The Baloncesto Superior Nacional, abbreviated as BSN, is the first-tier-level professional men's

basketball Basketball is a team sport in which two teams, most commonly of five players each, opposing one another on a rectangular court, compete with the primary objective of shooting a basketball (approximately in diameter) through the defender's h ...

league in

Puerto Rico Puerto Rico (; abbreviated PR; tnq, Boriken, ''Borinquen''), officially the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico ( es, link=yes, Estado Libre Asociado de Puerto Rico, lit=Free Associated State of Puerto Rico), is a Caribbean island and unincorporated ...

. It was founded in 1929 and is organized by the

Puerto Rican Basketball Federation The Puerto Rican Basketball Federation ( es, link=no, Federación de Baloncesto de Puerto Rico or ''FBPR'') is the governing body of basketball in Puerto Rico. As of October 18, 2021 the Puerto Rico national basketball team, Puerto Rican men's ...

. The Baloncesto Superior Nacional, which is played under

FIBA The International Basketball Federation (FIBA ; French: ) is an association of national organizations which governs the sport of basketball worldwide. Originally known as the (hence FIBA), in 1989 it dropped the word ''amateur'' from its nam ...

rules Rule or ruling may refer to: Education * Royal University of Law and Economics (RULE), a university in Cambodia Human activity * The exercise of political or personal control by someone with authority or power * Business rule, a rule pert ...

, currently consists of 12 teams, of which the most successful has been the

Vaqueros de Bayamón The Vaqueros de Bayamón are a Puerto Rican basketball team of the Baloncesto Superior Nacional based in Bayamón, Puerto Rico. The Vaqueros play their home games at Coliseo Rubén Rodríguez, Rubén Rodríguez Coliseum, a venue shared with the L ...

with 16 titles as of 2022. The league has produced players that have distinguished themselves in the NBA, EuroLeague, Spain's ACB, and other tournaments throughout the world. Among them, Georgie Torres was the first Puerto Rican to sign an NBA contract &

Butch Lee Alfred "Butch" Lee Jr. (born December 5, 1956) is a Puerto Rican retired professional basketball player. Lee was the first Puerto Rican and first Latin American-born athlete to play in the National Basketball Association (NBA), accomplishing thi ...

was the first BSN player to win an NBA title. Later on came players like José Ortiz,

Ramón Rivas Juan Ramón Rivas Contreras (born March 16, 1966
basketball-reference.com) is a Puerto Rican retired professional ...

Daniel Santiago Daniel Gregg Santiago (born June 24, 1976) is a Puerto Rican former professional basketball player. A center, he had a collegiate career in the NCAA and NAIA. His professional career saw him play in the NBA, the Baloncesto Superior Nacional of ...

Carlos Arroyo Carlos Alberto Arroyo Bermúdez (born July 30, 1979) is a Puerto Rican former professional basketball player, and reggaeton singer. Arroyo had previously played in the National Basketball Association with the Toronto Raptors, Denver Nuggets, ...

and

José Juan Barea José Juan Barea Mora (born June 26, 1984) is a Puerto Rican former professional basketball player and coach. He played college basketball for Northeastern University before joining the Mavericks in 2006 and becoming only the seventh Puerto Ric ...

, who were other NBA players that started their careers playing for BSN teams.

History

The league began in 1930, and is noted for having had several head coaches who went on to achieve international recognition later in their careers. Among those are Basketball Hall of Fame members Dr. Jack Ramsay,

Tex Winter Morice Fredrick "Tex" Winter (February 25, 1922 – October 10, 2018) was an American basketball coach and innovator of the triangle offense. He was a head coach in college basketball for 30 years before becoming an assistant coach in the National ...

and

Red Holzman William "Red" Holzman (August 10, 1920 – November 13, 1998) was an American professional basketball player and coach. He is best known as the head coach of the New York Knicks of the National Basketball Association (NBA) from 1967 to ...

