Martín Leiva, general manager of Boca Juniors basketball and the player who has worn the club’s jersey more times than anyone else in its history, speaks to SKWEEK about what it means to continue that legacy at La Bombonerita.
Football may be what first comes to mind when you hear Boca Juniors, but in La Boca, the club’s identity has never been confined to one sport. It lives in the blue and gold, in the streets around the Bombonera and in the generations of players and fans who have shaped Boca’s story — from legend Diego Maradona to those who continue to wear the club’s colors today.
That identity has found its own expression on the basketball court. At La Bombonerita, Boca Juniors basketball has built a history of its own, driven by the same passion and competitive edge that define the club. In 2026, that journey reached a new high, after Boca lifted the Basketball Champions League Americas title.
We met Martín Leiva in Astana, during the 2026 Games of the Future, an event bringing traditional sport and esports together in the emerging world of phygital competition. As general manager of Boca Juniors basketball — and the player who has worn the club’s jersey more times than anyone else in its history — Leiva spoke to SKWEEK about what it means to carry Boca’s identity onto the basketball court.
La Bombonerita is our own little temple
Boca Juniors is arguably the most recognizable sports brand in South America and one of the biggest in the world, thanks to its football legacy. How challenging is it for the basketball program to forge its own identity within such an iconic institution?
Boca is a massive club, and naturally, football is part of everything we do. It’s deeply rooted in our identity and our culture. That’s exactly what makes Boca basketball’s achievements so remarkable. In a club where everything revolves around football, we’ve established basketball as the club’s second major professional sport.
Operating in a club where football naturally takes center stage pushes us to raise our standards every day. Basketball has earned its place at Boca through its history, its competitive spirit, and what it represents to thousands of fans who are just as proud of this team.
Boca basketball didn’t forge its identity by comparing itself to football. It was built through hard work, respect for the jersey, and the understanding that being part of Boca means living up to the standards the club demands. Once you embrace that responsibility, basketball stops being “what comes after football” and becomes another expression of what it truly means to be Boca.
Diego Maradona once said, “Every time I go to La Bombonera to watch Boca, it’s like going to visit Pope Francis.” Does that almost religious feeling also exist in basketball? Can a Boca player experience that same sense of “religion” when wearing the jersey at La Bombonerita?
Diego had a unique way of capturing what Boca means to its people. Basketball is different, of course, but the essence is exactly the same. La Bombonerita has its own rituals, its own magic. It’s our own little temple. The moment you step onto the court, you realize it’s not just another arena. The jersey carries real weight, and the energy the fans create is unlike anything you’ll experience anywhere else.
That sense of belonging, responsibility, and pride is very similar to what Maradona was describing. At La Bombonerita, you’re not just playing a game—you are representing an identity that has been passed down through generations. The “Boca religion” exists in basketball too. It has its own language, its own traditions, and its own intensity, but the same emotional depth.
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At Boca, competing isn’t enough
Is there a particular moment when a new player truly understands what it means to wear the Boca jersey? Does it happen during the first practice, the first game at La Bombonerita, or through the connection with the fans?
There comes a moment when every player truly understands what it means to wear the Boca jersey, but it’s different for everyone. For some, it happens during their very first practice, when they experience the standards and the level of commitment the club demands. For others, it comes at La Bombonerita, when they hear the fans and realize they’re not just playing another game. And for many, it happens through direct contact with the supporters—signing an autograph, taking a photo, or hearing a few words from a fan that make them realize they’re representing something much bigger than themselves.
And there’s something else: the expectation to win. At Boca, competing isn’t enough. There’s a historic expectation to live up to the club’s standards, to represent its colors with results, character, and commitment.
It’s often said that every football match at La Bombonera feels like a small earthquake. Is there a similar feeling at La Bombonerita? What’s it like for a Boca basketball player to experience that connection with the fans?
The intensity is very much the same. It’s a smaller, more intimate arena, where players feel everything—the voices of the fans, the energy, the expectations. There’s no distance between the court and the stands. The fans are right on top of you, living every possession as if it were the last!
As a Boca basketball player, you develop a very special relationship with the supporters. It’s a close-knit atmosphere, where everyone knows each other. It’s more than just support—it’s a direct connection.
When the crowd at La Bombonerita erupts, it lifts you. And when you earn that recognition from the fans, it’s something you never forget. That closeness gives every game tremendous emotional weight, because you know you’re representing a club where everything is felt more intensely. La Bombonerita may not shake like La Bombonera, but it vibrates. And once you’ve experienced that feeling, it stays with you.
Is there a personal story that made you realize the club is about much more than sport? A moment that made you think, “This could only happen at Boca,” especially in basketball?
There are moments at Boca that make you realize the club is about so much more than sport. As I mentioned earlier, everything you accomplish, whether it’s seen as a success or not, takes on a different dimension. Every step forward, every milestone, every gesture carries greater meaning because the jersey holds such powerful emotional weight.
