Baloncesto Superior Nacional
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The Baloncesto Superior Nacional, abbreviated as BSN, is the first tier-level professional men's basketball league in Puerto Rico. It was founded in 1929 and is organized by the Puerto Rican Basketball Federation.
The Baloncesto Superior Nacional, which is played under FIBA rules, currently consists of 12[1] teams, of which the most successful has been the Vaqueros de Bayamón with 17 titles as of 2025.
The league has produced players that have distinguished themselves in the NBA, EuroLeague, Spain's ACB, 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 including José Ortiz, Ramón Rivas, Daniel Santiago, Carlos Arroyo and J. J. Barea, started their careers playing for BSN teams and later played in the NBA.
Competition format
BSN games are played under the regular FIBA 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 the La Final Brava, or the Brava Final, a basketball tournament sponsored by Brava Lubricants.
History
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 are Basketball Hall of Fame members Dr. Jack Ramsay, Tex Winter and Red Holzman, who coached the Leones de Ponce in the 1950s and 1960s, and Phil Jackson, who coached the Piratas de Quebradillas and Gallitos de Isabela in the late 1980s. Others notable coaches who have worked for BSN teams include Gene Bartow, Lou Rossini, Del Harris, P. J. Carlesimo, Bernie Bickerstaff, Herb Brown and Sergio Hernández.
During the 1980s, notable players followed in the footsteps of players such as Juan "Pachin" Vicens (1959 Santiago Chile FIBA World Championship's All-Tournament Team) and Butch Lee, the first Puerto Rican and BSN player to enter the NBA. Among those are: Mario 'Quijote' Morales, Raymond Dalmau, Jose 'Piculin' Ortiz, Ramón Rivas, Jerome Mincy, Georgie Torres, Angelo Cruz, Angel Santiago, the late Federico 'Fico' Lopez, Rolando Frazer, Mario Butler, and Rubén Rodríguez, who showcased their talents to all of Puerto Rico's TV viewers and game goers.
New Era and Renewed Interest (2019-present)
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 the Vaqueros de Bayamón, when retired professional baseball player Yadier Molina acquired his hometown team.[3] In April 2021, the league approved the return of the Cangrejeros under the ownership of Noah Assad and Jonathan Miranda. Later that month, Bad Bunny joined the ownership group.[4][5] In October 2022, the Osos de Manatí returned from a short hiatus, when Puerto Rican singer Ozuna purchased the Brujos 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 the Gigantes defeated the Vaqueros, 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.
Current teams
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| Team | Home city | Year established | Arena | Capacity |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Atléticos de San German | San Germán | 1930 | Arquelio Torres Ramírez Coliseum | 5,000 Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".
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| Cangrejeros de Santurce | Santurce | 1918 | Roberto Clemente Coliseum | 9,000 Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".
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| Capitanes de Arecibo | Arecibo | 1946 | Manuel Iguina Coliseum | 12,000 Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".
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| Criollos de Caguas | Caguas | 2023* | Coliseo Roger Mendoza | 3,000 Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".
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| Santeros de Aguada | Aguada | 1992 | Ismael Delgado Coliseum | 6,000 Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".
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| Gigantes de Carolina/Canovanas | Canovanas | 1971 | Carlos Miguel Mangual Coliseum | 5,000 Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".
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| Indios de Mayagüez | Mayagüez | 1956 | Palacio de Recreación y Deportes | 5,500 Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".
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| Leones de Ponce | Ponce | 1946 | Juan Pachín Vicéns Auditorium | 11,000 Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".
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| Mets de Guaynabo | Guaynabo | 1935 | Mario Morales Coliseum | 5,500 Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".
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| Osos de Manatí | Manatí | 2014 | Juan Cruz Abreu Coliseum | 8,000 Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".
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| Piratas de Quebradillas | Quebradillas | 1926 | Raymond Dalmau Coliseum | 5,500 Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".
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| Vaqueros de Bayamón | Bayamón | 1930 | Ruben Rodriguez Coliseum | 12,000 Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".
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Defunct teams
- Atenienses de Manatí (2014–2017); played their home games at the Juan Cruz Abreu Coliseum
- Avancinos de Villalba (1996–1998); played their home games at the José Ibem Marrero Coliseum
- Conquistadores de Aguada (1994–1998)
- Gallitos de Isabela; played their home games at the Jose Abreu Coliseum
- Grises de Humacao (2005–2023); Marcelo Trujillo Panisse Coliseum
- Indios de Canóvanas; played their home games at Coliseo Carlos Miguel Mangual
- Maratonistas de Coamo (1985–1996, 1999–2015); played their home games at Edwin "Puruco" Nolasco Coliseum
- Polluelos de Aibonito (1977–2001); played their home games at Cancha Marron Aponte
- Taínos de Cabo Rojo (1989–1993); played their home games at Rebekah Colberg Cabrera Coliseum
- Tiburones de Aguadilla (1990s–1998); played their home games at the Luis T. Diaz Coliseum
- Titanes de Morovis (1977–2006); played their home games in the José Pepe Huyke Coliseum
- Toritos de Cayey (2002–2004); played their home games at the Cayey Municipal Coliseum
- Cardenales de Rio Piedras 1955-1984
Championships
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Number of championships won by teams
| Teams | Finals | Championships | Runners-up | Years won | Years 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 |
- *These titles are from Farmacia Martin, a team that later merged with the Atléticos de San Germán
BSN awards and leaders
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League records
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 of Guinness 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.
