Carlos Lisboa


Carlos Humberto Lehman de Almeida Benholiel Lisboa Santos, known as Carlos Lisboa, is a former Portuguese basketball player and the current coach of Benfica of the Portuguese Basketball League. He is usually considered the best Portuguese basketball player of all-time. He played as a guard and as a forward. As a coach, he most notably led Benfica from 2011 to 2017, winning 21 major titles. He returned to the team in 2019.

Early life and career

Lisboa was born in Praia, Cape Verde, to a Jewish origin metropolitan Portuguese father and to a German origin mother. He spent his youth in Mozambique, coming to Portugal in 1974. He started his basketball career in the then Portuguese colony, at the youth levels of Sporting Lourenço Marques. After his coming to Portugal, he played at the youth categories of Sporting CP, entering the first team, still at the youth level. He would be a leading name for Sporting, from 1975 to 1982, where he won three National Championships and two Cups of Portugal. He played at C.A. Queluz for the two following seasons, winning a Championship and a Cup of Portugal.
Lisboa, however, would achieve the greatest success of his long career as a Benfica player, playing there from 1984 to 1996, ending it aged 38 years old. During this period, he went to win ten National Championship titles and five Cups of Portugal, 4 League Cups and 3 Portuguese Super Cup.
Lisboa played 46 times for Portugal, from 1977 to 1992, but unfortunately never had the chance to show his talent at a major competition. The highest point of his career at this level was his presence at the Pre-Olympic Tournament in 1992, where Portugal finished 5th of six national teams.
After ending his player career, Lisboa became a coach, having coached Estoril Praia, Benfica, and Aveiro Basket.

Honours

Player

Sporting
Queluz
Benfica
Benfica