season followed by a semi-final playoffs (defeated against Orleans), the MSB makes a superb double in gleaning the week of "As" (74-64 victory facing Orleans in the final) then the French Cup (79-65 victory against Nancy in the Final at Bercy). Best of all, Alain Koffi, whom formed the club, is elected the French MVP of the season. However, in Euroleague, the MSB finished again last in their group with two thin victories in ten games.
Despite the departure of several executives in the off season such as Alain Koffi or Nicolas Batum, the MSB plays always the leading roles in the league in 2009 – 2010 because after having a long time to be the first of the regular season, the club finally finished behind Cholet. The two teams meet in the championship final, but Cholet wins the derby at the top (81-65). Le Mans compete in the Eurocup but are eliminated on the wire in the first round. In 2014, the MSB won the Cup leaders.
Since 21 May in 2014, the MSB has been trained by Turkish Erman Kunter, former coach of Cholet. He took over succession from JD Jackson.
The season is mixed, particularly marked by a heavy defeat in the derby home against Cholet Basket (61-82). Committed in Eurochallenge, the MSB won their first two games against the Belgians from Antwerp Giants (72-66) and Finland KTP Basket (71-52) before a heavy on the floor of Pallacanestro Biella, Italian D2 club (82–64).
The club and the society
The company was founded on September 6, 1993 as a Society of Mixed Economy Sports Local and chaired until June 30, 2008 by Jean-Pierre Goisbault. Christophe Le Bouille became president on July 1, 2008. In 2007 The company had a budget of 5.5 million euros.
Furthermore, another structure dedicated to marketing, is also under the name of MSB Promotion. It is she who is responsible for the communication around the club's image.
The coat of arms, the colors, and the supporters
The jersey worn by the players are tango and gray. Tango is inherited from the ancient Moderne Sporting Club.
The logo has existed since 1993 and the acquisition of the new professional status of the team. It uses the colors of the club, accompanied by three letters MSB (acronym of Le Mans Sarthe Basket) written in white. In the summer of 2009, the MSB changed the coat of arms and opted for a lion showing claws and out of the logo, symbol of the feline. The addition of an animal blasonnant the team who follow the custom of other French teams like Pau Orthez and Nancy.
The official group of supporters are called the felines. This exists in the form of an association and follows the club on certain displacements. They even give a reward to the most outstanding players called the reflection feline.
Derby History
The western derby opposes the two best clubs in the north west of France. Since 1986, it opposed every season of the Le Mans team to that of Cholet, located in Maine-et-Lorie. Since their first encounter in N1B male division, the two teams met regularly. They deliver from the 1990–91 season, a diligent and annual duel. That makes twenty years that the two teams have met each season. The former North West derby was more "balanced" and opposed the SC Le Mans at ABC Nantes. The two teams are in particular the two favorites of the trophy, Sarthe Pays de la Loire Basketball where often a first division outsider is invited.
Honours
LNB Pro A
Champions (5): 1978, 1979, 1982, 2006, 2018
French Cup
Champions (4): 1964, 2004, 2009, 2016
Leaders Cup
Champions (3): 2006, 2009, 2014
Rennes, France Invitational Game
Winners (1): 2008
Bourg en Bresse Invitational Tournament
Champions (1): 2009
Season by season
Players
Current roster
Notable players
Pape Badiane
Nicolas Batum
Rodrigue Beaubois
Yannick Bokolo
Antoine Diot
Hervé Dubuisson
Youssoupha Fall
Mickaël Gelabale
Charles Kahudi
Alain Koffi
Lahaou Konaté
Jérémy Leloup
Thierry Rupert
Pape Sy
Will Yeguete
Jonathan Tabu
Mouphtaou Yarou
Zack Wright
João Paulo Batista
Olivier Hanlan
J.D. Jackson
Pape-Philippe Amagou
Sandro Nicević
Mate Skelin
Gerald Lee
Taurean Green
Michalis Kakiouzis
David Bluthenthal
Ido Kozikaro
Raviv Limonad
Richard Hendrix
Romeo Travis
Nebojša Bogavac
Justin Cobbs
Taylor Rochestie
Obi Emegano
Michał Ignerski
Egidijus Mockevičius
Luka Bogdanović
Marko Kešelj
Hüseyin Beşok
Bobby Dixon
İzzet Türkyılmaz
Alex Acker
Eric Campbell
Brian Chase
Sam Clancy
Cameron Clark
Robert Dozier
Khalid El-Amin
Daniel Ewing
Kenny Gregory
Jermaine Guice
Dennis Hopson
Keith Jennings
Chris Lofton
Ryan Pearson
Hollis Price
Mykal Riley
Marc Salyers
D.J. Stephens
Dewarick Spencer
D.J. Stephens
Michael Thompson
Darius Washington
DaShaun Wood
Cuthbert Victor
Head coaches
André Buffière
Bill Sweek
Vincent Collet
J. D. Jackson
Erman Kunter
References
External links
Official website
Le Mans at Eurobasket.com
Le Mans at Keyhoops.com
Le Mans at Euroleague.net
LeMans
Basketball teams established in 1939
Sport in Le Mans
1939 establishments in France