By Stefan Acevski/ info@eurohoops.net
Eduardo Portela passed away on Thursday at the age of 91, as announced by the ACB League on its official website.
The man who created the league in 1982 and served as its president from 1990 to 2013, and later as vice president, has passed away, leaving a significant impact on Spanish and European basketball.
Additionally, alongside Jordi Bertomeu, he was one of the key people in shaping the EuroLeague as we know it today.
Official ACB statement
A sad day for sports. At the age of 91, Eduardo Portela Marín passed away this Thursday. He was the president of the ACB from 1990 to 2013 and since then, the honorary president of the Association. A great promoter of Spanish basketball, to which he dedicated more than 60 years of his life, his loss leaves a huge void in the world of sports in general and basketball in particular.
Born on August 30, 1934, in Barcelona, Portela had a brilliant coaching career, leading Montgat, Sant Josep Badalona, and FC Barcelona, with which he won a Copa del Rey, and later leading the sports management of the Blaugrana club for nine years.
In 1982, he was a key figure in the founding of the Association of Clubs, serving as manager until 1990 when he was appointed president, a position he held until 2013. Since then, he was the honorary president of the ACB, a role he combined with the honorary presidency of the Union of European Basketball Leagues (ULEB), of which he was also a co-founder.
During his more than three decades promoting the ACB, Eduardo Portela was a precursor to the modernization of the competition. First, through autonomy with an organization run by the clubs themselves, and then through major changes such as the introduction of the Playoff, the All Star, and in 1983, a Copa del Rey in a single venue format, which in 1986 became the Final Eight that we all know and which serves as a reference for sports around the world and remains an indelible legacy.
Nor can we forget the applause of the fans at the Roig Arena at the recent Copa del Rey in Valencia, at the last of his thousands of matches attended in arenas across all continents.
The revolution with the Copa del Rey continued with the Supercup: in 2004 he reinvented the competition with a format with semifinals and a final with four teams, which today is also followed in many sports and countries.
Under his leadership, the ACB grew every day as an organization, with clubs becoming more professional (even as a key promoter in the conversion to public limited sports companies in 1992), direct management of refereeing, with the pioneering implementation of three referees per game, improvement in broadcasts and gameplay. In this process, his drive and insistence were fundamental for all clubs to play in arenas with at least 5,000 spectators, which helped clubs and national sports infrastructures grow.
A pioneering leadership always with an objective that guided him at all times: to make the ACB the best league in FIBA basketball.
His legacy is also in Europe: he was part of multiple FIBA commissions for years, founded and presided over the ULEB (1998-2016), and was a precursor to the birth of the Euroleague, seeking the independence and decision-making power of clubs over their future, achieved in the ACB, to also take place in Europe.
Among the many tributes to his figure, a very special one remains in 2024, when the basketball family gathered for a meal in Barcelona to accompany him and give him the great applause he deserves as a promoter and key figure in the growth of club basketball, being responsible for making the ACB a reference in the sports world.
The ACB and all its clubs extend their deepest condolences to his family and friends, but also to basketball, which he loved so much and to which he gave so much.
Rest in peace.
EuroLeague mourns Portela
The Euroleague also issued a statement regarding Portela’s passing, and President Dejan Bodiroga gave his statement.
“On behalf of the entire EuroLeague family, I would like to express our deepest and most heartfelt condolences to the family, friends, colleagues, and loved ones of Eduard Portela.
I had the privilege not only of collaborating with him professionally but also knowing him personally and it is extraordinarily difficult to summarize in just a few words the magnitude of his contribution to European basketball and the exceptional person he was. Eduard Portela was one of the most influential and respected figures in the history of our sport, a visionary leader whose impact transcended domestic, European, and international basketball. His dedication, foresight, and unwavering commitment to the growth of the game played a fundamental role in shaping the modern basketball landscape we know today.
Throughout his distinguished career, he consistently demonstrated a unique ability to anticipate the future needs of professional basketball. His privileged vision, strategic thinking, and capacity to build consensus among institutions, clubs, and stakeholders helped drive some of the most important developments in the sport over the past decades. Few individuals have left such a profound and lasting legacy on basketball’s evolution.
Beyond his achievements as a sports executive, Eduard will be remembered for his passion for the game, his integrity, and his tireless efforts to strengthen and unite the basketball community. His influence will continue to be felt for generations, not only through the structures and competitions he helped develop, but also through the countless people he inspired along the way.”
EuroLeague Basketball CEO Chus Bueno also commented.
“Today, European basketball mourns the loss of a true pioneer, an exceptional leader, and a dear friend. While his passing leaves an immense void, his legacy will forever remain an integral part of the history and future of our sport. The list of his achievements is virtually endless, but above all, I would like to highlight the passion he always demonstrated for basketball. He possessed a genuine and profound love for the game, a sport to which he devoted his entire professional life. His commitment went far beyond his remarkable accomplishments; it was driven by an unwavering belief in basketball’s ability to inspire, unite, and grow. That passion was evident in everything he did and will remain an enduring part of the legacy he leaves behind.
Our thoughts and prayers are with his family and all those who had the privilege of knowing and working alongside him. May he rest in peace.”
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