Сиркуло Хихон
Wikipedia - Círculo Gijón
Círculo Gijón Baloncesto y Conocimiento (transl. Gijón Basketball and Knowledge Circle) is a professional basketball club based in Gijón, Asturias that currently plays in LEB Plata, the third tier of Spanish basketball.
History
Círculo Gijón Baloncesto y Conocimiento was founded in 2017, by a group of entrepreneurs that acquired the rights of local club CD Barrio La Arena, with the aim of giving to the city of Gijón a completely professional basketball team with possibilities to promote to the top leagues, as did the former main team Gijón Baloncesto, that played in Liga ACB during four seasons.
The club started in the Primera División, fifth tier, and played its first official game on 19 October 2017 in Avilés, beating Colegio San Fernando by 65–72. On 12 February 2018, Círculo Gijón signed former NBA player Robert Swift for two seasons.
However, Círculo Gijón did not achieve promotion to Liga EBA after being defeated in the league semifinals by the reserve team of Oviedo CB. Despite this failure, the club required and finally achieved one of the eight places that would be created after the expansion of the LEB Plata, third division, to 24 teams.
On 6 October 2018, the club made its debut in professional leagues with a 73–65 home win against Óbila CB. However, Círculo Gijón could not avoid relegation to Liga EBA at the end of the season, after an irregular performance.
Círculo Gijón remained in the league as a result of a swap of places with Baskonia B, that finished one position over the geometrics.
Отборът е един от най-успешните в европейския и световния баскетбол, спечелил общо 13 медала в големи международни турнири, включително три европейски първенства (1935, 2009 и 2011) и две световни първенства (2006 и 2019). Отборът е участвал в 12 олимпийски игри, печелейки три сребърни медала (1984, 2008 и 2012) и един бронзов медал (2016).
Испания има богата история в баскетбола, с много играчи и треньори, допринесли за успеха на отбора. Някои от най-известните имена в испанския баскетбол включват Пау Гасол, Хуан Карлос Наваро, Серхио Родригес и Хосе Мануел Калдерон.
Настоящият състав на испанския национален отбор е смесица от опитни играчи и млади, изгряващи звезди. Отборът се счита за един от претендентите за злато на предстоящото Световно първенство през 2023 г.