Flamengo isn't just the King of Rio de Janeiro in football. In basketball, the Red-Blacks have long held the hegemony. The biggest winner in the history of the Campeonato Carioca, the team from Gávea won its 35th state basketball title on Wednesday night, its fifth consecutive. Since 2005, no one has taken Flamengo's title as the best basketball team in Rio de Janeiro.

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And since that year, Mengão has been led by Paulo Sampaio, known as Chupeta. The only legitimate five-time champion, and also the coach of two national titles and one South American title, the coach has etched his name in the history books of Clube de Regatas do Flamengo. Speaking to Flamengo's official website, the coach recalled each of the five state championship titles that made up this fifth championship.

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2005 - In 2005, Flamengo surpassed all expectations and ushered in the victorious generation that everyone recognizes today. Although no one from that group remains, it was that victory that propelled the Gávea team to the top of national and South American basketball. The red-and-blacks defeated favorite Telemar, which had several national team players and a team of near-retirees, in a packed gymnasium at Club Municipal. For coach Paulo Chupeta, that was the most defining moment of his career.

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"This title was a milestone in my career. It was a very difficult campaign. We had a team of very experienced players, some of whom were close to retirement, like Leo, Gema, who was crucial, Mingão, Guto... And in the final, we faced Telemar, who had a great team, with Varejão, Dedé, and players at the level of the Brazilian national team. In the first game of the final, we lost by 25 points, but I talked a lot with the group, who came together and ended up winning the second game. That's when everyone realized they could be champions, and they did. It was an unforgettable achievement," recalled the red-and-black coach.

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1st Game: Flamengo 82 x 107 Telemar
2nd Game: Telemar 78 x 80 Flamengo
3nd Game: Telemar 90 x 93 Flamengo

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2006 - The following year, Flamengo no longer had as much trouble winning the title. After the unexpected 2005 triumph, the board invested more in basketball and strengthened the team with important names. Among them, Fred and Coloneze, who remain in the squad to this day. The opponent in that final was Rio/Pan 2007, as Telemar had been disbanded at the end of the previous season. The team from Gávea was superior throughout the championship and confirmed its favoritism in the final, becoming undefeated champions.

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"In 2006, we started to form the base of the current group, with Fred and Coloneze, and we also had other quality players, like Olivinha, for example. We beat Rio Pan in the final, which was also a good team and even had former Flamengo players, like Ricardinho. I remember we were undefeated champions and also had a good campaign in the National Championship," recalled Chupeta.

1st Game: Rio Pan 2007 74 x 93 Flamengo
2nd Game: Flamengo 95 x 89 Rio Pan 2007

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2007 - A championship worthy of Rio's basketball tradition. Fluminense and Vasco took to the court with strong teams, thanks to partnerships with Minas Gerais and Brasília, respectively, and Flamengo significantly strengthened itself to compete in the State Championship. This was the starting point for more than half of the core squad that would become two-time national champions and South American champions in the following two seasons. Marcelinho, Wagner, Duda, Hélio, Fernando Mineiro, Amiel, and company arrived this year and were instrumental in winning the third title. Despite the difficulties, Flamengo also outperformed throughout the competition. They suffered only one loss, to Vasco in the qualifying round, but in the finals, also against their rival, they fared better, closing out the best-of-three series 2-0.

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"This was a very good championship. Although Vasco and Fluminense didn't have their own teams, we had partnerships, and that really enhanced the competition. They were two strong teams, and we had some great matches. It was the first title for this group, which is here today, and the final was exciting, as it should be. Hélio had a great performance in the second game. At the time, he was still a reserve, Fred was injured, and he came off the bench to score 30 points and be instrumental in that victory," said Paulo Sampaio.

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1st Game: Vasco da Gama 72 x 94 Flamengo
2nd Game: Flamengo 75 x 73 Vasco da Gama

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2008 - Last year, as this year, Flamengo entered the competition as the heavy favorite to win the title, having no opponent with a significant basketball investment. Even so, Marcelinho and company respected and played on equal terms with all teams and, as expected, were undefeated champions without much difficulty. Their opponent in the final was Cabo Frio, and Flamengo repeated their tradition of winning the title at Club Municipal, a feat that had not happened the previous year, when the final was played at Maracanãzinho.

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"In 2008, it was a more relaxed title. But all the players knew they had to do their best, regardless of the opponent, because that's how we value competition. And that's what we did. We won the title playing our best basketball and respecting all the teams," concluded the red-black coach.

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1st Game: Cabo Frio 70 x 114 Flamengo
2nd Game: Flamengo 102 x 61 Cabo Frio