 | |
| Founded | 1929; 96 years ago (1929) |
|---|---|
| First season | 1930 (as LPB) |
| Country | Puerto Rico |
| Federation | Puerto Rican Basketball Federation |
| Confederation | FIBA Americas |
| Number of teams | 12 |
| Level on pyramid | 1 |
| International cup | Champions League Americas |
| Current champions | Vaqueros de Bayamón (17 titles) |
| Most championships | Vaqueros de Bayamón (17 titles) |
| All-time top scorer | Georgie Torres (15,863) |
| TV partners | Telemundo Puerto Rico DirecTV Puerto Rico |
| Website | www |
 2025 Baloncesto Superior Nacional season | |
TheBaloncesto Superior Nacional, abbreviated asBSN, is the first tier-level professional men'sbasketballleague inPuerto Rico. It was founded in 1929 and is organized by thePuerto Rican Basketball Federation.
The Baloncesto Superior Nacional, which is played underFIBArules, currently consists of 12[1]teams, of which the most successful has been theVaqueros de Bayamón with 17 titles as of 2025.
The league has produced players that have distinguished themselves in theNBA,EuroLeague, Spain'sACB, and other tournaments throughout the world. Among them,Georgie Torres was the first Puerto Rican to sign an NBA contract &Butch Lee was the first BSN player to win an NBA title. Later on players includingJosé Ortiz,Ramón Rivas,Daniel Santiago,Carlos Arroyo andJ. J. Barea, started their careers playing for BSN teams and later played in the NBA.
BSN games are played under the regularFIBA basketball rules. The twelve teams each play a total of four games amongst themselves, two at home and two away, for a total of 44 games during the regular season. Of the 12 participating teams, the top 8 move on to the postseason. The final two teams left will play in theLa Final Brava, or the Brava Final, a basketball tournament sponsored by Brava Lubricants.
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 areBasketball Hall of Fame membersDr. Jack Ramsay,Tex Winter andRed Holzman, who coached theLeones de Ponce in the 1950s and 1960s, andPhil Jackson, who coached thePiratas de Quebradillas andGallitos de Isabela in the late 1980s. Others notable coaches who have worked for BSN teams includeGene Bartow,Lou Rossini,Del Harris,P. J. Carlesimo,Bernie Bickerstaff,Herb Brown andSergio Hernández.
During the 1980s, notable players followed in the footsteps of players such asJuan "Pachin" Vicens (1959 Santiago Chile FIBA World Championship'sAll-Tournament Team) and Butch Lee, the first Puerto Rican and BSN player to enter theNBA. Among those are:Mario 'Quijote' Morales,Raymond Dalmau,Jose 'Piculin' Ortiz,Ramón Rivas,Jerome Mincy,Georgie Torres,Angelo Cruz, Angel Santiago, the lateFederico 'Fico' Lopez,Rolando Frazer,Mario Butler, andRubén Rodríguez, who showcased their talents to all of Puerto Rico's TV viewers and game goers.
On September 19, 2019, the BSN team owners selected Ricardo Dalmau Santana to succeed Fernando Quiñones Bodea as president of the league.[2]
In October 2020, there was a change in ownership of theVaqueros de Bayamón, when retired professional baseball playerYadier Molina acquired his hometown team.[3] In April 2021, the league approved the return of theCangrejeros under the ownership of Noah Assad and Jonathan Miranda. Later that month,Bad Bunny joined the ownership group.[4][5] In October 2022, theOsos de Manatí returned from a short hiatus, when Puerto Rican singerOzuna purchased theBrujos de Guayama and relocated the team to Manatí.[6][7]
In game 1 of the 2023 BSN finals,LeBron James made a surprise appearance as theGigantes defeated theVaqueros, 89-85, in overtime to take a 1-0 series lead.[8] On July 27 2023, the Gigantes De Carolina defeated the Vaqueros 80-60 in Game 5 of the BSN Finals, leading the Gigantes to become the 2023 BSN Champions.[9][10]
In October of 2024, Molina sold ownership of his team.
