The 2021 Basketball Champions League Americas season was the 14th edition of the top-tier level professional club basketball competition in the Americas and the second of the Basketball Champions League Americas (BCLA) since launched by FIBA in 2019. It was also the 22nd season of Pan-American top-level competition, as well as the 59th season of South American top-level competition.

Basketball Champions League Americas
Season2020–21
Dates31 January – 13 April 2021
Teams12
Regular season
Season MVPBrazil Rafael Hettsheimeir
Finals
ChampionsBrazil Flamengo
(1st league title; 2nd continental title)
  Runners-upNicaragua Real Estelí
Third placeBrazil Minas
Fourth placeBrazil São Paulo FC
Statistical leaders
Points Puerto Rico Jezreel De Jesús 20.1
Rebounds Panama Ernesto Oglivie 9.7
Assists Argentina Fernando Zurbriggen 6.3
Index Rating Argentina Fernando Zurbriggen 21.8

The season began on 31 January 2021 and ended on 13 April 2021. The season ended with a Final Eight tournament that was hosted in Managua, Nicaragua. The defending champions Quimsa were eliminated in the quarter-finals.

Flamengo won its second continental championship[a] after defeating Real Estelí in the final in Managua. As champions, Flamengo also qualified for the 2022 FIBA Intercontinental Cup.

Team allocation

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A total of 12 teams from 6 countries participated in the 2020–21 Basketball Champions League Americas.

Teams

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League positions after eventual playoffs of the previous season shown in parentheses.[1] Because Peñarol and Aguada from Uruguay were not able to participation due to national restrictions, Minas and Obras Sanitarias were given wild cards by FIBA.[2] Universidad de Concepción replaced Chilean champions Valdivia, who withdrew.[3]

Group phase
  QuimsaTH (Abd-1st)   Obras Sanitarias (WC)   São Paulo FC (3rd)   Universidad de Concepción (WC)
  San Lorenzo (Abd-2nd)   Flamengo (1st)   Minas (WC)   Titanes Barranquilla (1st)
  Instituto (Abd-4th)   Franca (2nd)   Caballos de Coclé (1st)   Real Estelí (1st)

The labels in the parentheses show how each team qualified for the place of its starting round:

  • 1st, 2nd, etc.: League position after Playoffs
  • Abd: Abandoned seasons due to COVID-19 pandemic
  • TH: Title holders
  • WC: Qualified through Wild Card

Group phase

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The 12 teams are drawn into four groups of three, while taking into account geographic location. In each group, teams play against each other home-and-away, in a round-robin format. The group winners and runners-up advance to the quarterfinals, while the remaining team in each group is eliminated.

Group A

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Pos Team Pld W L PF PA PD Pts Qualification
1   Real Estelí 6 4 2 456 471 −15 10 Advance to quarterfinals
2   Caballos de Coclé 6 3 3 453 457 −4 9
3   Titanes Barranquilla 6 2 4 485 466 +19 8
Source: BCL Americas

Group B

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Pos Team Pld W L PF PA PD Pts Qualification
1   Quimsa 4 3 1 325 312 +13 7 Advance to quarterfinals
2   São Paulo FC 4 2 2 310 270 +40 6
3   Universidad de Concepción 4 1 3 297 350 −53 5
Source: BCL Americas

Group C

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Pos Team Pld W L PF PA PD Pts Qualification
1   San Lorenzo 4 4 0 321 292 +29 8 Advance to quarterfinals
2   Franca 4 2 2 315 316 −1 6
3   Obras Sanitarias 4 0 4 322 350 −28 4
Source: BCL Americas

Group D

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Pos Team Pld W L PF PA PD Pts Qualification
1   Flamengo 5 5 0 413 380 +33 10 Advance to quarterfinals
2   Minas 6 2 4 492 494 −2 8
3   Instituto 5 1 4 406 437 −31 6
Source: BCL Americas

Playoffs

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The playoffs, also called the Final Eight, began on 10 April and ended on 13 April 2021. All games were played in the Alexis Arguello Sports Complex in the Nicaraguan capital Managua.

Bracket

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QuarterfinalsSemifinalsFinal
 
          
 
10 April
 
 
  Real Estelí94
 
11 April
 
  Franca73
 
  Real Estelí98
 
10 April
 
  Minas95
 
  Quimsa60
 
13 April
 
  Minas87
 
  Real Estelí80
 
10 April
 
  Flamengo84
 
  San Lorenzo75
 
11 April
 
  São Paulo FC78
 
  São Paulo FC66
 
10 April
 
  Flamengo75 Third place game
 
  Flamengo74
 
13 April
 
  Caballos de Coclé59
 
  Minas75
 
 
  São Paulo FC58
 

Awards

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Most Valuable Player

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Player Team Ref.
  Rafael Hettsheimeir   Flamengo

Statistics

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The following were the statistical leaders in the 2021 season.[5]

Notes

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  1. ^ The title was considered Flamengo's second Pan-American continental title after winning the 2014 FIBA Americas League. However, in 1953, Flamengo finished as co-champions of the South American Championship, along with two other teams.

References

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  1. ^ "Basketball Champions League Americas groups and schedule confirmed". FIBA.basketball. Retrieved 2 October 2019.
  2. ^ "Minas y Obras, nuevos participantes de la BCL Americas". FIBA.basketball (in Spanish). Retrieved 11 December 2021.
  3. ^ "Universidad de Concepción se suma a la BCL Americas". FIBA.basketball (in Spanish). Retrieved 11 December 2021.
  4. ^ "Flamengo's Rafael Hettsheimeir wins 2021 BCLAmericas MVP". FIBA.basketball. Retrieved 14 August 2021.
  5. ^ "Players statistics of the Basketball Champions League Americas 2021". FIBA.basketball. Retrieved 25 March 2022.
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