Baloncesto Superior Nacional

Baloncesto Superior Nacional

Current season, competition or edition: 2017 BSN season
Baloncesto Superior Nacional logo
Formerly	Liga Puertorriqueña de Baloncesto
Sport	Basketball
Founded	1929
Inaugural season	1930
President	Fernando Quiñones Bodega
Motto	¡Pura Pasión!
No. of teams	11
Country	Puerto Rico
Continent	FIBA Americas (Americas)
Most recent champion(s)	Capitanes de Arecibo (6th title)
Most titles	Leones de Ponce Atléticos de San Germán Vaqueros de Bayamón (14 titles each)
TV partner(s)	WAPA 2 Deportes DirecTV
Level on pyramid	1st tier
Relegation to	None
International cup(s)	FIBA Americas League
Official website	Official website

The Baloncesto Superior Nacional is the first tier level professional men's basketball league in Puerto Rico. It was founded in 1929 and is organized by the Puerto Rican Basketball Federation.

The Baloncesto Superior Nacional, which is played under FIBA rules, currently consists of 11 teams, of which the most successful have been Leones de Ponce, Atléticos de San Germán and Vaqueros de Bayamón with 14 titles each. The league has produced players that have distinguished themselves in the NBA, ACB, EuroLeague, and other tournaments throughout the world. Among them, NBA players Butch Lee, José Ortiz, Ramón Rivas, Daniel Santiago, Carlos Arroyo and José Juan Barea started their careers playing for BSN teams.

History

The league began in 1930, and is noted for having had several head coaches who went on to achieve international recognition later in their careers. Among those are Basketball Hall of Fame members Tex Winter and Red Holzman, who coached the Leones de Ponce in the 1960s, and Phil Jackson, who coached the Piratas de Quebradillas and Gallitos de Isabela in the late 1980s. Others notable coaches who have worked for BSN teams include Gene Bartow, Lou Rossini, Del Harris, P.J. Carlesimo, Bernie Bickerstaff and Herb Brown.

During the 1980s, notable players followed in the footsteps of players such as Juan "Pachin" Vicens (Named Greatest Basketball Player in the World at the Basketball World Championship, held in Santiago, Chile, 1959) and Butch Lee, the first Puerto Rican and BSN player to enter the NBA. Among those are Mario 'Quijote' Morales, Raymond Dalmau, Jose 'Piculin' Ortiz, Ramón Rivas, Jerome Mincy, Georgie Torres, Angelo Cruz, Angel Santiago, the late Federico 'Fico' Lopez and Rubén Rodríguez showcased their talents to all of Puerto Rico's TV viewers and game goers.

On October 8, 2015 the BSN owners selected Fernando Quiñones, Esq. to succeed Carlos J. Beltrán as President of the BSN.^[1][2]

Competition Format

Regular season

The BSN tournament is played under the regular FIBA basketball rules. The teams regularly play a total of three games amongs them. For the 2015, the regular season will extend to 44 games. Of the 12 participating teams, the top 8 move on to the postseason.

List of teams

Mayagüez

Ponce

Santurce

Bayamón

Arecibo

Aguada

Quebradillas

San Germán

Guayama

Humacao

Manatí

Locations of teams participating in 2016 BSN season

Current teams

The current league organization features 11 teams in a single division.

Defunct teams

Aibonito Polluelos de Aibonito (1977-2001) Played their home games at Cancha Marron Aponte

Aguada Conquistadores de Aguada

Aguadilla Tiburones de Aguadilla

Cabo Rojo Taínos de Cabo Rojo (1989-1993) Played their home games at Rebekah Colberg Cabrera Coliseum

Caguas Criollos de Caguas (1976-2009) Played their home games at Héctor Solá Besares Coliseum

Canóvanas Indios de Canóvanas Played their home games at Coliseo Carlos Miguel Mangual

Carolina Gigantes de Carolina (1971-2009) Played their home games at the Guillermo Angulo Coliseum

Cayey Toritos de Cayey (2002-2004) Played their home games at the Cayey Municipal Coliseum

