FC Bayern Munich (basketball)

History

Bayern Munich has a long basketball tradition. Besides its most successful years in the 1950s and 1960s (German Championships in 1954, 1955, and German Cup in 1968), the club enjoyed remarkable popularity in 1956, when it even drew 40,000 fans to an open-air test game against Lancia Bozen, once a top basketball club from Italy. Later, in 1966, the club was a founding member of the German League.

In the following years, the club slowly, but surely, faded into obscurity, and in 1974, was even relegated to the German 2nd Division. For a long time after that, the club never completely recovered, and only had a few successful years (Bayern moved up to the German First Division in 1987, and stayed there until 1989).

In 2008, the declared goal of the team was to return to the club's former glory, and return to the top German League, which it eventually did. In the near future, the club seeks to become a major force in European basketball, so that Bayern Munich will not only be well known for its football (soccer) operations, but also for its basketball operations as well. In the 2012–13 season the club reached the semi-finals, where it lost 3–2 against the reigning champions Brose Baskets.

Thanks to a wild card, Bayern Munich played the EuroLeague in the 2013–14 season. This was its first appearance in the top European championship, and it reached the Top 16 stage. On June 18, 2014, Bayern won its third national title when it beat Alba Berlin 3–1 in the Finals. It was the first title for the team since 1955; 59 years before. Star player of the team was Malcolm Delaney, who won both the MVP and Finals MVP.

In the 2014–15 season, Bayern failed to win a title; in the BBL Finals they were defeated by Brose Baskets 2–3.

Arena

The team's home arena is called Audi Dome, which seats 6,700 spectators.

Domestic competitions

German Championship

Winners (3): 1953–54, 1954–55, 2013–14 Runners-up (1): 2014–15

German Cup

Winners (1): 1968 Runners-up (2): 2016, 2017

German Super Cup

Runners-up (1): 2014

German 2nd League

Winners (1): 2010–11

International success

EuroLeague:

Top 16 (1): 2013–14

EuroCup

1/4 Finals (1): 2015–16

Notable players

To appear in this section a player must have either:

Played at least one season for the club.

Set a club record or won an individual award while at the club.

Played at least one official international match for their national team at any time.

To perform very successfully during period in the club or at later/previous stages of his career.

Notable coaches

Dirk Bauermann

Aleksandar Đorđević

Franz Kronberger

Svetislav Pešić

Video game

Bayern Munich was featured in the NBA 2K15, 2K16 & 2K17 video games.