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Ponce Lions (basketball)
Encyclopedia
The Leones de Ponce are a BSN basketball
team based in Ponce
, Puerto Rico
. The Lions are one of the BSN's most successful franchises, having won a total of twelve championships. They play their local games at Juan Pachín Vicéns Auditorium
, named after one of their former players.
Juan "Pachín" Vicens greatly helped the Leones to reach the success they had. He was the key player in an already great roster. His impact can be evidenced by the fact that the Lions venue
is named after him. Tex Winter
, an assistant coach with the NBA
Chicago Bulls
championship teams of the 1990s, coached the Leones to their two 1950s titles, while Red Holzman
was the main architect of the titles won from '64 to '66.
, and he had not spent the three years in Puerto Rico that are necessary for a BSN player to be nationalized, therefore, he was not eligible to play in the league. When this was discovered, a league wide scandal broke out, and the league determined to close the tournament that year by carrying out the Copa Olimpica championship instead of the normal championship finals. The Leones were excluded from participating in the Copa Olimpica.
The Leones started rebuilding, acquiring such players as José "Papote" Agosto, Cesar Bocachica, Francisco "Papiro" León
, and their star player, Toñito Colón. With these players, the Leones, contended for the 1989 title, losing in seven games to Mario "Quijote" Morales
and the Guaynabo Mets
. With the acquisition of veteran Bobby Ríos in 1990, however, the Leones formed one of the most feared roster line-ups in the league. The four key players (Agosto, Lanauze, Colón, and Ríos) were known as the "Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse" in local media for their sharpshooting accuracy. They returned to the finals, and beat Guaynabo
in a rematch. In 1992, coached by legendary Julio Toro
, the Leones returned to the throne, beating the Capitanes de Arecibo
for the title. A rubber match with Mario Morales and his Mets was played at the 1993 finals, and the Leones prevailed, beating the Mets four games to one. They also reached the finals in 1995, 1996, and 1998.
and Bobby Joe Hatton
in 2001, the team started re-building around them, with remaining key veteran players like Toñito Colón. In 2002, they beat the Vaqueros for the title in seven games. In 2003, the Leones signed former Vaqueros player Jerome Mincy
, but they could not repeat as champions despite reaching the finals again. In 2004, in a series marred by controversy (Ponce almost threatened to pull out of game six during the fourth quarter), the Leones won their twelfth championship, defeating the Coamo Marathon Runners
in seven games, with a game seven score of 92-77. They dedicated the championship to the city mayor, Hon. Rafael Cordero, who died in January of that year.
Basketball
Basketball is a team sport in which two teams of five players try to score points by throwing or "shooting" a ball through the top of a basketball hoop while following a set of rules...
team based in Ponce
Ponce, Puerto Rico
Ponce is both a city and a municipality in the southern part of Puerto Rico. The city is the seat of the municipal government.The city of Ponce, the fourth most populated in Puerto Rico, and the most populated outside of the San Juan metropolitan area, is named for Juan Ponce de León y Loayza, the...
, Puerto Rico
Puerto Rico
Puerto Rico , officially the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico , is an unincorporated territory of the United States, located in the northeastern Caribbean, east of the Dominican Republic and west of both the United States Virgin Islands and the British Virgin Islands.Puerto Rico comprises an...
. The Lions are one of the BSN's most successful franchises, having won a total of twelve championships. They play their local games at Juan Pachín Vicéns Auditorium
Juan Pachín Vicéns Auditorium
The Auditorio Juan Pachín Vicéns , formerly, Coliseo Juan Pachín Vicéns, is a sports venue in the city of Ponce, Puerto Rico...
, named after one of their former players.
The 50s and 60s
The Leones successes have always been periodical: their first championship came in 1952, 22 years after the beginning of BSN tournaments. They repeated as champions in 1954, but the 1953 championship did not finish when players from Ponce and San German were involved in a brawl which BSN officials could not control. The Leones did not win any more championships until 1960. The 1960s were a glorious decade for the Leones, who repeated in 1961 and then won back to back to back titles in 1964, 1965 and 1966. The presence of guardPoint guard
Point guard , also called the play maker or "the ball-handler", is one of the standard positions in a regulation basketball game. A point guard has perhaps the most specialized role of any position – essentially, he is expected to run the team's offense by controlling the ball and making sure that...
Juan "Pachín" Vicens greatly helped the Leones to reach the success they had. He was the key player in an already great roster. His impact can be evidenced by the fact that the Lions venue
Juan Pachín Vicéns Auditorium
The Auditorio Juan Pachín Vicéns , formerly, Coliseo Juan Pachín Vicéns, is a sports venue in the city of Ponce, Puerto Rico...
is named after him. Tex Winter
Tex Winter
Morice Fredrick "Tex" Winter is a Hall-of-Fame American basketball coach, and innovator of the triangle offense.-Early life:...
, an assistant coach with the NBA
National Basketball Association
The National Basketball Association is the pre-eminent men's professional basketball league in North America. It consists of thirty franchised member clubs, of which twenty-nine are located in the United States and one in Canada...
