With soccer having such a big presence in Barcelona, it is easy not to notice that the city´s second most popular sport is, by wide margin, basketball.  The NBA, the dominant league of the United States, features a number of well respected Spanish players including brothers Pau and Marc Gasol who hail from Barcelona.  Important news from this past year´s NBA draft occurred when Spanish player Ricky RubioPau Gasol got drafted with the number five pick yet decided to stay in Spain and play for FC Barcelona.  The hype over Rubio added to the notoriety Spanish basketball earned by the sound play of in last year´s NBA finals.  The Barcelona native earned his first ring and by doing so gave the city a reason to celebrate

Currently the two most well known players on FC Barcelona Basketball are Rubio and Juan Carlos Navarro who continue to lead the team through their 2009-2010 season.  The season started in late August and will continue through May.  FC Barcelona currently holds a 9-0 record with one win coming by slim margin in the ACB supercup against bitter rival Real Madrid.  Regular season ACB play commenced last week with a 17 point win over Xacobeo, and Euroleague play will begin the 21st of October against Fenerbahce.  The ACB is the premier professional league for the best 17 teams within Spain, and the Euroleague consists of up to 18 of Europe´s best professional teams and always acts as a home for former and future NBA players.

The team plays near the FC Barcelona soccer stadium (Camp Nou) at the 8,000 seat Palau Blaugrana, where they have played consistently since 1992.  The stadium, due to its relatively small size, offers an intimate setting to watch Barcelona´s team take on competitors from within Spain and others from different countries in Europe.  Come check out a game this season, and let us help you find an apartment near Palau Blaugrana and Camp Nou!