Baloncesto Superior Nacional facts for kids
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| Founded | 1929 |
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| First season | 1930 (as LPB) |
| Country | Puerto Rico |
| Confederation | FIBA Americas |
| Number of teams | 12 |
| Level on pyramid | 1 |
| International cup(s) | Champions League Americas |
| Current champions | Gigantes de Carolina (1 title) |
| Most championships | Vaqueros de Bayamón (16 titles) |
| All-time top scorer | Georgie Torres (15,863) |
| TV partners | Telemundo Puerto Rico DirecTV Puerto Rico |
 2024 BSN season |
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The Baloncesto Superior Nacional, or BSN, is Puerto Rico's top professional men's basketball league. It started in 1929. The Puerto Rican Basketball Federation organizes all the games.
The BSN follows FIBA rules. There are currently 12 teams in the league. The most successful team is the Vaqueros de Bayamón. They have won 16 titles as of 2022.
Many BSN players have become famous. Some have played in the NBA. Others have played in the EuroLeague or Spain's ACB. Georgie Torres was the first Puerto Rican to sign an NBA contract. Butch Lee was the first BSN player to win an NBA title. Later, players like José Ortiz, Ramón Rivas, Daniel Santiago, Carlos Arroyo, and J. J. Barea also played in the NBA. They all started their careers in the BSN.
Contents
How the Games Work
BSN games follow the standard FIBA basketball rules. There are 12 teams in the league. Each team plays every other team four times. This means two games at home and two games away. In total, each team plays 44 games during the regular season. The top 8 teams then move on to the playoffs, also called the postseason.
History of the BSN
The league officially began in 1930. Many coaches who worked in the BSN later became famous around the world. Some of them are in the Basketball Hall of Fame. These include Dr. Jack Ramsay, Tex Winter, and Red Holzman. They coached the Leones de Ponce in the 1950s and 1960s.
Phil Jackson also coached in the BSN. He led the Piratas de Quebradillas and Gallitos de Isabela in the late 1980s. Other well-known coaches who worked with BSN teams include Gene Bartow, Lou Rossini, Del Harris, P. J. Carlesimo, Bernie Bickerstaff, Herb Brown, and Sergio Hernández.
In the 1980s, new stars emerged. They followed players like Juan "Pachin" Vicens and Butch Lee. Butch Lee was the first BSN player to join the NBA. Famous players from the 80s included Mario 'Quijote' Morales, Raymond Dalmau, Jose 'Piculin' Ortiz, Ramón Rivas, Jerome Mincy, Georgie Torres, Angelo Cruz, Angel Santiago, the late Federico 'Fico' Lopez, Rolando Frazer, Mario Butler, and Rubén Rodríguez. They showed their amazing skills to fans across Puerto Rico.
New Era: 2019 to Today
On September 19, 2019, the BSN team owners chose Ricardo Dalmau Santana. He became the new president of the league.
In October 2020, the Vaqueros de Bayamón got a new owner. Retired baseball player Yadier Molina bought his hometown team. In April 2021, the league allowed the Cangrejeros to return. Noah Assad and Jonathan Miranda owned them. Later, urban artist Bad Bunny joined them as an owner. In October 2022, the Osos de Manatí came back. Puerto Rican singer Ozuna bought the Brujos de Guayama team. He then moved it to Manatí.
In Game 1 of the 2023 BSN finals, LeBron James made a surprise visit. The Gigantes beat the Vaqueros 89-85 in overtime. This gave them a 1-0 lead in the series. On July 27, 2023, the Gigantes De Carolina won the BSN Finals. They defeated the Bayamon Vaqueros 80-60 in Game 5. This made them the 2023 BSN Champions.
