| Color1: | white |
| Color2: |
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| Vestri | |
| Leagues: | 2. deild karla |
| Founded: | 1965 (as KFÍ) |
| History: | KFÍ (1965–2016) Vestri (2016–present) |
| Arena: | Ísjakinn (capacity: 1200) |
| Location: | Ísafjörður, Iceland |
| Colors: | Navy blue, red, white |
| President: | Ingólfur Þorleifsson [1] |
| Championships: | 4 Division I 3 Division II |
| Website: | Vestri.is |
| H Pattern B: | _thinnavysides |
| H Body: | ffffff |
| H Shorts: | ffffff |
| A Pattern B: | _thinredsides |
| A Body: | 243263 |
| A Shorts: | 243263 |
The Vestri men's basketball team, commonly known as Vestri, is a basketball team based in Ísafjörður, Iceland. The club was founded in 1965 as Körfuknattleiksfélag Ísafjarðar and held that name until it merged with newly founded Íþróttafélagið Vestri multi-sport club in 2016 and became its basketball department.
The club was founded in 1965 as Körfuknattleiksfélag Ísafjarðar (KFÍ).
In March 1983, KFÍ finished first in its group in 2. deild karla and played Laugdælir, Breiðablik and Íþróttafélag Menntaskólans á Egilsstöðum (ÍME) in they playoffs for the 2. deild championship and promotion to 1. deild karla. According to the rules at the time, each team would play the other three once and the team with the best win–loss record would be crowned champions. KFÍ lost its first game to Breiðablik, 79–76, despite 29 points from Guðjón Már Þorsteinsson and 21 points from Jón Oddsson. In the second game, against Laugdælir, KFÍ scored the last 4 points of the game, winning 79–76, with Kristinn Kristjánsson scoring 23 points, Jón Oddsson 17 points and Guðjón Már Þorsteinsson 16 points. In the final game, KFÍ defeated ÍME 91–70. Both Breiðablik and Laugdælir also won two out of three games, tied with KFÍ. As the rules did not count for any tie-breakers, the three teams were slated to meet again to decide the winner.[2] During the second try, KFÍ lost to Breiðablik in the first game, 78–77, but won Laugdælir in the second game 79–76. Laugdælir however won Breiðablik leaving the teams again tied, thus meaning that a third playoff would be held to decide the winner.[3] During the third playoff, KFÍ won Breiðablik but lost to Laugdælir. As Breiðablik won Laugdælir the teams were once again tied. Prior to the fourth playoffs, the Icelandic Basketball Federation decided that if the teams would once again finish tied, the team with the best scoring record would finish first.[4] The fourth playoff was held from 30 April to 2 May and there Laugdælir won both KFÍ and Breiðablik convincingly and were crowned 2. deild karla champions.[5]
In 1994, the team won the 2. deild karla playoffs, which was held jointly in Ísafjörður and Bolungarvík,[6] after defeating Þór Þorlákshöfn 75–48, and was promoted to 1. deild karla.[7]
On 17 October 1999, KFÍ won Skallagrímur, 129–132, in a game that went into four overtimes. It was the longest Úrvalsdeild karla game ever played in Iceland. Clifton Bush set a then record by playing 59 minutes in the game.[8] It has since been broken by Hörður Axel Vilhjálmsson.[9]
In 2016, KFÍ merged into Íþróttafélagið Vestri and became its basketball sub-division.[10]
On 16 December 2018, while playing in the second-tier 1. deild karla, it knocked out top-tier Haukar in the Final 16 of the Icelandic Cup.[11] It was the only team outside the top-tier Úrvalsdeild to appear in the Final 8 of the cup.[12]
In June 2021, Vestri defeated Hamar in the 1. deild promotion finals and achieved promotion to the Úrvalsdeild.[13]
Men's head coaches:[14]
| Season | Division | Regular season | Playoff Results | Head coach | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| W | L | PCT | ||||||
| 1993–1994 | Division II | – | – | – | – | Won Finals (Þór Þorlákshöfn, 1–0) Promoted do Division I | Geir Þorsteinsson | |
| 1994–1995 | Division I | 3rd (Group 1) | 15 | 5 | .750 | Did not qualify | Geir Þorsteinsson | |
| 1995–1996 | Division I | 2nd | 12 | 4 | .750 | Won Semifinals (ÍS, 2–0) Won Finals (Þór Þorlákshöfn, 2–1) Promoted to Úrvalsdeild | Guðjón Þorsteinsson | |