, who coached the Leones de Ponce in the 1950s and 1960s, and

Phil Jackson Philip Douglas Jackson (born September 17, 1945) is an American former professional basketball player, coach, and executive. A power forward, Jackson played 12 seasons in the NBA, winning NBA championships with the New York Knicks in 1970 and ...

, who coached the

Piratas de Quebradillas The Piratas de Quebradillas is a Puerto Rican basketball team, part of the Baloncesto Superior Nacional league. Founded in the mid 1920s, it is one of the original teams of the league. The club enjoyed its most successful era during the 1970s, ...

and Gallitos de Isabela in the late 1980s. Others notable coaches who have worked for BSN teams include

Gene Bartow Bobby Gene Bartow (August 18, 1930 January 3, 2012) was an American men's college basketball coach. The Browning, Missouri, native coached 36 years at six universities after coaching two high schools in Missouri for six years. In 1972 Bartow coac ...

, Lou Rossini,

Del Harris Delmer William Harris (born June 18, 1937) is an American basketball coach who is currently the vice president of the Texas Legends, the NBA G League affiliate of the Dallas Mavericks. He served as a head coach for the NBA's Houston Rockets, Mil ...

, P. J. Carlesimo, Bernie Bickerstaff and

Herb Brown Herbert Brown (born March 14, 1936) is an American basketball coach and the brother of Hall of Fame coach Larry Brown. He is the former head coach of the Detroit Pistons (1976–78). Career Brown succeeded Ray Scott when he was promoted from a ...

. During the 1980s, notable players followed in the footsteps of players such as Juan "Pachin" Vicens ( 1959 Santiago Chile FIBA World Championship's All-Tournament Team) and Butch Lee, the first Puerto Rican and BSN player to enter the NBA. Among those are: Mario 'Quijote' Morales, Raymond Dalmau, Jose 'Piculin' Ortiz,

Ramón Rivas Juan Ramón Rivas Contreras (born March 16, 1966
basketball-reference.com) is a Puerto Rican retired professional ...

, Jerome Mincy, Georgie Torres, Angelo Cruz, Angel Santiago, the late Federico 'Fico' Lopez,

Rolando Frazer Rolando Frazer Thorne (born July 3, 1958 in Panama City, Panama) is a Panamanian former professional basketball player. At a height of 6'7" (2.01 m) tall, he played at the power forward and center positions. He was an inaugural inductee of the ...

, Mario Butler, and Rubén Rodríguez, who showcased their talents to all of Puerto Rico's TV viewers and game goers. On October 8, 2015, the BSN team owners selected Fernando Quiñones Bodea to succeed Carlos J. Beltrán as president of the league.

Competition format

Regular season

The BSN tournament is played under the regular

basketball rules. The teams regularly play a total of four games amongst them. For the 2017 tournament, the regular season extended to 36 games. Of the 9 participating teams, the top 8 moved on to the postseason.

Postseason

Current teams

Defunct teams

Aibonito Polluelos de Aibonito; (1977–2001) Played their home games at Cancha Marron Aponte Flag of Aguada (PR)

Aguada Conquistadores de Aguada (1994-1998) Flag of Aguada (PR)

Aguada Santeros de Aguada; (2016–2020) Played their home games at the Ismael Delgado Coliseum Bandera de Aguadilla, Puerto Rico

Aguadilla Aguadilla (, ), founded in 1775 by Luis de Córdova, is a city and municipality located in the northwestern tip of Puerto Rico, bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, north of Aguada, and Moca and west of Isabela. Aguadilla i ...

Tiburones de Aguadilla; (1990s–1998) Played their home games at the Luis T. Diaz Coliseum Flag of Cabo Rojo

Cabo Rojo Taínos de Cabo Rojo; (1989–1993) Played their home games at Rebekah Colberg Cabrera Coliseum Bandera de Caguas, Puerto Rico

Caguas Caguas (, ) is a city and municipality of Puerto Rico located in the Central Mountain Range of Puerto Rico, south of San Juan and Trujillo Alto, west of Gurabo and San Lorenzo, and east of Aguas Buenas, Cidra, and Cayey. Caguas was founde ...

