FIBA World Championship
Encyclopedia
The FIBA World Championship is an international basketball
competition contested by the men's national teams of the members of the International Basketball Federation
(FIBA
), the sport's global governing body. The championship has been held every four years since the inaugural tournament in 1950
, except for two occasions.
The tournament structure is similar, but not identical, to that of the FIFA World Cup
; both of these international competitions have been played in the same year since 1970. A parallel event for women's teams, the FIBA World Championship for Women
, is also held quadrennially, in the same year as the men's event, but in a different country. The current format of the tournament involves 24 teams competing for the title at venues within the host nation. The winning team receives the Naismith Trophy
, first awarded in 1967
. The current champions are the United States, who defeated Turkey
in the final of the 2010 tournament
.
in London. Long-time FIBA Secretary-General Renato William Jones
urged FIBA to adopt a World Championship, similar to the FIFA World Cup, to be held in every four years between Olympiad
s. The FIBA Congress, seeing how successful the 23-team Olympic tournament
was that year, agreed to the proposal, beginning with a tournament in 1950
. Argentina
was selected as host, largely because they were the only country willing to take on the task. Argentina took advantage of the host selection, winning all their games en route to becoming the first FIBA World Champion.
The first five tournaments were held in South America, and teams from the Americas
dominated the tournament, winning eight of nine medals at the first three tournaments. By 1963
, however, teams from Eastern Europe
– the Soviet Union
and Yugoslavia
in particular – began to catch up to the teams from the American continents. Between 1963 and 1998, the tournament was dominated by the United States, the Soviet Union (and later Russia
), Yugoslavia
(and later Croatia
and FR Yugoslavia
), and Brazil
accounted for every medal at the tournament.
In 1994
, professional players participated in the tournament for the first time. Although the United States initially dominated with NBA
players, other nations eventually used professional players to finally catch up to the four powerhouse countries. In 2002
, Argentina
, led by four future NBA players, captured the silver medal, while NBA player and tournament MVP Dirk Nowitzki
led Germany
to the bronze, its first ever World Championship medal. Meanwhile, the United States' team, made up entirely of NBA players, struggled to a sixth place finish. In 2006
, emerging powerhouse Spain
beat Greece
in the first appearance in the final for both teams. Spain became only the seventh team (Yugoslavia and FR Yugoslavia are counted separately in the FIBA records) to capture a World Championship gold. This new era of parity convinced FIBA to expand the tournament to 24 teams for both the 2006 and 2010
editions of the tournament. Currently FIBA expects to have 24 teams again at the 2014 FIBA World Championship
, and is considering expanding to 32 teams for future events.
after missing the first two events.
In the tournament's early years, only Europe
and South America
had established continental tournaments, so participation in the tournament was largely by invitation. Later, Asia
added a continental championship in 1960, followed by Africa
in 1962, Central America
in 1965, and Oceania
in 1971, As a result of these changes, qualification became more formalized starting with the 1967 tournament
. In that year, the Asian champion received an automatic berth in the tournament, joining the top European and South American teams. In 1970
, the African and Oceanian champion each received a berth, while the Centrobasket champion and runner-up were each invited. For most of these years, the tournament host, defending World Champion, and top Olympic basketball tournament
finishers also qualified for the event.
Since 1970, qualification has continued to be based on the continental competitions and the Olympic tournament. The only major change came in the 1990 FIBA World Championship
, when the tournament started taking qualifiers from the newly redesigned FIBA Americas Championship
rather than from North, Central, and South America individually. After the tournament expanded to 24 teams in 2006
, the tournament has allocated qualification as follows:
Each of the five continental championships also serves as qualification for the Olympics, so all are held every two years. The year immediately preceding the World Championship is used to determine the berths at the tournament. For example, all of the berths at the 2010 FIBA World Championship
were determined by continental championships held in 2009
. After the first twenty teams have qualified, FIBA then selects four wild card teams, based on sporting, economic, and governance criteria, as well as a required registration fee from each team to be considered by the FIBA board. Of the four wild cards, only three can come from one continental zone. In each of the two tournaments that the wild card system has been in place, FIBA has selected the maximum three European teams to compete in the event.
began with a ten-team double-elimination tournament
followed by a six-team round robin round to determine the champion. Between 1954 and 1974, each tournament started with a group stage preliminary round; the top teams in each preliminary round group then moved on to a final round robin group to determine the champion. In 1978
, FIBA added a gold medal game between the top two finishers in the final group and a bronze medal game between the third and fourth place teams. In each year between 1959 and 1982, the host team received a bye into the final group. Of the seven host teams in this era, only three medaled despite the head start. As a result, FIBA made the host team compete in the preliminary round starting in 1986
.