Chicago Bulls
Chicago Bulls
The Chicago Bulls are an American professional basketball team based in Chicago, Illinois, playing in the Central Division of the Eastern Conference in the National Basketball Association . The team was founded in 1966. They play their home games at the United Center...
championship teams of the 1990s, coached the Leones to their two 1950s titles, while Red Holzman
Red Holzman
William "Red" Holzman was an NBA basketball player and coach probably best known as the head coach of the New York Knicks from 1967 to 1982. Holzman helped lead the Knicks to two NBA Championships in 1970 and 1973, and was elected into the Basketball Hall of Fame in 1985...
was the main architect of the titles won from '64 to '66.
The 80s
The Leones could not win a championship for 24 years after the 1966 title. In 1984 they reached rock bottom when it was discovered that they had proceeded against the BSN's rules to sign the aptly named David Ponce. Ponce was an American born Puerto RicanPuerto Ricans in the United States
Stateside Puerto Ricans are American citizens of Puerto Rican origin, including those who migrated from Puerto Rico to the United States and those who were born outside of Puerto Rico in the United States...
, and he had not spent the three years in Puerto Rico that are necessary for a BSN player to be nationalized, therefore, he was not eligible to play in the league. When this was discovered, a league wide scandal broke out, and the league determined to close the tournament that year by carrying out the Copa Olimpica championship instead of the normal championship finals. The Leones were excluded from participating in the Copa Olimpica.
The 90s
Francisco León
Francisco León is a town and one of the 119 Municipalities of Chiapas, in southern Mexico.As of 2005, the municipality had a total population of 5,236. It covers an area of 114.3 km²....
, and their star player, Toñito Colón. With these players, the Leones, contended for the 1989 title, losing in seven games to Mario "Quijote" Morales
Mario Morales
Mario Morales , aka "Quijote" Morales, for his ability to conquer both scoring and team championships in the Puerto Rican BSN league, is one of Puerto Rico's most famous basketball players.-Professional career:...
and the Guaynabo Mets
Mets de Guaynabo (basketball)
The Mets de Guaynabo are a BSN professional basketball team from Puerto Rico.The Mets began to play as basketball's original Cangrejeros de Santurce. Before the 1976 season, they moved to Guaynabo...
. With the acquisition of veteran Bobby Ríos in 1990, however, the Leones formed one of the most feared roster line-ups in the league. The four key players (Agosto, Lanauze, Colón, and Ríos) were known as the "Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse" in local media for their sharpshooting accuracy. They returned to the finals, and beat Guaynabo
Guaynabo, Puerto Rico
Guaynabo is a municipality in the northern part of Puerto Rico, located in the northern coast of the island, north of Aguas Buenas; south of Cataño; east of Bayamón; and west of San Juan...
in a rematch. In 1992, coached by legendary Julio Toro
Julio Toro
Julio Toro is a Puerto Rican basketball coach. At the 2004 Olympic Games in Athens, Greece, he made history by becoming the first non-Soviet coach to defeat the United States during Olympic competition, and the first coach to defeat an American team composed of NBA players at an Olympics...
, the Leones returned to the throne, beating the Capitanes de Arecibo
Arecibo Captains
The Capitanes de Arecibo are a team in the Baloncesto Superior Nacional , Puerto Rico's main basketball league. In 2010, the team also played in the Premier Basketball League under the name Capitanes de Puerto Rico....
for the title. A rubber match with Mario Morales and his Mets was played at the 1993 finals, and the Leones prevailed, beating the Mets four games to one. They also reached the finals in 1995, 1996, and 1998.
The new millennium
After 1993, Ponce took nine more years to win a title. With the acquisition of Eddie CasianoEddie Casiano
Eddie Casiano Ojeda is a Puerto Rican basketball player who was born in Manhattan, New York...
and Bobby Joe Hatton
Bobby Joe Hatton
Roberto José Hatton Negron is a Puerto Rican professional basketball player. Hatton has most notably played for Marist College in the NCAA and the National Superior Basketball League of Puerto Rico with the Arecibo Captains, San Germán Athletics, and the Ponce Lions...
in 2001, the team started re-building around them, with remaining key veteran players like Toñito Colón. In 2002, they beat the Vaqueros for the title in seven games. In 2003, the Leones signed former Vaqueros player Jerome Mincy
Jerome Mincy
Jerome Alfred Mincy Clark is a Puerto Rican professional basketball player of American parents. Mincy has played in the NCAA with the UAB Blazers and the National Superior Basketball League of Puerto Rico with Bayamón Cowboys...
, but they could not repeat as champions despite reaching the finals again. In 2004, in a series marred by controversy (Ponce almost threatened to pull out of game six during the fourth quarter), the Leones won their twelfth championship, defeating the Coamo Marathon Runners
Coamo Marathon Runners
The Maratonistas de Coamo are a BSN basketball team based in Coamo, Puerto Rico. Their home court is the Edwin "Puruco" Nolasco Coliseum.Formerly the Cardenales de Río Piedras, the Maratonistas were relocated in 1985.-1940s-1985: Cardenales de Río Piedras:...
in seven games, with a game seven score of 92-77. They dedicated the championship to the city mayor, Hon. Rafael Cordero, who died in January of that year.