Franca Basquetebol Clube

Franca Basquetebol Clube (English: Franca Basketball Club), most known as Franca, or Sesi Franca for sponsorship reasons, is a Brazilian men's professional basketball club that is based in Franca, São Paulo state. Franca is the most decorated team in Brazilian basketball history, having won 13 national championships.

The club was founded on 10 May 1959, and home games are played at the Ginásio Pedrocão. Franca won the South American Club Championship six times, the Pan American Championship four times, and has won the FIBA Intercontinental Cup in 2023.

History

The club was a two-time FIBA Intercontinental Cup runner-up: in 1975 (as Esporte Clube Amazonas Franca), and in 1980 (as Associação Atlética Francana).

On 16 April 2023, Franca won the 2022–23 season of the Basketball Champions League Americas.

Achievements and honors

Worldwide

• FIBA Intercontinental Cup
• Champions (1): 2023
• Runners-up (2): 1975, 1980

Latin America

• Pan American Club Championship
• Champions (4): 1993, 1994, 1997, 1999 (record)
• Runners-up (1): 1996

Continental

• South American Club Championship
• Champions (6): 1974, 1975, 1977, 1980, 1990, 1991
• Runners-up (3): 1978, 1992, 1993
• FIBA South American League
• Champions (1): 2018
• Runners-up (2): 1998, 2007
• Basketball Champions League Americas
• Champions (1): 2022–23

National

• Brazilian Championship
• Champions (15): 1971, 1974, 1975, 1980, 1981 (II), 1990, 1991, 1993, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2022, 2023, 2024, 2025(record)
• Runners-up (9): 1979, 1981 (I), 1982, 1986, 1989, 1994, 2007, 2011, 2019
• Winners (2): 2020, 2023
• Runners-up (1): 2018
• Winners (1): 2008

Regional

• São Paulo State Championship
• Champions (17 - record): 1973, 1975, 1976, 1977, 1988, 1990, 1992, 1997, 2000, 2006, 2007, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2022, 2024, 2025
• Runners-up (13): 1964, 1970, 1971, 1974, 1978, 1979, 1980, 1991, 1993, 1996, 1999, 2008, 2017, 2021

Current roster

Notable players

• Rafael "Bábby" Araújo
• Fúlvio de Assis
• Leandrinho Barbosa
• Murilo Becker
• Vítor Benite
• Lucas Cipolini
• Elio Corazza
• Roberto "Robertão" José Corrêa
• Lucas Dias
• Gilson Trinidade de Jesus
• Marco Aurélio Pegolo dos Santos (Chuí)
• Wagner da Silva
• Josuel dos Santos
• Nezinho dos Santos
• Demétrius Ferraciú
• Francisco Sérgio García
• Zé Geraldo
• Jorge Guerra
• Rafael Hettsheimeir
• Rogério Klafke
• Marquinhos Leite
• Tato Lopez
• Didi Louzada
• Sílvio Malvezi
• Rafael Mineiro
• Fernando Minucci
• Adilson Nascimento
• Jimmy de Oliveira
• Paulão Prestes
• Hélio Rubens
• Helio Rubens Filho
• Toto
• Anderson Varejão
• Marcelo Vido
• Marcos Mata
• Leonel Schattman
• José Vargas
• Eddie Basden
• Dexter Shouse
• Rocky Smith
• David Jackson

Head coaches

• Pedro "Pedroca" Morilla Fuentes: (1959–1981)
• Hélio Rubens: (1981–2000)
• Daniel Abrão Wattfy: (2000–2004)
• Marco Aurélio "Chuí" Pegolo dos Santos: (2004–2005)
• Hélio Rubens: (2005–2012)
• Lula Ferreira: (2012–2016)
• Helinho: (2016–present)

Official club names

The club adopted several different names during its history:

• Clube dos Bagres (1959–1971)
• Emmanuel Franca Esporte Clube (1972–1974)
• Esporte Clube Amazonas Franca (1975–1977)
• Associação Atlética Francana (1977–1984)
• Associação Francana de Basquetebol (1984–1988)
• Ravelli Franca Basquetebol (1988–1991)
• Franca Basquetebol Clube (1992–)

Since the foundation of Franca Basquetebol Clube (the club's current form), in 1992, the club has regularly changed its name according to its name sponsor:

• All Star/Franca (1992)
• Satierf/Sabesp/Franca (1993)
• Cosesp/Franca (1994)
• Cougar/Franca (1996)
• Marathon/Franca (1997–2000)
• Unimed/Franca (2000–2001)
• Franca Basquetebol Clube (2001–2004, 2015-)*
• Franca/Petrocrystal/Ferracini (2004–2005)
• Franca/Mariner/Unimed (2005–2006)
• Unimed/Franca (2006–2008)
• Vivo/Franca (2008–2015)
• Sesi/Franca (2017–)

<small>* Without an official sponsor.</small>

References

External links

• Official website
• Latinbasket.com Team Profile