Criollos de Caguas; (1976–2009) Played their home games at Héctor Solá Besares Coliseum Flag of Canovanas

Canóvanas Indios de Canóvanas Played their home games at Coliseo Carlos Miguel Mangual Flag of Cayey

Cayey Cayey (), officially Cayey de Muesas, is a mountain town and municipality in central Puerto Rico located on the Sierra de Cayey within the Central Mountain range, north of Salinas and Guayama; south of Cidra and Caguas; east of Aibonito and Sal ...

Toritos de Cayey; (2002–2004) Played their home games at the Cayey Municipal Coliseum Flag of Coamo

Coamo Coamo (, ) is a town and municipality founded in 1579 in the south-central region of Puerto Rico, located north of Santa Isabel; south of Orocovis and Barranquitas; east of Villalba and Juana Díaz; and west of Aibonito and Salinas. Coamo ...

Maratonistas de Coamo; (1985–1996, 1999–2015) Played their home games at Edwin "Puruco" Nolasco Coliseum Flag of Isabela

Isabela Gallitos de Isabela Played their home games at the Jose Abreu Coliseum Flag of Manatí

Manatí Atenienses de Manatí; (2014–2017) Played their home games at the Juan Cruz Abreu Coliseum Bandera de Morovis, Puerto Rico

Morovis Titanes de Morovis; (1977–2006) Played their home games in the José Pepe Huyke Coliseum Flag of Villalba

Villalba Avancinos de Villalba; (1996–1998) Played their home games at the José Ibem Marrero Coliseum

League records

Rubén Rodríguez established most of the early long-standing records in the BSN. He broke both the single-season points record with 810 in 1978 and the highest career points record with 11,549. The current holder of the career mark is Georgie Torres, who broke it before retiring in 2001 with 15,863 points in 679 games, playing his first 7 years before the establishment of the three-point line. Rodríguez also holds the mark for most rebounds in a career with 6,178. He also held the single-season rebound record with 380 in 1978, which stood until Lee Benson broke it in 2008. Currently, Neftalí Rivera holds the record for most points in a game in the Baloncesto Superior Nacional when he scored 79 points on May 22, 1974. In that game he achieved the record by making 34 field goals (all of them 2-pointers as 3-pointers were not adopted back then) and 11 free throws. In 1989, Pablo Alicea of the Gigantes de Carolina established a record for most assists in one game with 25. The record stood for over two decades until May 1, 2012, when Jonathan García of the Caciques de Humacao broke it recording 33 assists against the Brujos de Guayama. García's mark is an unofficial world record pending the approval of

Guinness World Records ''Guinness World Records'', known from its inception in 1955 until 1999 as ''The Guinness Book of Records'' and in previous United States editions as ''The Guinness Book of World Records'', is a reference book published annually, listing world ...

, since there is no higher number recorded in any amateur or professional international league or in FIBA competition. During this game, the Caciques also established the team points record for a single game with 130 and for most scored during a single (10-minute) quarter with 46. The Vaqueros de Bayamón hosted the game with highest attendance in the league, with 17,621 fans attending a home game against Río Piedras on September 8, 1969. This bested the previous top of 16,564 in a game between Ponce and Santurce. The Vaqueros also hold the record for most consecutive championships, winning five from 1971 to 1975.

Championships

Number of championships won by teams

* *These titles are from Farmacia Martin, a team that later merged with the Atléticos de San Germán

BSN awards

BSN statistical leaders

BSN all-time scoring leaders

Note: Christian Dalmau has been updated to show that he retired in 2017 - but his stats (and all stats in this section) are from 2015.

BSN all-time rebounding leaders

BSN all-time assists leaders