Dissolved 2015 Team colors Red, navy blue, white Date founded 1935 | Championships 3 (1980, 1982, 1989) | |
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History Cangrejeros de Santurce1935–1976Mets de Guaynabo1976–2015 | ||
The Mets de Guaynabo was a Puerto Rican professional basketball team of the Baloncesto Superior Nacional based in Guaynabo, Puerto Rico. The team dissolved in 2015.
The team was founded in 1935 as the original Cangrejeros de Santurce based in San Juan, Puerto Rico, one of the first professional clubs in the San Juan Metropolitan Area. In 1976 the franchise relocated to the city of Guaynabo and was renamed as the Mets de Guaynabo. Since 1983 the team's home court is Mario Morales Coliseum, named after famed basketball player Mario Morales, who led the team to its three titles in the 1980s. Beforehand, they had to play at a local gymnasium in Isla Verde, a San Juan area somewhat far from Guaynabo.
The Mets have won three BSN Championships, the last one being in 1989. The Mets last reached the finals in 1990 and again in 1993, losing both times to the Ponce Lions.
Early history
The Mets were coached by legendary National Team and Olympic Coach Julio Toro and were a force in Puerto Rican basketball during the 1980s. With such players as Fico Lopez, Mario Morales, José Sosa, Earl Brown, Jose Santos, Gustavo Santos, Papiro Leon, Papote Agosto and many more, the Mets won championships in 1980, 1982 and 1989, while reaching the finals in 1981, 1983, and 1985. The reached the playoffs every year during that decade.
The Mets were able to acquire Jose and Gustavo Santos from the Rio Piedras Cardinals whom they had defeated the previous year in the Superior Basketball league semi finals. 5 players for two arguably the largest trade in PR basketball history. The Mets were reborn with the Santos trade and looked to their minor league for future stars Papiro Leon, Fico Lopez, Papote Agosto. So dominant and young was this team, that a dynasty was born, the Mets reached the finals in 4 consecutive years winning two championships. All of their players were below the age of 25, with teenagers shoring up the bench. The Puerto Rican Basketball Federation had to break up this team by introducing a draft and new rule that a team can only protect "6" players thus breaking up the powerful Mets.