Current Teams
| Team | Home city | Year established | Arena | Capacity |
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| Atléticos de San Germán | San Germán | 1930 | Arquelio Torres Ramírez Coliseum |
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| Cangrejeros de Santurce | Santurce | 1918 | Roberto Clemente Coliseum |
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| Capitanes de Arecibo | Arecibo | 1946 | Manuel Iguina Coliseum |
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| Criollos de Caguas | Caguas | 2023* | Coliseo Roger Mendoza |
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| Santeros de Aguada | Aguada | 1992 | Ismael Delgado Coliseum |
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| Gigantes de Carolina | Carolina | 1971 | Guillermo Angulo Coliseum |
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| Indios de Mayagüez | Mayagüez | 1956 | Palacio de Recreación y Deportes |
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| Leones de Ponce | Ponce | 1946 | Juan Pachín Vicéns Auditorium |
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| Mets de Guaynabo | Guaynabo | 1935 | Mario Morales Coliseum |
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| Osos de Manatí | Manatí | 2014 | Juan Cruz Abreu Coliseum |
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| Piratas de Quebradillas | Quebradillas | 1926 | Raymond Dalmau Coliseum |
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| Vaqueros de Bayamón | Bayamón | 1930 | Ruben Rodriguez Coliseum |
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Former Teams
Some teams have played in the BSN but are no longer active. These include:
- Atenienses de Manatí (2014–2017)
- Avancinos de Villalba (1996–1998)
- Conquistadores de Aguada (1994–1998)
- Gallitos de Isabela
- Grises de Humacao (2005–2023)
- Indios de Canóvanas
- Maratonistas de Coamo (1985–1996, 1999–2015)
- Polluelos de Aibonito (1977–2001)
- Taínos de Cabo Rojo (1989–1993)
- Tiburones de Aguadilla (1990s–1998)
- Titanes de Morovis (1977–2006)
- Toritos de Cayey (2002–2004)
Championships
Number of Championships Won by Teams
| Teams | Finals | Championships | Runners-up | Years won | Years runners-up |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Vaqueros de Bayamón | 26 | 16 | 10 | 1933, 1935, 1967, 1969, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1974, 1975, 1981, 1988, 1995, 1996, 2009, 2020, 2022 |
1930, 1934, 1970, 2001, 2002, 2005, 2010, 2016, 2018, 2023 |
| Atléticos de San Germán | 26 | 14 | 12 | 1932, 1938, 1939, 1941, 1942, 1942-1943, 1947, 1948, 1949, 1950, 1985, 1991, 1994, 1997 |
1931, 1933, 1936*, 1938*, 1940, 1954, 1955, 1956, 1957, 1965, 1986, 2022 |
| Leones de Ponce | 25 | 14 | 11 | 1952, 1954, 1960, 1961, 1964, 1965, 1966, 1990, 1992, 1993, 2002, 2004, 2014, 2015 |
1949, 1958, 1963, 1967, 1989, 1995, 1996, 1998, 2003, 2013, 2019 |
| Cangrejeros de Santurce | 14 | 8 | 6 | 1962, 1968, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2003, 2007 |
1942, 1942–1943, 1951, 1952, 1964, 2006 |
| Capitanes de Arecibo | 19 | 8 | 11 | 1959, 2005, 2008, 2010, 2011, 2016, 2018, 2021 | 1932, 1946, 1948, 1961, 1966, 1992, 2007, 2012, 2014, 2015, 2017 |
| Cardenales de Río Piedras | 15 | 6 | 9 | 1946, 1955, 1956, 1957,1963, 1976 |
1941, 1947, 1959, 1960, 1962, 1968, 1969, 1971, 1977 |
| Piratas de Quebradillas | 18 | 6 | 12 | 1970, 1977, 1978, 1979, 2013, 2017 | 1937, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1976, 1980, 1982, 1999, 2000, 2009, 2011, 2020 |
| Capitalinos de San Juan | 9 | 5 | 4 | 1930, 1931, 1940, 1945, 1958 | 1943, 1944, 1950, 1974 |
| Mets de Guaynabo | 10 | 3 | 7 | 1980, 1982, 1989 | 1978, 1981, 1983, 1985, 1990, 1993, 2021 |
| Vega Baja | 4 | 2 | 2 | 1934, 1937 | 1935, 1939 |
| Gallitos de la UPR | 3 | 2 | 1 | 1944, 1951 | 1945 |
| Indios de Canóvanas | 3 | 2 | 1 | 1983, 1984 | 1988 |
| Club Náutico San Juan | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1936 | — |
| Polluelos de Aibonito | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1986 | 1987 |
| Titanes de Morovis | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1987 | — |
| Criollos de Caguas | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2006 | — |
| Indios de Mayagüez | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2012 | — |
| Santeros de Aguada | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2019 | - |
| Gigantes de Carolina | 4 | 1 | 3 | 2023 | 1979, 1997, 2008 |
| Brujos de Guayama | 2 | 0 | 2 | — | 1991, 1994 |
| Gallitos de Isabela | 1 | 0 | 1 | — | 1984 |
| Maratonistas de Coamo | 1 | 0 | 1 | — | 2004 |
- *These titles are from Farmacia Martin, a team that later joined the Atléticos de San Germán.
BSN Awards and Records
League Records
Rubén Rodríguez set many early BSN records. In 1978, he scored 810 points in one season. He also held the career points record with 11,549 points. Today, Georgie Torres holds the career points record. He retired in 2001 with 15,863 points in 679 games. He played his first 7 years before the three-point line existed.
Rodríguez also holds the record for most career rebounds with 6,178. He had 380 rebounds in 1978, a single-season record. This record stood until Lee Benson broke it in 2008.
