ÃÂtoile Sportive Saint-Michel Le Portel Côte d'Opale, commonly known as ESSM Le Portel or simply Le Portel, is a professional basketball team based in Le Portel, France. The team currently plays in the Pro A, the first tier in France.
In the 2014âÂÂ15 season, ESSM had a historic run to the Coupe de France Final. They beat Pro A teams Le Mans, Le Havre, ASVEL and reigning French champion Limoges CSP to qualify for their first cup final ever. In the Final they lost 74âÂÂ87 to SIG Strasbourg.
In the 2015âÂÂ16 season, Le Portel won the Pro B play-offs which gained the team promotion to the LNB Pro A. In the first Pro A season of the club, they reached the playoffs after they captured the eight-seed. In the following 2017âÂÂ18 season, Le Portel made its European debut in the FIBA Europe Cup. In this competition, the team reached the quarter-finals, where it lost to Bakken Bears.