Who we are

The history of basketball in Cluj goes back to over six decades. The first actions aimed to popularize the sport with the ball at the basket in Cluj happened in 1938, the first panels being installed in the courtyard of the Catholic High School. In 1940 basketball was introduced in the University when the first athletic club KEAC was formed, two years later basketball gained popularity in high schools too.

The basketball section of Club Universitatea Cluj was founded in 1947, in parallel with the existing one at Babes-Bolyai University, named BEAC. The two sections merged in December 1948, making the new club, Universitary Sports Club Cluj, which change the name, in 1950, in Science Cluj.

In the same period, between 1947-1950 basketball was also played within the Dermata Sports Association, which later changed its name into Red Flag. Later, in 1960, professor Alexandru Serban established an other basketball team, under the tutelage of the Physical Education Department within the Polytechnic Institute, which in 1975 merged with Universitatea.

In 1955-1956 Cluj had two teams participating in the national championship, Energia Cluj finished 7th, Progresul Cluj 11th.. The two teams played in the national championship until the 1958-1959 season, when the male basketball team of Stiinta Cluj (formerly Progresul) won the silver medals.

From that moment on basketball gradually became a traditional sport, but also trademark in the city by the Somes river. The teams from Cluj collect three national championship titles (in 1992 and 1993 with "U" Fimaro Cluj and in 1996 with "U" SM Invest Cluj), six runner up positions (in 1959 and 1962 with Stiinta Cluj, in 1991 with Universitatea Metalul Rosu Cluj, in 1994 with Universitatea Fimaro Cluj, in 2006 and 2008 with the present team, "U" Mobitelco Cluj). Cluj teams also took 12 times the third place (in 1960 and 1963 with Stiinta Cluj, in 1966, 1967, 1970, 1973, 1976, 1977, 1978 with Univeristatea Cluj, in 1995 with "U" SM Invest Cluj, in 1999 with "U" Carbochim Cluj and in 2007 with the present team, "U" Mobitelco Cluj).

Although the basketball section within the University of Cluj was founded in 1948, the team plays under the Universitatea Cluj logo only from 1966.

The middle of the 1990s was the most successful for the Cluj basketball team. This is the period when three national championships were won – in 1992, 1993, 1996 – two second places were achieved – in 1991, 1994 – and two other times - in1995, 1999 - the team climbed to the third place position. Two players from that period are active even today within the present team, Mircea Cristescu as President and Dorin Pintea as assistant coach. Further two players from that period, Bruno Roschnafsky and Marcel Tenter retired only last year from our team.

In its over 60 years history the Cluj male basketball team produced some big names of coaches and players, who honored not only the city and his symbol – "U" – but also the national teams of Romania at all levels and age groups. The only Romanian player, Gheorghe Muresan, a.k.a Big Ghita, who ever played in the NBA was formed at our club. In 1992 and 1993 he contributed to the success of winning the first two national titles for "U" Cluj, later he transfer to Pau Orthez (France) and from there directly to Washington Bullets, in the NBA.

These huge performances of the 1990s were followed by a less successful period. Since 2000 the team finished on 4-6 places. Things got a positive turn in the 2004-2005 season when Mobitelco, a company from Bucharest became the main sponsor of the team. The first season, U-Mobitelco finished only on the 4th position, but next year team made a further step step towards the big performance - it played the Championship Finals and returned to the European stage after 10 years. Last three seasons, "U"-Mobitelco was a regularly on the podium, twice on second place (2005-2006 and 2007-2008) and once on the third place (2006-2007). Furthermore U-Mobitelco achieved more than it initially proposed in the FIBA EuroCup Challenge, it finished first position in the group stages and played the quarterfinals.