Dijon

Jeanne d’Arc Dijon Basket

	Foundation	1880
	Arena	Palais des sports Jean-Michel-Geoffroy
	Championships	Betclic ÉLITE
	Coach	Laurent Legname
	Famous players who have played for the club	David Holston / Skeeter Henry / Laurent Sciarra

Player to watch : David Holston

The 2018-2019 Pro A MVP, David Holston is without a doubt the greatest player in the history of Jeanne d’Arc Dijon Basket. As the club’s all-time leading scorer, the point guard is returning for his 11th season in Burgundy. The oldest (40 years old) and shortest (5’5”) player in the 2025-2026 Betclic ÉLITE has plenty more to offer his fans.

In just his first game after eight months of recovery, David Holston scored 20 points against Le Mans, silencing all the doubts surrounding him. Signed to an extension over the summer, the former Chicago State Cougar now serves as the sixth man.

Like a walking firecracker, David Holston is the leader of Dijon’s second unit. His small stature gives him exceptional acceleration, complemented by a shot that remains as reliable as ever. The man who averaged 26 points in the NCAA is also a key support for Laurent Legname in the locker room.

There’s no doubt about it: this season, the JDA’s cornerstone both on and off the court is David Holston.

Playing Style

“Defense is how we win.” This statement by Laurent Legname – head coach of Dijon – perfectly sums up the foundation of this team. Rigorous, structured, and aggressive, this off-ball play is the key to JDA’s recent successes in France and Europe. In keeping with this approach, on the other side of the court, Jeanne d’Arc relies on intensity.

Led by a creative point guard (David Holston or Justin Bibbins), the Dijon players must be able to physically withstand adversity throughout the game. This is why we regularly see Dijon turn the tide of the game in the second half—a rather unusual phenomenon, explained by the tactical flexibility advocated by Laurent Legname.

Club History

By far the oldest club in the Betclic ÉLITE, the earliest records of Jeanne d’Arc Dijon date back to 1880, although the basketball division wasn’t established until 1924. Amid a plethora of other sports, a dispute with the venue’s owners in 1966 prompted the organization to focus exclusively on basketball.

At the helm of the club, the Jobart-Lebeau-Boisselot trio built, brick by brick, a roster tailored for the elite. Thirteen years passed from its debut in Nationale 2 in the late ’80s to its first season in Pro A. A gradual rise culminated in a sixth-place finish and a playoff berth as early as 1990. Nicknamed the “Bourgogne Basketball Club” in the local press, the entire region supports the JDA. And in the wake of their star Billy Goodwin, the Dijon team won their first “minor” trophy in 1993 with the now-defunct League Cup, coupled with a superb quarterfinal run in the league.

While the turn of the millennium was somewhat lackluster, Jeanne d’Arc kicked off the 2000s with a bang. In addition to showing greater ambition on the national stage, Dijon secured its ticket to Europe in 2001. And it was three years later that the JDA achieved its first major European campaign, culminating in the 2004 EuroCup Challenge (C3) final, which it lost decisively to the German team Mitteldeutschen BC (84-68). The Dijon team, however, found the best possible consolation with a surprise triumph in the Semaine des AS, notably against the heavy favorite Le Mans. This golden era culminated in a French Cup–Champions Match double in 2006.

Jacques Monclard left Burgundy, taking the club’s ambitions with him. For in reality, this cup feat masked a decline in results that had been underway for several seasons. But after gradually slipping back, the JDA eventually dropped down to Pro B—a first in over 20 years. This wake-up call jolted Dijon into action. Gone were the constant squabbles between the president and the coach. Arriving on the Dijon bench at the end of the summer, Jean-Louis Borg led his team back to Pro A the very next year. Better yet, after a nine-year wait, Jeanne d’Arc reached the conference quarterfinals and then made it to the playoff semifinals twice (2014 and 2019).

Led in recent years by David Holston—the only Dijon player to have been named Pro A MVP (2018–2019)—the Burgundy club had the best season in its history in 2019–2020: the highest winning percentage in a single season, first place in the regular season, third in the Basketball Champions League (C3), and, most importantly, winner of the Leaders Cup. The following year followed a similar trajectory before ASVEL denied JDA the coveted Jeep ÉLITE title.

Today, more than ever, Dijon has established itself among the elite of French basketball. With a 2024 French Cup title and a 2025 EuroCup (C2) semifinal berth under their belt, the Dijon team is enjoying the most successful period in its history.

palmarès

	French Cup	2006 / 2024
	AS Week	2004
	Leaders Cup	2020

Spotlight : Handball

Jeanne d’Arc Dijon is an elite men’s basketball club… but also a women’s handball club! It’s true that our sport took the lead starting in 1966. However, due to federal restrictions, the women’s handball division of the Cercle Sportif Laïc Dijonnais broke away to join the “Jeanne d’Arc Dijon” organization. In fact, when you visit the JDA website, the homepage features both sections right away.

Having competed in the French first division for 11 consecutive seasons now, the Dijon women are among the top teams in France, just like their men’s counterparts. As finalists in the most recent French Cup, Clément Alcacer’s players are still searching for their first major title – both on the French and European stages.