BSN statistical leaders
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| ^ | Active player |
| * | Inducted into the FIBA Hall of Fame |
BSN all-time scoring leaders
| Rank | Player | Position(s) | Nationality | Years | Total points | Games played |
Points per game average |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".
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Script error: No such module "Sort". | Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters". | Script error: No such module "flag". | 1975–2001 | 15,863 Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".
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679 Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".
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23.4 Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".
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2 Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".
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Script error: No such module "Sort". | Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters". | Script error: No such module "flag". | 1975–1998 | 15,293 Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".
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675 Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".
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22.7 Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".
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3 Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".
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Script error: No such module "Sort". | Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters". | Script error: No such module "flag". | 1980–2008 | 12,252 Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".
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779 Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".
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15.7 Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".
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Rolando Frazer | Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters". | Script error: No such module "flag". | 1980–2001 | 12,096 Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".
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603 Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".
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20.1 Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".
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5 Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".
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Script error: No such module "Sort". | Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters". | Script error: No such module "flag". | 1966–1985 | 11,592 Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".
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537 Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".
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21.6 Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".
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Script error: No such module "Sort". | Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters". | Script error: No such module "flag". | 1969–1991 | 11,549 Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".
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631 Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".
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Roberto Ríos | PG Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".
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Script error: No such module "flag". | 1978–2000 | 11,312 Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".
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681 Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".
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16.6 Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".
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Ángel Santiago | SF Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".
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Script error: No such module "flag". | 1973–1996 | 11,287 Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".
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617 Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".
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José Quiñones | PF Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".
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Script error: No such module "flag". | 1976–1995 | 11,012 Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".
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579 Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".
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19 Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".
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10 Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".
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Christian Dalmau | PG Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".
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Script error: No such module "flag". | 1992–2003, 2009–2017 | 10,570 Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".
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639 Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".
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16.5 Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".
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BSN all-time rebounding leaders
| Rank | Player | Pos | Years | Reb | GP | RPG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".
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Mario Butler | Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters". | 1980–2008 | 8,236 | 779 | 10.6 |
2 Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".
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Rubén Rodríguez | F/C Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".
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1969–1991 | 6,178 | 631 | 9.8 |
3 Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".
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Rolando Frazer | C Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".
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1980–2001 | 6,153 | 603 | 10.2 |
4 Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".
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Raymond Dalmau | F/C Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".
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1966–1985 | 5,673 | 537 | 10.6 |
5 Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".
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Mario Morales | G/F Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".
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1975–1998 | 5,665 | 675 | 8.4 |
6 Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".
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José Ortíz | C Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".
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1980–2006 | 5,314 | 505 | 10.5 |
7 Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".
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Carlos Bermúdez | F Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".
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1970–1984 | 4,884 | 422 | 11.6 |
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Edgar de León | F/C Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".
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1981–2001 | 4,837 | 493 | 9.8 |
9 Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".
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Teófilo Cruz* | C Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".
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1957–1982 | 4,672 | 584 | 8 |
10 Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".
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Ángel Santiago | F Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".
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1973–1996 | 4,447 | 617 | 7.2 |
BSN all-time assists leaders
| Rank | Player | Position(s) | Years | Total AST | GP | APG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".
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James Carter | Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters". | 1987–2006 | 3,025 | 543 | 5.6 |
2 Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".
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Christian Dalmau | PG/SG Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".
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1992–2003, 2009–2017 | 2,931 | 639 | 4.6 |
3 Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".
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Pablo Alicea | PG Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".
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1987–2006 | 2,762 | 503 | 5.5 |
4 Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".
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Javier Antonio Colón | PG Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".
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1987–2008 | 2,748 | 555 | 5.0 |
5 Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".
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Federico López | PG Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".
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1981–1997 | 2,440 | 446 | 5.5 |
6 Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".
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Wilfredo Pagan | Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters". | 1992–2018 | 2,367 | 652 | 3.6 |
7 Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".
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Roberto Ríos | Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters". | 1978–2000 | 2,315 | 681 | 3.4 |
8 Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".
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Raymond Dalmau | F/C Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".
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1966–1985 | 2,302 | 537 | 5.1 |
9 Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".
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Bobby Joe Hatton | PG Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".
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1994–2012 | 2,235 | 489 | 4.6 |
10 Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".
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George Torres | G/F Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".
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1975–2001 | 2,203 | 679 | 3.2 |
BSN all-time block leaders
| Rank | Player | Position(s) | Nationality | Total blocks | Games played |
Blocks per game average |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
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Jeffrion Aubry | Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters". | Script error: No such module "flag". | 642 Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".
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Last Updated July 26, 2023Script error: No such module "Unsubst".
See also
References
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External links
Template:Baloncesto Superior Nacional Template:Men's professional basketball leagues