In 1986, the tournament briefly expanded to 24 teams. Four groups of six teams each competed in the preliminary round group stage. The top three teams in each group then competed in the second group stage, followed by a four-team knockout tournament between the top two finishers in each group. The championship contracted back down to 16 teams for the 1990 tournament
. The three tournaments between 1990 and 1998 each had two group stages followed by a four-team knockout tournament to determine the medalists. The 2002 tournament
expanded the knockout round to eight teams.
In 2006
, FIBA made the decision to expand back to 24 teams and introduced the format that is currently in place. Under the current format, the teams are divided into four preliminary round groups of six teams each. Should teams be tied at the end of the preliminary round, the ties are broken by the following criteria in order:
The top four teams in each group then advance to a sixteen-team single-elimination knockout round. It begins with the eighth finals, where the top teams in each group play the fourth-placed teams in another group and the second and third-placed teams in each group face off. This is followed by the quarterfinals, semifinals, and final. The semifinal losers play in the bronze medal game, while the quarterfinal losers play in a consolation bracket to determine fifth through eighth places.
, the champion of each tournament has been awarded the Naismith Trophy, named for basketball inventor James Naismith
. A trophy had been planned since the first World Championship in 1950, but did not come to fruition until FIBA finally commissioned a trophy in 1965 after receiving a US$1,000 donation. The original trophy was used from 1967 through 1994
. An updated trophy was introduced for the 1998 FIBA World Championship
and the original now sits at the Pedro Ferrándiz
Foundation in Spain.
The updated trophy is designed in an Egyptian-inspired lotus shape upon which there are carved maps of the continents and precious stones symbolizing the five continents (FIBA Americas
represents both North America and South America). Dr. Naismith's name is engraved on all four sides in Latin
, Arabic
, Chinese
, and Egyptian hieroglyphs
. The trophy stands 47 centimeters (18.5 inches) tall and weighs nine kilograms (twenty pounds).
Note that FIBA considers the records of the Soviet Union
distinct from Russia
, while it allocates all records of all teams named Yugoslavia into Yugoslavia that eventually became Serbia and Montenegro; although the Republic of Serbia is the legal successor of the Serbia and Montenegro/FR Yugoslavia team, it is unknown if FIBA will allocate the old Yugoslavia's records to Serbia's.
and Marcel De Souza
of Brazil and Phil Smyth
of Australia
– have appeared in five tournaments. Six different players have won medals in four tournaments. Brazilian legend Oscar Schmidt
is the runaway all-time leading scorer, scoring 916 career points in four tournaments between 1978 and 1990. Nikos Galis of Greece
is the all-time leading scorer for a single tournament, averaging 33.7 points per game for the Greeks at the 1986 FIBA World Championship
. FIBA also names a Most Valuable Player
for each tournament. Since the tournament opened to professionals in 1994, NBA
players have won four of the last five MVP trophies – Shaquille O'Neal
for the United States in 1994, Germany's Dirk Nowitzki
in 2002, Spain's Pau Gasol
in 2006, and the USA's Kevin Durant
in 2010. The only exception was Dejan Bodiroga
of Yugoslavia, the MVP of the 1998 tournament, when the NBA players were not able to participate, due to 1998–99 NBA lockout
.
Basketball
Basketball is a team sport in which two teams of five players try to score points by throwing or "shooting" a ball through the top of a basketball hoop while following a set of rules...
competition contested by the men's national teams of the members of the International Basketball Federation
International Basketball Federation
The International Basketball Federation, more commonly known as FIBA , from its French name Fédération Internationale de Basketball, is an association of national organizations which governs international competition in basketball...
(FIBA
International Basketball Federation
The International Basketball Federation, more commonly known as FIBA , from its French name Fédération Internationale de Basketball, is an association of national organizations which governs international competition in basketball...
), the sport's global governing body. The championship has been held every four years since the inaugural tournament in 1950
1950 FIBA World Championship
The 1950 FIBA World Championship was an international basketball tournament held by the International Basketball Federation in Buenos Aires, Argentina, from October 22 to November 3, 1950. Ten nations participated in the inaugural tournament. All competition was held at the Luna Park, Buenos Aires...
, except for two occasions.
