We are recalling all foreign players that ever have played in the League, telling about foreign championships and National teams of different countries in World basketball map project.
Today we are moving to Africa and telling about Angola
Population: 30,8 mln people
Players in the history of the League: 1.
Full list of players: Yanick Moreira.
The only representative of Angola in the history og the League is PARMA’s center Yanick Moreira. He was born in Luanda, the biggest Angola city and the capital. There he graduated from school and started a professional basketball career. Since 2008 till 2011 young Moreira had been playing for Primeiro de Agosto in national league.
Transited through France, Spain and Iran the Angolan center appeared in Russia. In 2017 Yanick Moreira signed with PARMA and played 22 games in VTB United League.
Basketball in Angola
League: Unitel Basket
Founded: in 1977
Amount of teams: 8
League’s web-site: http://basket.unitel.ao/
Since 1962 till 1974 Angolan clubs participated in Portuguese championship. Portuguese tournament finals took place in Luanda 4 times (1964, 1967, 1970, 1973), and in 1967 Benfica de Luanda became champions. In 1977 first Angolan basketball season took place.
The tournament that previously was called BAI Basket and BIC Basket now has a name of the biggest mobile line operator in the State (Unitel). There are 8 teams from 5 cities, and league’s champion automatically participates in Basketball African League (BAL), new African tournament created and supported by FIBA and NBA.
Games Primeiro de Agosto (19-time champions) vs Petro de Luanda (13-time champions) in considered to be the main basketball derby of Angola. Combined, they have 32 champion titles out of 41.
Interesting fact
This week Angola celebrated 90th anniversary of national basketball. On May 18, 1930 first basketball game in history of Angola took place, Sporting de Luanda played against Associacao Academica Liceu. The second team won 8:5, later May 18 became The National Day of Basketball in Angola.
Angolan National Team
FIBA rank: 32
FIBA members: since 1979
Achievements: Afrobasket champions (1989, 1992, 1993, 1995, 1999, 2001, 2003, 2005, 2007, 2009, 2013)
The Angolan National team is considered to be one of the strongest in the history of Africa. They have 11 gold medals of Afrobasket, 8 participations on World Cup and 5 on Olympic Games.
The Angolan National team has a few bright wins on International tournaments. For instance, in 1986 Angola beat Australia (74:69) on group stage and moved to play-offs, and in 2010 made 1/8 finals via victory over Germany in overtime (92:88), and in 2014 again surprisingly outplayed Australia (91:83) with the help of Yanick Moreira’s 38 points and 15 rebounds.
The only Angolan win on Olympic Games group stage was taken in 1992. Then, the Africans left no chance to Spain (83:63).
The most famous Angolan players in history
Jean-Jacques Conceicao. In 2011 on 50th FIBA Africa anniversary ceremony Jean-Jacques Conceicao was named the most valuable player in the history of African basketball. He is 7-time Afrobasket gold medalist, 10-times Portuguese champion and 5-time Angola champion.
Miguel Lutonda. Afrobasket 5-time champion and 2-time MVP. Miguel Lutonda had been playing in Angolan League for 27 years, won 10 gold medals. In 2012 the most titled club of the country Primeiro de Agosto retired his jersey number #14.
Carlos Almeida. 7-time Afrobasket champion, just like Miguel Lutonda he played in Angolan league for 27 seasons. During his long career Almeida played for only 2 clubs – Petro Atletico (1978-2001) and Primeiro de Agosto (2001-2014).
Jose Carlos Guimaraes. 3-time Afrobasket champion, Angolan National team’s starting point guard on Olympic Games 1992 and 1996. Since 2012 till 2013 Guimaraes was head coach of the National team.
Bruno Fernando. First Angolan to ever play in NBA. Fernando was selected by Atlanta Hawks with the 34th pick of 2019 NBA Draft and in his debut season he played 56 games with his new team.
Dmitriy Kolinov