In basketball, it’s the same. Some moments have nothing to do with winning or losing. They’re about identity, the connection with the fans, and the club’s culture.
A special visit from Juan Román Riquelme
Do football players, club legends, or historical figures from Boca ever visit the basketball team? Is there a particular visit or conversation that has left a lasting impression on the team?
Nowadays, we don’t have many football players from the club visiting the basketball team. It happens from time to time, or when they train at La Bombonera, because their main training base is in Ezeiza. But even if those visits are occasional, they have a meaningful impact on us.
One time, President Riquelme visited us after we won the Liga, and it was a really special conversation—warm and meaningful. Moments like that show you that, even though each sport has its own routines and demands, basketball is also part of Boca’s identity.
When someone from the club takes the time to come by, we see it as recognition of the work we do and of the place basketball has earned within the institution.
At Boca, the word “pressure” seems to carry a different meaning. How does a basketball player handle wearing the same jersey worn by Diego Maradona, Carlos Tevez, and so many other club legends? Do you feel that you are representing something much bigger than a basketball team?
The pressure in basketball is different from what it is in football, and we understand that. But it’s also true that we set very high standards for ourselves every day. Not because someone imposes them on us, but because there is nothing better than winning a championship wearing this jersey.
More than pressure, at Boca it’s about responsibility. The responsibility of representing the club the right way, of always being among the contenders, of honoring its history, and of understanding that every game matters. That responsibility is what guides us and what makes us work with the intensity this jersey demands.
In football, Boca–River is the Superclásico. In basketball, there isn’t a rivalry that compares to that same level of intensity. How does that influence the team? Is there a rival that creates similar emotions, or does simply being Boca make every game carry a special meaning?
In basketball, there isn’t a rivalry that compares to Boca–River in football. Even when River was in the top division in basketball and I had the chance to play that game, you could feel that it was special. The entire training week had a different feel, and it was a great experience to be part of it. But even then, we know it doesn’t come close to what Boca–River represents in football.
The true scale of that rivalry is unique. It’s a match that brings the entire country to a standstill, that crosses generations, and that shapes the sporting and emotional landscape for millions of people. That level of rivalry doesn’t exist in basketball, and that’s understandable: football carries an incomparable historical weight.
Τhe energy you feel here is authentic and deeply Boca
At Boca, people often say you don’t play just to win, but to represent a neighborhood, an identity, and a way of understanding life. Is that just a saying, or is it something that is truly lived within the club?
It’s something that is truly part of the club’s everyday life. The commitment, the grit, the sacrifice… all of that is part of Boca’s DNA. And as people in the neighborhood would say, “este partido lo ganamos con huevo” (“we win this game with everything we’ve got”).
That way of competing, of never giving up, of understanding that every ball matters, is part of our culture. In basketball, we feel the same way. It’s not just about playing; it’s about representing an identity. That way of experiencing every game is what brings us together as a club and what makes every victory feel special.
If you had just one opportunity to help a European fan understand what it means to be a Boca basketball player, where would you take them, who would you introduce them to, and what story would you tell them?
I would explain that identity at Boca is not negotiable. There is a way of competing, training, and representing the club that goes beyond any result. The jersey demands commitment, respect, and responsibility. And everything you achieve—whether it’s a championship or even a small step forward—is magnified because that’s how Boca is: everything carries a different weight.
I would also hope they could come and experience a basketball game, where the support from the fans never stops and you feel the emotion from the very first minute. La Bombonerita has something special: you walk in, you feel it, and you want to come back. Because the energy you feel there is authentic, close, and deeply Boca.
Boca Juniors is a club with more than a century of history, but it recently also participated in the Games of the Future 2026 in Astana. How do you find the balance between respecting the club’s legacy and embracing new forms of competition and technology?
Boca has more than a century of history, and that legacy is something we honor and preserve every day. But Boca is also a club that never stands still. Taking part in the Phygital Games shows that we understand sport is evolving and that technology is opening new paths.
The balance comes from understanding that innovation does not mean breaking away from the past; it means taking that history to new places. Boca respects its neighborhood, its identity, and its history, but it also knows that, to remain Boca, it has to be where the sport is evolving.
The Phygital Games do not take us away from our essence; they amplify it. They allow us to show that Boca can compete on any stage, physical or digital, without losing what makes it unique.
If tomorrow the trophies, the photos, and the memories of Maradona, Tevez, and the club’s other legends were gone, what would remain? What is it, at its core, that makes Boca… Boca?
What makes Boca truly Boca is the people. Their passion, their unconditional love, and the way they stand by the club through every moment. They preserve the club’s identity, give it life, give it meaning, and make everything that happens at Boca carry a different weight.
Photo credits: The Games of the Future Astana 2026 Powered by Samruk-Kazyna, BCL, Boca Básquet Facebook.