History
With a record of success that exceeds that of any other team in European basketball, Real Madrid has always lived willingly with high expectations. For at least half a century, Madrid has been a standard-bearer in European basketball, accumulating a record eight continental titles based on its dominance in the 1960s. Its early dominance in Spain has resulted in another untouchable cache of 30 domestic league and 22 cup trophies. And almost every time that Madrid did not play in Europe's top competition, it won a different continental trophy – four Saporta Cups, a Korać Cup and a ULEB Cup – as a stepping-stone back to the big time.
Players like Emiliano Rodríguez, Clifford Luyk, Wayne Brabender, Walter Szczerbiak, Juan Antonio Corbalán, Dražen Petrović, Mirza Delibašić, Arvydas Sabonis and Dejan Bodiroga have turned Real Madrid into one of the biggest basketball clubs in the world. Madrid won as many as 7 Euroleague titles between 1964 and 1980, becoming a European basketball legend, and even when it took the club 15 years to win it again, it found success in other European competitions, too.
Madrid downed Milano the 1984 Cup Winners' Cup on free throws by Brian Jackson, than Petrović had 62 points in the 1989 Cup Winners' Cup final against Snaidero Caserta, in one of the best games ever seen in Europe. Madrid added a 1988 Korać Cup title against Cibona, and a 1992 Saporta Cup trophy against PAOK on a buzzer-beating jumper by Rickey Brown. It was not until Sabonis arrived in Madrid when Real won its last Euroleague title in 1995, beating Olympiacos in the final. Madrid still won the 1997 Saporta Cup title against Verona, but no more European trophies came in the next decade.
Madrid still found success at home, winning Spanish League titles in 2000 and 2005, both in shocking fashion. It all has changed in 2007 when Joan Plaza was promoted to head coach and with the help of players like Louis Bullock, Felipe Reyes or Álex Mumbrú. Madrid added a new trophy to its roll of honours, the ULEB Cup, as it won 12 of its last 13 games and downed Lietuvos Rytas 75–87 in the final. Moreover, Madrid won the Spanish regular season and stayed strong in Palacio Vistalegre to lift its 30th league trophy, besting archrivals Winterthur FC Barcelona 3–1 in the title series.
Read more about this topic: Real Madrid Baloncesto
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