Bakken Bears

Coordinates: 56°11′33″N 10°12′37″E / 56.1924°N 10.2103°E / 56.1924; 10.2103
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Bakken Bears
Bakken Bears logo
LeaguesBasketligaen
Founded1954; 70 years ago (1954)
HistoryAarhus Basketball Forening
1954–1962
Skovbakken Basketball
1962–1999
Bakken Bears
1999–present
ArenaVejlby-Risskov Hallen
Capacity2,050
LocationAarhus, Denmark
Team colorsNavy, Silver, White
     
PresidentClaus Hommelhoff
Team managerMichael Piloz
Head coachAnders Sommer
Affiliation(s)Bears Academy
Championships20 Danish Leagues
12 Danish Cups
Websitebakkenbears.com

Bakken Bears is a Danish professional basketball club based in Aarhus. The club plays in the Basketligaen, the top tier basketball league in Denmark.

Founded in 1953, the club has won the Basketligaen 20 times and holds the record for the most championships and has won 11 Danish Cups. Along with their domestic play, the club is a regular in European competitions. The Bears are a three-time semifinalist of the FIBA Europe Cup.

History[edit]

Bears' alternate logo

Bakken Bears was formed in 1953 under the name of Aarhus Basketball Forening, or simply ABF. From 1962, the club was known as Skovbakken Basketball. Bears has been in the top Danish league almost every year since then and won its first title in 1958. Since then, the club has won a number of domestic titles and is now the most winning sports team in the history of the city of Aarhus.

In the years 2005 to 2009, Bakken Bears was a part of Aarhus Elite A/S, an elite sports organization in Aarhus that includes ia. AGF Football (soccer). In the last months of 2009 a group of local businessmen, sponsors and fans bought the team.

When Bakken Bears hosted Team FOG Næstved in Game 1 of the league semifinals in March 2009, 4,816 spectators watched the game in Aarhus Arena, which set an all-time attendance record for basketball in Denmark.

In the summer of 2018, the Bears' development team EBAA entered the Basketligaen as well.

On 27 March 2018, Bakken Bears qualified for the first time ever for a semifinal of a European competition, by eliminating ESSM Le Portel in the quarterfinals of the FIBA Europe Cup.[1]

Players[edit]

Current roster[edit]

Bakken Bears roster
Players Coaches
Pos. No. Nat. Name Ht. Wt. Age
G 1 Denmark Oriane, Silas 1.96 m (6 ft 5 in) 95 kg (209 lb) 19 – (2004-04-18)18 April 2004
F 2 United States Pinckney, DeAndre 2.03 m (6 ft 8 in) 101 kg (223 lb) 24 – (2000-02-29)29 February 2000
G 3 United States Parsons, Malik 1.90 m (6 ft 3 in) 86 kg (190 lb) 24 – (1999-08-17)17 August 1999
SF 5 United States Evans, Ryan 2.02 m (6 ft 8 in) 99 kg (218 lb) 33 – (1990-06-19)19 June 1990
F 6 Denmark Berg, Sylvester 2.01 m (6 ft 7 in) 25 – (1998-05-27)27 May 1998
PG 7 Denmark Churchill, Noah 1.94 m (6 ft 4 in) 90 kg (198 lb) 21 – (2003-02-06)6 February 2003
SF 8 Denmark Jukić, Darko 1.99 m (6 ft 6 in) 94 kg (207 lb) 33 – (1990-08-23)23 August 1990
F 9 Denmark Vinther, Marcus 1.95 m (6 ft 5 in) 88 kg (194 lb) 21 – (2002-10-15)15 October 2002
C 11 Senegal Diouf, Michel 2.08 m (6 ft 10 in) 102 kg (225 lb) 34 – (1989-04-19)19 April 1989
G 12 United States Bowlin, Skyler 1.92 m (6 ft 4 in) 77 kg (170 lb) 34 – (1989-07-13)13 July 1989
F 15 Denmark Høj, Magnus 2.00 m (6 ft 7 in) 98 kg (216 lb) 20 – (2003-07-09)9 July 2003
G/F 18 Denmark Knudsen, Gustav 2.03 m (6 ft 8 in) 90 kg (198 lb) 20 – (2003-04-16)16 April 2003
PF 24 Denmark Holst, Andreas 2.11 m (6 ft 11 in) 91 kg (201 lb) 18 – (2005-05-28)28 May 2005
G 77 Denmark Erichsen, Frederik 2.05 m (6 ft 9 in) 90 kg (198 lb) 17 – (2006-08-07)7 August 2006
Head coach

Denmark Anders Sommer

Assistant coach(es)
  • Germany Florian Wedell
  • Denmark Thomas Hemmingsen

Legend
  • (C) Team captain
  • Injured Injured

Updated: September 25, 2023

Notable players[edit]

Note: Flags indicate national team eligibility at FIBA-sanctioned events. Players may hold other non-FIBA nationality not displayed.

Criteria

To appear in this section a player must have either:

  • Set a club record or won an individual award while at the club
  • Played at least one official international match for their national team at any time
  • Played at least one official NBA match at any time.

Individual awards[edit]

Basketligaen MVP
Basketligaen Finals MVP

Honours[edit]

Domestic competitions[edit]

  • Basketligaen
  • Danish Cup
    • Winners (13): 1999, 2000, 2003, 2004, 2006, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2013, 2016, 2018, 2020, 2021, 2023
      • Runners-up (7) : 1980, 1995, 2002, 2005, 2012, 2014, 2022

European competitions[edit]

Season by season[edit]

Season Tier League Pos. Danish Cup European competitions
2010–11 1 Basketligaen 1st Champion
2011–12 1 Basketligaen 1st Runner-up
2012–13 1 Basketligaen 1st Champion
2013–14 1 Basketligaen 1st Runner-up 3 EuroChallenge T16
2014–15 1 Basketligaen 2nd Round of 16 3 EuroChallenge RS
2015–16 1 Basketligaen 2nd Champion 3 FIBA Europe Cup R32
2016–17 1 Basketligaen 1st Semifinalist 3 Champions League RS
2017–18 1 Basketligaen 1st Champion 3 Champions League QR2
4 FIBA Europe Cup SF
2018–19 1 Basketligaen 1st Quarterfinalist 3 Champions League QR2
4 FIBA Europe Cup QF
2019–20 1 Basketligaen 1st Champion
2020–21 1 Basketligaen 1st Champion
2021–22 1 Basketligaen 1st Runner-up 4 FIBA Europe Cup SF
2022–23 1 Basketligaen 1st Champions 3 Champions League L16

Head coaches[edit]

References[edit]

  1. ^ "Bakken Bears survive overtime drama in Le Portel, book ticket to Semis". FIBA Europe Cup. 27 March 2018. Retrieved 31 March 2018.

External links[edit]

56°11′33″N 10°12′37″E / 56.1924°N 10.2103°E / 56.1924; 10.2103