Corinthians records sixth largest audience in NBB 2025/26 in historic black and white basketball campaign

- By Mirella Ramos / Central do Timão Editorial

Corinthians ended the 2025/26 Novo Basquete Brasil (NBB) season with one of the biggest audiences in the competition. The match against Pinheiros, valid for the tournament's semi-final, brought together 8,171 fans at the Ginásio Wlamir Marques, in Parque São Jorge, and marked the sixth largest audience of the edition.

The duel took place on May 20, 2026 and ended with Pinheiros winning 82 x 81. Even with the negative result at home, Fiel's presence demonstrated support for the team in one of the most important campaigns in the recent history of Corinthian basketball.

Photos: Beto Miller / Corinthians

With the victory in the third game of the series, Pinheiros gained an advantage in the confrontation and confirmed their classification after winning again in the fourth duel, 88 to 76, at Ginásio Henrique Villaboim. The Faria Lima team closed the semi-final 3 x 1 and advanced to the NBB decision, in which they ended up being beaten by Sesi Franca.

Despite the elimination, Corinthians achieved its best performance since returning to the national basketball elite, in the 2018/19 season. Until then, the club's best campaign had been qualifying for the quarter-finals, a stage reached in the 2018/19, 2020/21 and 2024/25 editions.

In previous seasons, Timão ended up eliminated in the quarter-finals. In 2018/19 and 2024/25, the opponent was Flamengo, while in 2020/21 the elimination took place against São Paulo.

In addition to the sporting results, the campaign also strengthened the relationship between the team and the fans. Fiel's support during his career in the NBB had an impact behind the scenes at the club, especially after discussions about the continuity of the sport.

In November 2025, president Osmar Stabile had signaled the possibility of closing professional basketball as an alternative to reduce expenses for Corinthians, which is facing a delicate financial scenario. The proposal was part of a plan to reduce expenses related to the social club and land sports held at Parque São Jorge.

The team's performance on the court and the mobilization of fans, however, changed the scenario. In May 2026, Corinthians confirmed its participation in the Campeonato Paulista of the sport and, subsequently, registered for the 2026/27 NBB season. Competitions are scheduled to begin in August.

For the next season, the project will be maintained, but with financial changes. The budget allocated to basketball will be approximately 30% lower compared to the previous cycle, which should lead to a reformulation of the squad.

Among the expected changes is the departure of some athletes, such as winger Elyjah Clark and center Kauan Raymundo, as part of the team's process of adapting to the new financial planning.

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Source: Timao Central