Força Lleida Club Esportiu, also known as Hiopos Lleida for sponsorship reasons, is a professional basketball club based in Lleida, Spain. It plays in the Liga ACB with it home games played at the Espai Fruita Barris Nord.
History
The club born in the summer of 2012 with the aim to substitute existent CE Lleida Bàsquet, which had several economic problems.[2]
In its first season, Força Lleida qualified for the playoffs, after finalizing 7th in Regular Season, but was eliminated in the quarterfinals against Palencia. The next season, the team got the same number of victories than the past year (11), but this time just could get the 10th position.
In 2015 the club achieved its best performance after reaching to the semifinals of the playoffs, but just one season later, Força Lleida finished in the last position becoming relegated to LEB Plata. But a few months later, the club achieved a vacant berth in the same league, so they could avoid the descent and play in LEB Oro the next season.
In 2017, despite the team could finish the competition with more victories than lost games, they just could get the tenth position at the table, thus not qualifying for the postseason.
Força Lleida promoted to the Liga ACB following the 2023–24 season, after beating Estudiantes in the semi-final and finished second, after they were granted a license.[3] The 2024–25 season will mark Lleida's debut season in the Spanish top level division.[4]
^Remained in the league after achieving a vacant berth.
^A homegrown player is a player that played for at least three years before the age of 20 on a Spanish team. In Liga ACB, the team must register at least four homegrown players in rosters of 10–12 players or at least three homegrown players in rosters of 8–9 players.
^A overseas player is a player from outside EEA, FIBA Europe or ACP states. In Liga ACB, the team may register at most two overseas players.