| Team | Home city | Year established | Arena | Capacity |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Atléticos de San German | San Germán | 1930 | Arquelio Torres Ramírez Coliseum | 5,000 |
| Cangrejeros de Santurce | Santurce | 1918 | Roberto Clemente Coliseum | 9,000 |
| Capitanes de Arecibo | Arecibo | 1946 | Manuel Iguina Coliseum | 12,000 |
| Criollos de Caguas | Caguas | 2023* | Coliseo Roger Mendoza | 3,000 |
| Santeros de Aguada | Aguada | 1992 | Ismael Delgado Coliseum | 6,000 |
| Gigantes de Carolina/Canovanas | Canovanas | 1971 | Carlos Miguel Mangual Coliseum | 5,000 |
| Indios de Mayagüez | Mayagüez | 1956 | Palacio de Recreación y Deportes | 5,500 |
| Leones de Ponce | Ponce | 1946 | Juan Pachín Vicéns Auditorium | 11,000 |
| Mets de Guaynabo | Guaynabo | 1935 | Mario Morales Coliseum | 5,500 |
| Osos de Manatí | Manatí | 2014 | Juan Cruz Abreu Coliseum | 8,000 |
| Piratas de Quebradillas | Quebradillas | 1926 | Raymond Dalmau Coliseum | 5,500 |
| Vaqueros de Bayamón | Bayamón | 1930 | Ruben Rodriguez Coliseum | 12,000 |
| Teams | Finals | Championships | Runners-up | Vaqueros de Bayamón | 27 | 17 | 10 | 1933, 1935, 1967, 1969, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1974, 1975, 1981, 1988, 1995, 1996, 2009, 2020, 2022,2025 | 1930, 1934, 1970, 2001, 2002, 2005, 2010, 2016, 2018, 2023 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Atléticos de San Germán | 26 | 14 | 12 | 1932, 1938, 1939, 1941, 1942, 1942-1943, 1947, 1948, 1949, 1950, 1985, 1991, 1994, 1997 | 1931, 1933, 1936*, 1938*, 1940, 1954, 1955, 1956, 1957, 1965, 1986, 2022 | ||||
| Leones de Ponce | 26 | 14 | 12 | 1952, 1954, 1960, 1961, 1964, 1965, 1966, 1990, 1992, 1993, 2002, 2004, 2014, 2015 | 1949, 1958, 1963, 1967, 1989, 1995, 1996, 1998, 2003, 2013, 2019, 2025 | ||||
| Cangrejeros de Santurce | 14 | 8 | 6 | 1962, 1968, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2003, 2007 | 1942, 1942–1943, 1951, 1952, 1964, 2006 | ||||
| Capitanes de Arecibo | 19 | 8 | 11 | 1959, 2005, 2008, 2010, 2011, 2016, 2018, 2021 | 1932, 1946, 1948, 1961, 1966, 1992, 2007, 2012, 2014, 2015, 2017 | ||||
| Cardenales de Río Piedras | 15 | 6 | 9 | 1946, 1955, 1956, 1957,1963, 1976 | 1941, 1947, 1959, 1960, 1962, 1968, 1969, 1971, 1977 | ||||
| Piratas de Quebradillas | 18 | 6 | 12 | 1970, 1977, 1978, 1979, 2013, 2017 | 1937, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1976, 1980, 1982, 1999, 2000, 2009, 2011, 2020 | ||||
| Capitalinos de San Juan | 9 | 5 | 4 | 1930, 1931, 1940, 1945, 1958 | 1943, 1944, 1950, 1974 | ||||
| Mets de Guaynabo | 10 | 3 | 7 | 1980, 1982, 1989 | 1978, 1981, 1983, 1985, 1990, 1993, 2021 | ||||
| Vega Baja | 4 | 2 | 2 | 1934, 1937 | 1935, 1939 | ||||
| Gallitos de la UPR | 3 | 2 | 1 | 1944, 1951 | 1945 | ||||
| Indios de Canóvanas | 3 | 2 | 1 | 1983, 1984 | 1988 | ||||
| Club Náutico San Juan | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1936 | — | ||||
| Polluelos de Aibonito | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1986 | 1987 | ||||
| Titanes de Morovis | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1987 | — | ||||
| Criollos de Caguas | 2 | 2 | 0 | 2006, 2024 | — | ||||
| Indios de Mayagüez | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2012 | — | ||||
| Santeros de Aguada | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2019 | - | ||||
| Gigantes de Carolina | 4 | 1 | 3 | 2023 | 1979, 1997, 2008 | ||||
| Brujos de Guayama | 2 | 0 | 2 | — | 1991, 1994 | ||||
| Gallitos de Isabela | 1 | 0 | 1 | — | 1984 | ||||
| Maratonistas de Coamo | 1 | 0 | 1 | — | 2004 |
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.[12] 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.[13] In 1989, Pablo Alicea of the Gigantes de Carolina established a record for most assists in one game with 25.[14] 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 ofGuinness World Records, since there is no higher number recorded in any amateur or professional international league or in FIBA competition.[15] 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.