Fajardo Cariduros de Fajardo (1973-2008) Played their home games at the Evaristo Aponte Sanabria Coliseum and later on the Tomas Dones Coliseum

Isabela Gallitos de Isabela (1969-2011) Played their home games at the José "Buga" Abreu Coliseum

Morovis Titanes de Morovis (1977-2006) Played their home games in the José Pepe Huyke Coliseum

Villalba Avancinos de Villalba (1996-1998) Played their home games at the José Ibem Marrero Coliseum

League records

Rubén Rodríguez established most of the early long-standing record in the BSN. He broke both the single-season points record with 810 in 1978 and the most career points record with 11,549. The current holder of the career mark is Georgie Torres, who broke it before retiring in 2001 with 15,863 points in 679 games, playing his entire career after the establishment of the three-point line.^[3] Rodríguez also holds the mark for most rebounds in a career with 6, 178. He also held the single-season rebound record with 380 in 1978, which stood until Lee Benson broke it in 2008. Rodríguez also established an early single-game points record in 1973 with 52. In 1989, Pablo Alicea of the Gigantes de Carolina established a record for most assists in one game with 25.^[4] The record stood for over two decades until May 1, 2012, when Jonathan García of the Caciques de Humacao broke it recording 33 assists against the Brujos de Guayama. García's mark is an unofficial world record pending the approval of Guinness World Records, since there is no higher number recorded in any amateur or professional international league or in FIBA competition.^[5] During this game, the Caciques also established the team points record for a single game with 130 and for most scored during a single (10-minute) quarter with 46. The Vaqueros de Bayamón hosted the game with most assistance in the league, with 17,621 fans attending a home game against Río Piedras on September 8, 1969. This bested the previous top of 16,564 in a game between Ponce and Santurce. The Vaqueros also hold the record for most consecutive championships, winning five from 1971-75.

Championships

Number of championships won by teams

• *These titles are from Farmacia Martin team that was merged with the Atléticos de San Germán

^[6]

BSN statistical leaders

BSN all-time scoring leaders

Rank	Player	Position(s)	Total points	Games played	Points per game average
1	Torres, GeorgieGeorgie Torres	SG	15,863	679	23.4
2	Morales, MarioMario Morales	SF	15,293	675	22.7
3	Butler, MarioMario Butler	C	12,252	779	15.7
4	Rolando Frazer	C	12,096	603	20.1
5	Dalmau, RaymondRaymond Dalmau	PG	11,592	537	21.6
6	Rodríguez, RubénRubén Rodríguez	PF	11,549	631	18.3
7	Roberto Ríos	PG	11,312	681	16.6
8	Ángel Santiago	SF	11,287	617	18.3
9	José Quiñonez		11,012	579	19
10	Dalmau, ChristianChristian Dalmau	PG	10,363	605	17.1

BSN all-time rebounding leaders

BSN all-time assists leaders

Last Updated July 9, 2015

-SINGLE GAME RECORD Assist- Jonathan Garcia 33

^[7]

See also

• Puerto Rico national basketball team

References

External links

• Official site (Spanish)
• Puerto Rican league on Latinbasket.com (English)

International men's basketball
FIBA National teams Olympics World Cup Universiade U-21 World Championship U-19 World Championship U-17 World Championship World Rankings
Africa	FIBA Africa – AfroBasket U-18 U-16
Americas	FIBA Americas – FIBA Americas Championship U-18 U-16
Asia	FIBA Asia – FIBA Asia Cup U-18 U-16
Europe	FIBA Europe – EuroBasket U-20 U-18 U-16
Oceania	FIBA Oceania – FIBA Oceania Championship U-20 U-18 U-16
Other tournaments	Acropolis Tournament Adecco Cup Albert Schweitzer Tournament African Games Asian Games Commonwealth Games Belgrade Trophy Diamond Ball FIBA Asia Challenge FIBA World Olympic Qualifying Tournament Lusophony Games Marchand Cup Mediterranean Games MVP Cup Stanković Cup Pan American Games Pan Arab Games South American Championship South Asian Games TBF International Under-16 Tournament William Jones Cup World Cup (Turkey)
Note: The Under-21 Championship is no longer held.