Élan béarnais Pau-Lacq-Orthez

Player to watch : Bastien Pinault

The local lad had to try twice before joining the Pau academy. Having been rejected on his first attempt, Bastien Pinault shone for the Tarbes under-17s in the second division before finally joining the green ranks. Over five seasons in the South-West, the shooting guard honed his scoring skills, as evidenced by his 17.4-point average in the Espoir ÉLITE. La Rochelle, however, proved to be his real springboard to the top flight. This was followed by a spell at Évreux and then eight years in the top flight.

Having become the face of the Betclic ÉLITE for eight years, Bastien Pinault distinguished himself at Chalon, Levallois and Nanterre. His shooting prowess from beyond the arc was highlighted at the 2018 LNB All-Star Game, where he won the three-point shooting contest. Having established himself amongst the elite of French basketball, the Tarbes-born player decided to step down a division to rejoin his youth club in the summer of 2024. Quickly appointed captain, the prolific shooter played a key role in Pau’s promotion during the 2026 promotion play-offs.

Playing style

Renowned for his skills as a team-builder, Mickaël Hay does not rely on individual players, nor even on star players. He favours a team-based approach whose system emphasises both ball movement and intensity. This Pau 26-27 side relies heavily on its outside shooting, with versatile big men capable of spreading the floor.

As well as posing a threat from the perimeter, these ‘stretch fives’ open up driving lanes for more athletic players. This constant activity is evident even when they don’t have the ball. Pressure and repetition are used to wear down the opposition as the minutes tick by.

Club history

Stemming from a multi-sports club founded in 1908 in Orthez, the Élan basketball section emerged in 1931 in complete obscurity. As the years passed, the Pyrenean club remained content with competing at departmental or even regional level. In 1967, Pierre Seillant took the reins of the club. The son of Jules Seillant – one of the club’s first registered members in 1908 – this local man was determined to break through that glass ceiling. It all began in 1972 with the arrival of the club’s first American player, followed by a rapid promotion to the top flight the following year. At the start of the 1974–1975 season, Orthez secured their place in Nationale 1 once and for all !

In the space of just four years, the club made its mark on the European stage. This step into a new era was cemented by a consistent presence amongst the top six in Nationale 1. On the European stage too, Orthez excelled with an extraordinary unbeaten run at La Moutète between 1981 and 1985. The high point of this era of dominance came when Petar Popović’s team-mates lifted the 1984 Korać Cup (C3) against Red Star Belgrade (97–73). Even today, the number of towns with fewer than 11,000 inhabitants that have won a continental trophy can be counted on the fingers of one hand.

Then, after the Old Continent, the Pyrenean fury swept through France. Led by their sharpshooter Howard Carter, the club clinched its first French championship in 1986 following an 84–71 victory over Monaco. History repeated itself the following year against their long-standing rivals, CSP Limoges. An 82–81 victory was secured thanks to two free throws from Freddy Hufnagel with four seconds remaining. All this was capped by a triumph over Real Madrid in the European Cup (C1). This golden generation began to fade in the late 1990s, a period marked by name changes. However, Élan Béarnais Pau-Orthez went on to enjoy a new era marked by trophies. They secured a hat-trick in the AS Tournament, were crowned national champions against Limoges, and reached numerous finals.

From this historic rivalry with Limoges, the club has forged a new long-distance rivalry with ASVEL. The first sparks were ignited during the 1996 league finals, which Pau won. The team led by new head coach Claude Bergeaud repeated the feat with back-to-back titles (1998–1999), accompanied by a EuroLeague quarter-final (C1). But the turn of the millennium saw the emergence of the classic rivalry between Villeurbanne and Orthez. Three consecutive finals: 2001 for Élan, 2002 for ASVEL, and the decider… for Élan! A run during which players such as Mickaël Piétrus and Boris Diaw wore the green jersey. That ninth and final Pro A title, won in 2004, was the icing on the cake. Also worth noting are one ‘Semaine des AS’ title and two French Cups.

The aftermath of the double was painful. Deprived of key players such as Florent Piétrus and even Dragan Lukovski, the team plummeted down the league table. Despite the presence of Thomas Heurtel – then the league’s top young prospect – Pau were relegated in 2009, 33 years after their second promotion to the top flight. This was followed by financial difficulties and a deficit of 400,000 euros, which was partly covered by the municipality of Lacq. From 2009 to 2014, Élan Béarnais Pau-Lacq-Orthez bounced back and forth between the first and second divisions. Ambitious squads were not enough to return to the top flight. It was finally after five consecutive playoff appearances that the club regained its place in the Jeep Élite. The COVID-19 pandemic then saved Pau from relegation before American investors took over the reins. Amidst this bleak picture, a victory in the 2022 Coupe de France provided a glimmer of hope. Administratively relegated in 2024, the nine-time French champions returned to the Betclic ÉLITE in 2026, this time determined to establish themselves there for the long term.

Zoom : The Moutète

Located in Orthez, La Moutète is now known as a market hall. Nothing could be more ordinary. But before apples and pears took over the area, the orange ball reigned supreme !

Having fallen into disuse by the late 1930s, these old arenas were subsequently demolished. It was on these ruins that La Moutère was built in 1931. Then, with Élan’s rise to the top flight of basketball, this daytime market was transformed into a ‘temple of basketball’ by night.

It was there that Orthez lifted the 1984 Korac Cup, amongst other achievements. Renowned for its extreme fervour, this venue hosted the club’s first ‘golden generation’. Then, on 5 January 1991, Élan left La Moutère following a victory over Saint-Quentin. Apart from one final

The number : 30

This is the number of consecutive years during which Élan Béarnais Pau-Lacq-Orthez competed in European cup competitions (1977–2007) – a feat never before achieved in France.