 | This section needs to beupdated. The reason given is: These tables are five years old. Please help update this article to reflect recent events or newly available information.(May 2020) |
| ^ | Active player |
| * | Inducted into theFIBA Hall of Fame |
| Rank | Player | Position(s) | Nationality | Years | Totalpoints | Games played | Points per game average |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Georgie Torres |  Puerto Rico | 1975–2001 | 15,863 | 679 | 23.4 | |
2 | Mario Morales | Puerto Rico | 1975–1998 | 15,293 | 675 | 22.7 | |
3 | Mario Butler |  Panama | 1980–2008 | 12,252 | 779 | 15.7 | |
4 | Rolando Frazer | Panama | 1980–2001 | 12,096 | 603 | 20.1 | |
5 | Raymond Dalmau | Puerto Rico | 1966–1985 | 11,592 | 537 | 21.6 | |
6 | Rubén Rodríguez | Puerto Rico | 1969–1991 | 11,549 | 631 | 18.3 | |
7 | Roberto Ríos | PG | Puerto Rico | 1978–2000 | 11,312 | 681 | 16.6 |
8 | Ángel Santiago | SF | Puerto Rico | 1973–1996 | 11,287 | 617 | 18.3 |
9 | José Quiñones | PF | Puerto Rico | 1976–1995 | 11,012 | 579 | 19 |
10 | Christian Dalmau | PG | Puerto Rico | 1992–2003, 2009–2017 | 10,570 | 639 | 16.5 |
| Rank | Player | Pos | Reb | GP | RPG | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Mario Butler | 1980–2008 | 8,236 | 779 | 10.6 | |
2 | Rubén Rodríguez | F/C | 1969–1991 | 6,178 | 631 | 9.8 |
3 | Rolando Frazer | C | 1980–2001 | 6,153 | 603 | 10.2 |
4 | Raymond Dalmau | F/C | 1966–1985 | 5,673 | 537 | 10.6 |
5 | Mario Morales | G/F | 1975–1998 | 5,665 | 675 | 8.4 |
6 | José Ortíz | C | 1980–2006 | 5,314 | 505 | 10.5 |
7 | Carlos Bermúdez | F | 1970–1984 | 4,884 | 422 | 11.6 |
8 | Edgar de León | F/C | 1981–2001 | 4,837 | 493 | 9.8 |
9 | Teófilo Cruz* | C | 1957–1982 | 4,672 | 584 | 8 |
10 | Ángel Santiago | F | 1973–1996 | 4,447 | 617 | 7.2 |
| Rank | Player | Position(s) | TotalAST | GP | APG | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | James Carter | 1987–2006 | 3,025 | 543 | 5.6 | |
2 | Christian Dalmau | PG/SG | 1992–2003, 2009–2017 | 2,931 | 639 | 4.6 |
3 | Pablo Alicea | PG | 1987–2006 | 2,762 | 503 | 5.5 |
4 | Javier Antonio Colón | PG | 1987–2008 | 2,748 | 555 | 5.0 |
5 | Federico López | PG | 1981–1997 | 2,440 | 446 | 5.5 |
6 | Wilfredo Pagan | 1992–2018 | 2,367 | 652 | 3.6 | |
7 | Roberto Ríos | 1978–2000 | 2,315 | 681 | 3.4 | |
8 | Raymond Dalmau | F/C | 1966–1985 | 2,302 | 537 | 5.1 |
9 | Bobby Joe Hatton | PG | 1994–2012 | 2,235 | 489 | 4.6 |
10 | George Torres | G/F | 1975–2001 | 2,203 | 679 | 3.2 |
| Rank | Player | Position(s) | Nationality | Totalblocks | Games played | Blocks per game average |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Kleon Penn | Puerto Rico British Virgin Islands | 755 | 300 | — | |
2 | Jeffrion Aubry | Puerto Rico | 642 | — | — | |
3 | Peter John Ramos | Puerto Rico | 527 | — | — | |
4 | Carmelo Lee | Puerto Rico | 414 | — | — | |
5 | Jorge Brian Diaz | Puerto Rico | 314 | — | — | |
6 | JaJa Richards |  United States Virgin Islands | 314 | — | — | |
7 | Luis 'PelaCoco' Hernández | Puerto Rico | 295 | — | — | |
8 | Ricardo Sanchéz | Puerto Rico | 278 | — | — | |
9 | Nathanael Davis |  United States | 268 | — | — | |
10 | Alphonse Dyer | United States | 255 | — | — |
Last Updated July 26, 2023[permanent dead link]
