The JDA will play Saturday June 26 the final of the play-offs against Asvel. The Dijon club has the opportunity to become champion of France for the first time in its history. Return on the other moments of glory of “Jeanne”.
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The JDA has an appointment with history this Saturday, June 26. His history. The Dijon club has the opportunity to become French basketball champion for the first time. But to lift the trophy, it will first be necessary to beat Asvel at the Kinderarena in Rouen, from 13:35. A match in the form of revenge since the Villeurbanne had dominated Dijon (77-61) in the final of the Coupe de France this season.
This Jeep Elite play-off final makes sense: it pits the two best teams of the regular season against each other. For Joan of Arc Dijon, this title would be a consecration after … 141 years of existence. Even if the trophy cabinet has started to fill up since the 2000s. Back on the course of the club in 5 key dates.
2004: the week of Aces, first Dijon star
February 29, 2004. JDA Dijon wins its first coronation in Mulhouse, against the favorite Le Mans. Paccelis Morlende, former leader of JDA Dijon (1998-2004), says: “We arrived at the Semaine des As without any particular ambition”. The former player from Creil looks back on this unexpected trophy. “We did not have to participate in this extraordinary week. Winning it was even more magical with this group because we were coming out of a complicated period with the championship. We had started the year badly”.
Against Le Mans, the Dijonnais won on the wire, 62 to 60 at the end of a very close match. While Le Mans is on the verge of winning, the Georgian Vato Natsvlishvili allows Dijon to return to the score, with two strokes of madness. Dijon leads 61 to 60, Rowan Barrett scores the last free throw of the meeting which offers victory to the JDA. “It was a lot of satisfaction because it was mostly unexpected”Emphasizes Paccelis Morlende. “I keep a very good memory. It was something quite extraordinary”.
2004: Dijon misses the European star
A month later, on March 28, 2004, the JDA came close to its first European title but left with a silver medal.
In 2004, the last European step was too high for the Dijonnais. They had qualified for the final of the FIBA EuroCup Challenge, after a clear course in this competition which has disappeared since 2007. And what a course! Second in its group, the JDA won in the Conference Final Four against the Portuguese Queluz Sinatra, 126-115.
The Burgundians are finally qualified for the last part of the competition, in Izmir in Turkey. The grand finale pits them against the Germans of Mitteldeutscher BC Weissenfels. After dominating at the start of the match, the JDA lost 84 to 68.
2006: first crown in the Coupe de France
On May 7, 2006, the 30th Coupe de France final opposes Dijon to Orléans, in Bercy. It is the third time that a title is disputed between a club of Pro A and a club of Pro B. The coach of the JDA at that time, Jacques Monclar remembers the particular context of this first victory in the Coupe de France . “We played 4 games in 8 days. It was crazy. I have fond memories of it because we eliminated in the semi-final Pau-Orthez and in the quarter-final the defending champion, Gravelines”.
In the first half, the Orléanais lead in the score, but the Dijonnais quickly return to the game to take the lead at the break. On returning from the locker room, Orléans regained the advantage despite the presence of the strong American winger TJ Lux. Finally, the JDA won after a meeting full of suspense, with a score of 66 to 58.
In team sport, trophies are rare and when they pass you by, you must not miss them
The Dijon club coach from 2005 to 2007 remembers a night like no other after the victory. “The trip with the Blue and White TGV to Paris and the return at night to Dijon with the party with the players and the supporters, it was a real pleasure”.
2009-2010: a black season that ends in Pro B
It had been more than 20 years since the JDA had walked the corridors of the Pro B. The start of the season has started well for the club, which even ranks at the top of the championship. Then everything collapses. The sudden death in a car accident of young hopeful Jonathan Bourhis, then staff quarrels between President Michel Renault and coach Randoald Dessarzin plunge the club into a black series.
The season ends with a defeat of the JDA against ASVEL. The club finished last in the standings and found themselves relegated to Pro B. The relegation lasted only one season. The club will regain the elite thanks to the work of new coach Jean-Louis Borg, who arrived at the end of summer 2010.
2020: Dijon wins the “Leaders Cup” against Villeurbanne
This is the latest coronation of the Burgundy club. On February 16, 2020, the JDA won the “Leaders Cup” against Lyon Villeurbanne (77-69). This mid-season tournament brings together the top eight teams from the first leg of the basketball championship at the Disney Events Arena at Disneyland Paris.
After beating Monaco on the buzzer in the semi-final, Laurent Legname’s players begin the final with a bang. While the two teams were neck and neck in the second half, David Holtson scored two decisive three-point baskets. The American player, MVP of the championship, allows the JDA to win the third trophy in its history.