| 1996–1997 | Úrvalsdeild | 9th | 9 | 13 | .409 | Did not qualify | Guðni Guðnason | |
| 1997–1998 | Úrvalsdeild | 5th | 13 | 9 | .591 | Lost Quarterfinals (Njarðvík, 1–2) | Guðni Guðnason | |
| 1998–1999 | Úrvalsdeild | 3rd | 15 | 7 | .682 | Won Quarterfinals (Tindastóll, 2–0) Lost Semifinals (Njarðvík, 1–2) | Tony Garbelotto | |
| 1999–2000 | Úrvalsdeild | 10th | 7 | 15 | .318 | Did not qualify | Tony Garbelotto | |
| 2000–2001 | Úrvalsdeild | 12th | 4 | 18 | .182 | Did not qualify Relegated to Division I | Karl Jónsson | |
| 2001–2002 | Division I | 3rd | 12 | 6 | .667 | Lost Semifinals (Snæfell, 0–2) | Hrafn Kristjánsson and Baldur Jónasson | |
| 2002–2003 | Division I | 1st | 14 | 2 | .875 | Won Semifinals (Ármann/Þróttur, 2–1) Won Finals (Þór Þorlákshöfn, 1–0) Promoted to Úrvalsdeild karla | Hrafn Kristjánsson | |
| 2003–2004 | Úrvalsdeild | 10th | 6 | 16 | .273 | Did not qualify | Hrafn Kristjánsson | |
| 2004–2005 | Úrvalsdeild | 12th | 2 | 20 | .091 | Did not qualify Relegated to Division I | Baldur Jónasson | |
| 2005–2006 | Division I | 7th | 6 | 12 | .333 | Did not qualify | Baldur Jónasson | |
| 2006–2007 | Division I | 6th | 5 | 9 | .357 | Did not qualify | Baldur Jónasson (0–3) Borce Ilievski (5–6) | |
| 2007–2008 | Division I | 6th | 8 | 10 | .444 | Did not qualify | Borce Ilievski | |
| 2008–2009 | Division I | 5th | 11 | 7 | .611 | Lost Semifinals (Valur, 1–2) | Borce Ilievski | |
| 2009–2010 | Division I | 1st | 16 | 2 | .889 | Promoted to Úrvalsdeild | Borce Ilievski | |
| 2010–2011 | Úrvalsdeild | 12th | 5 | 17 | .227 | Did not qualify Relegated to Division I | B.J. Aldridge (2–6) Neil Shiran Þórisson (3–11) | |
| 2011–2012 | Division I | 1st | 17 | 1 | .944 | Promoted to Úrvalsdeild | Pétur Már Sigurðsson | |
| 2012–2013 | Úrvalsdeild | 10th | 6 | 16 | .273 | Did not qualify | Pétur Már Sigurðsson | |
| 2013–2014 | Úrvalsdeild | 11th | 4 | 18 | .182 | Did not qualify Relegated to Division I | Birgir Örn Birgisson | |
| 2014–2015 | Division I | 7th | 5 | 16 | .238 | Did not qualify | Birgir Örn Birgisson | |
| 2015–2016 | Division I | 8th | 4 | 14 | .222 | Did not qualify | Birgir Örn Birgisson (3–10) Neil Shiran Þórisson and Guðni Guðnason (1–4) | |
| 2016–2017 | Division I | 6th | 8 | 16 | .333 | Did not qualify | Yngvi Gunnlaugsson | |
| 2017–2018 | Division I | 4th | 16 | 8 | .667 | Lost Semifinals (Breiðablik, 0–3) | Yngvi Gunnlaugsson | |
| 2018–2019 | Division I | 5th | 12 | 9 | .571 | Lost Semifinals (Fjölnir, 0–3) | Yngvi Gunnlaugsson | |
| 2019–2020 | Division I | 4th | 14 | 8 | .636 | Playoffs canceled due to COVID-19 outbreak.1 | Pétur Már Sigurðsson | |
| 2020–2021 | Division I | 4th | 9 | 7 | .563 | Won Quarterfinals (Fjölnir, 2–0) Won Semifinals (Skallagrímur, 3–0) Won Finals (Hamar, 3–1) Promoted to Úrvalsdeild | Pétur Már Sigurðsson | |
| 2021–2022 | Úrvalsdeild | 11th | 4 | 18 | .182 | Did not qualify Relegated to Division I | Pétur Már Sigurðsson | |
| 2020–2021 | Division I | 4th | 9 | 7 | .563 | Won Quarterfinals (Fjölnir, 2–0) Won Semifinals (Skallagrímur, 3–0) Won Finals (Hamar, 3–1) Promoted to Úrvalsdeild | Pétur Már Sigurðsson | |
| 2022–2023 | 2. deild | 2nd | 16 | 4 | .800 | Lost Semifinals (Snæfell, 0–1) | Pétur Már Sigurðsson | |
| 2023–2024 | 2. deild | 1st | 16 | 2 | .889 | Won Semifinals (Aþena/Leiknir, 1–0) Lost Finals (KV, 0–2) | Pétur Már Sigurðsson | |
Úrvalsdeild Men's Domestic All-First Team
Úrvalsdeild Men's Young Player of the Year
Úrvalsdeild Men's Foreign Player of the Year
Vestri has a men's reserve team that plays in the amateur level Icelandic 4th-tier 3. deild karla, called Vestri-b and nicknamed Flaggskipið (English: The Flagship).[18] In 2018 it was the runner-up to the 3. deild championship.[19] [20]
| Season | Tier | League | Icelandic Cup | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2015–16 | 4 | 3. deild karla | 2nd | 10–3 | Semi-finals | DNP | |
| 2017–18 | 4 | 3. deild karla | 2nd | 8–4 | bgcolor=silver | Runner-up | 1st Round |
| 2018–19 | 4 | 3. deild karla | 4th | 7–7 | DNQ | 1st Round | |
| 2019–20 | 4 | 3. deild karla | 9th | 3–7 | N/A | DNP | |
| 2020–21 | 4 | 3. deild karla | 1st | 3–0 | N/A | DNP | |