1988-89

The ACB arrives at the Fuente de San Luis, which is a new experience for the city. The stands of the pavilion suffer a significant increase in terms of attendees to the court and television enters the Fonteta to broadcast basketball.

La Fonteta will see teams like Taugrés or TDK Manresa parade in a second division of the league as it was the A2, in which it will compete from the first day with a completely renewed team. Antoni Serra will remain on board the ship, but the squad will undergo a major reshuffle.

From the previous season, players like Roberto Íñiguez, Sergio Coterón, Jerry Herranz or the North American Clyde Mayes, all of them important in the previous season of the promotion, will continue.

Again, and to face a new challenge, important incorporations arrive. Above all, one of them, the American Bradley “Brad” Alexander Branson, who had played in the NBA in the ranks of Cleveland Cavaliers and Indiana Pacers, and who had already excelled in Europe during his two seasons in Real Madrid, his club of origin, with which he won a Korac Cup. Branson would become a very important player in the history of Pamesa Valencia playing up to 6 seasons. His arrival meant an important step for the club in both sporting and media terms.

Along with Branson came other reinforcements such as the point guard Manel Bosch, formed in Joventut and who came to share position with Íñiguez; Miquel Àngel Pou, Balearic center who came from Cacaolat and who helped to give rest to the American centers along with Herranz. As a curiosity, Pou had participated in the ACB dunk contest in 1986, in its first edition. Eduardo Clavero also arrived, a player from Granada with great intelligence in the game and who, to this day, still holds the record for steals in a game with 10 catches.

Joan Morales joins the team, who will help the team on the outside, and who comes from Metro Santa Coloma, the team against which the promotion was achieved. Jordi Morella also joins the team from Barça as a great young hope, although he does not get to stand out.

The season started with a spectacular game at the Fonteta, with a resounding victory on October 15, 88 against Caja Gipuzkoa by 108-85. However, the pieces did not work as expected, and the changes came. The club decided to dismiss Antoni Serra and give the command of the group to Toni Ferrer, second coach although with experience as first coach two years ago in the first experience as Valencia Basket. There was also a change in the roster, where Clyde Mayes gave way to Wayne Engelstad, a forward who changed the physiognomy of the team and made Pou and Herranz gain prominence in the interior.  

The core of the team was formed by Bosh and Íñiguez at the point guard position, with Clavero and Coterón initially on the outside and Morales as a reserve, and with Mayes and Branson on the inside with Pau and Herranz resting. The arrival of Engelstad for Mayes will give more prominence to the two Spanish inside players.

The season will be tough, like most teams coming from the Primera B, and will end with a total of 12 wins and 24 defeats and a 16th place finish in the ACB. The Play-Offs for promotion to A1 ended with a convincing 3-0 defeat against Clesa Ferrol.

Most importantly, the team's category was saved and they looked forward to the following year with more peace of mind.