Neftalí Rivera holds the record for most points in a single game. He scored 79 points on May 22, 1974. In that game, he made 34 two-point field goals and 11 free throws. The three-point shot was not yet used.
In 1989, Pablo Alicea of the Gigantes de Carolina set an assist record. He had 25 assists in one game. This record lasted over 20 years. On May 1, 2012, Jonathan García broke it. He had 33 assists for the Caciques de Humacao. This is an unofficial world record. No other league or FIBA competition has a higher number recorded. In that same game, the Caciques set a team record. They scored 130 points in one game. They also scored 46 points in a single 10-minute quarter.
The Vaqueros de Bayamón hosted the game with the most fans. On September 8, 1969, 17,621 fans watched them play Río Piedras. This beat the old record of 16,564 fans. That game was between Ponce and Santurce. The Vaqueros also hold the record for winning the most championships in a row. They won five titles from 1971 to 1975.
BSN All-Time Scoring Leaders
| ^ | Active player |
| * | Inducted into the FIBA Hall of Fame |
| Rank | Player | Position(s) | Nationality | Years | Total points | Games played |
Points per game average |
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Georgie Torres |
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 Puerto Rico |
1975–2001 |
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Mario Morales |
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Puerto Rico |
1975–1998 |
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Mario Butler |
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 Panama |
1980–2008 |
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Rolando Frazer |
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Panama |
1980–2001 |
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Raymond Dalmau |
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Puerto Rico |
1966–1985 |
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Rubén Rodríguez |
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Puerto Rico |
1969–1991 |
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Roberto Ríos |
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Puerto Rico |
1978–2000 |
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Ángel Santiago |
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Puerto Rico |
1973–1996 |
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José Quiñonez |
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Puerto Rico |
??–?? |
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Christian Dalmau |
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Puerto Rico |
1992–2003, 2009–2017 |
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BSN All-Time Rebounding Leaders
| Rank | Player | Pos | Years | Reb | GP | RPG |
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Mario Butler |
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1980–2008 | 8,236 | 779 | 10.6 |
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Rubén Rodríguez |
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1969–1991 | 6,178 | 631 | 9.8 |
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Rolando Frazer |
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1980–2001 | 6,153 | 603 | 10.2 |
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Raymond Dalmau |
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1966–1985 | 5,673 | 537 | 10.6 |
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Mario Morales |
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1975–1998 | 5,665 | 675 | 8.4 |
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José Ortíz |
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1980–2006 | 5,314 | 505 | 10.5 |
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Carlos Bermúdez |
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1970–1984 | 4,884 | 422 | 11.6 |
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Edgar de León |
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1981–2001 | 4,837 | 493 | 9.8 |
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Teófilo Cruz* |
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1957–1982 | 4,672 | 584 | 8 |
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Angel Santiago |
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1973–1996 | 4,447 | 617 | 7.2 |
BSN All-Time Assists Leaders
| Rank | Player | Position(s) | Years | Total AST | GP | APG |
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James Carter |
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1987–2006 | 3,025 | 543 | 5.6 |
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Christian Dalmau |
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1992–2003, 2009–2017 | 2,931 | 639 | 4.6 |
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Pablo Alicea |
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1987–2006 | 2,762 | 503 | 5.5 |
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Javier Antonio Colón |
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1987–2008 | 2,748 | 555 | 5.0 |
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Federico López |
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1981–1997 | 2,440 | 446 | 5.5 |
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Wilfredo Pagan |
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1992–2018 | 2,367 | 652 | 3.6 |
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Roberto Ríos |
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1978–2000 | 2,315 | 681 | 3.4 |
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Raymond Dalmau |
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1966–1985 | 2,302 | 537 | 5.1 |
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Bobby Joe Hatton |
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1994–2012 | 2,235 | 489 | 4.6 |
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George Torres |
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1975–2001 | 2,203 | 679 | 3.2 |
BSN All-Time Block Leaders
| Rank | Player | Position(s) | Nationality | Total blocks | Games played |
Blocks per game average |
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Kleon Penn |
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Puerto Rico British Virgin Islands |
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Jeffrion Aubry |
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Puerto Rico |
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Peter John Ramos |
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Puerto Rico |
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Carmelo Lee |
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Puerto Rico |
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Jorge Brian Diaz |
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Puerto Rico |
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JaJa Richards |
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 United States Virgin Islands |
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Luis 'PelaCoco' Hernández |
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Puerto Rico |
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Ricardo Sanchéz |
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Puerto Rico |
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Nathanael Davis |
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 United States |
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Alphonse Dyer |
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United States |
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Last Updated July 26, 2023
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See also
- Puerto Rico national basketball team
