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)

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.

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.

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:	2018–2024
 * Daniel Miret:	2024–present

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.

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.