The most successful club in the French league, LDLC Asvel is also one of the oldest, having been founded in 1948 following the merger of Eveil Lyonnais and AS Villeurbanne. ASVEL has won no fewer than 21 French championships, including a treble between 2019 and 2022, and 10 French Cups, with the most recent triumphs in 2022 and 2021 respectively, when ASVEL won the league and cup double.

A succession of great names have written this history, led by Alain Gilles and André Buffière, and more recently by Vincent Collet, David Lighty and Charles Kahudi. More recently, it’s been Vincent Collet, David Lighty and Charles Kahudi.
Despite this rich history, ASVEL nevertheless raised its ambitions after Tony Parker became the club’s president in 2014 and wanted to return to the highest European level as soon as possible. This was achieved as early as the 2019/2020 season with a wild card granted by the Euroleague, followed by the club’s accession to an A license, guaranteeing its place for an indefinite period.

Although ASVEL’s history has alternated between fruitful periods and more difficult ones, the Rhône-Alpes club is currently in an upward phase, with unprecedented player signings such as Nando DeColo, Joffrey Lauvrgne and the return of Edwin Jackson – three internationals with a definite curriculum to help the Blanc et Noir return to the European finals.

The 2024–25 season marked the return of Jeoffrey Lauvergne to the court and Théo Malédon to French basketball. Alongside veterans Nando De Colo and Paris Lee, ASVEL produced some standout performances against Europe’s elite, though too often the team faltered in the closing minutes — a pattern that left their final league position short of what their level of play suggested. Looking ahead, the new campaign brings another homecoming with Thomas Heurtel back in France, while the club bids farewell to its long-time captain and locker-room leader, Charles Kahudi.

Since parting ways with Zvezdan Mitrović, ASVEL has been in search of a head coach who can match its lofty ambitions. Three coaches in five years is hardly the stability the club desires, but the rise of former player Pierric Poupet may finally provide an answer. Originally appointed as interim through the end of the 2023–24 season, Poupet’s strong results earned him the promotion to full-time head coach for 2024–25. Entrusting the reins to a young coach with everything still to prove is a bold gamble — but so far, it looks like a winning one. For France’s most decorated club, the rebuilding project is well underway.