The tournament structure is similar, but not identical, to that of the FIFA World Cup
FIFA World Cup
The FIFA World Cup, often simply the World Cup, is an international association football competition contested by the senior men's national teams of the members of Fédération Internationale de Football Association , the sport's global governing body...
; both of these international competitions have been played in the same year since 1970. A parallel event for women's teams, the FIBA World Championship for Women
FIBA World Championship for Women
The FIBA World Championship for Women is a world basketball tournament for women's national teams held quadrennially...
, is also held quadrennially, in the same year as the men's event, but in a different country. The current format of the tournament involves 24 teams competing for the title at venues within the host nation. The winning team receives the Naismith Trophy
Naismith Trophy
The Naismith Trophy is a trophy awarded to the men's champion of the FIBA World Championship, and is named for basketball inventor James Naismith. The trophy was first awarded for the winner of the 1967 FIBA World Championship...
, first awarded in 1967
1967 FIBA World Championship
The 1967 FIBA World Championship was an international basketball competition hosted by Montevideo, Uruguay from May 27 to June 11, 1967.-Venues:- Competing nations :- Preliminary round :-Group A:-Group B:-Group C:-Classification round:...
. The current champions are the United States, who defeated Turkey
Turkey national basketball team
The Turkish national basketball team is the basketball section that represents Turkey in international competitions. The team is nicknamed "12 Dev Adam" ....
in the final of the 2010 tournament
2010 FIBA World Championship
The 2010 FIBA World Championship, hosted by Turkey, was the international basketball competition contested by the men's national teams. The tournament ran from August 28 to September 12, 2010. It was co-organized by the International Basketball Federation , Turkish Basketball Federation and the...
.
History
The FIBA World Championship was conceived at a meeting of the FIBA World Congress at the 1948 Summer Olympics1948 Summer Olympics
The 1948 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XIV Olympiad, were an international multi-sport event which was held in London, England, United Kingdom. After a 12-year hiatus because of World War II, these were the first Summer Olympics since the 1936 Games in Berlin...
in London. Long-time FIBA Secretary-General Renato William Jones
Renato William Jones
Renato William Jones , also known as R. William, or simply William Jones, was a popularizer of basketball in Europe and in Asia...
urged FIBA to adopt a World Championship, similar to the FIFA World Cup, to be held in every four years between Olympiad
Olympiad
An Olympiad is a period of four years, associated with the Olympic Games of Classical Greece. In the Hellenistic period, beginning with Ephorus, Olympiads were used as calendar epoch....
s. The FIBA Congress, seeing how successful the 23-team Olympic tournament
Basketball at the 1948 Summer Olympics
Basketball at the 1948 Summer Olympics was the second appearance of the sport as an official medal event. A total number of 23 nations entered the competition....
was that year, agreed to the proposal, beginning with a tournament in 1950
1950 FIBA World Championship
The 1950 FIBA World Championship was an international basketball tournament held by the International Basketball Federation in Buenos Aires, Argentina, from October 22 to November 3, 1950. Ten nations participated in the inaugural tournament. All competition was held at the Luna Park, Buenos Aires...
. Argentina
Argentina
Argentina , officially the Argentine Republic , is the second largest country in South America by land area, after Brazil. It is constituted as a federation of 23 provinces and an autonomous city, Buenos Aires...
was selected as host, largely because they were the only country willing to take on the task. Argentina took advantage of the host selection, winning all their games en route to becoming the first FIBA World Champion.
The first five tournaments were held in South America, and teams from the Americas
FIBA Americas
FIBA Americas is a zone within FIBA which contains the 44 FIBA Federations located in the Americas. FIBA Americas is headquartered in San Juan, Puerto Rico.- National teams :CONCECABACaribbean...
dominated the tournament, winning eight of nine medals at the first three tournaments. By 1963
1963 FIBA World Championship
The 1963 FIBA World Championship was an international basketball competition hosted by Rio de Janeiro, Brazil from May 11 to 23 , 1963.- Competing nations :- Preliminary round :-Group A:-Group B:-Group C:-Classification round:...
, however, teams from Eastern Europe
Eastern Europe
Eastern Europe is the eastern part of Europe. The term has widely disparate geopolitical, geographical, cultural and socioeconomic readings, which makes it highly context-dependent and even volatile, and there are "almost as many definitions of Eastern Europe as there are scholars of the region"...
– the Soviet Union
Soviet Union national basketball team
The Soviet national basketball team was the basketball side that represented the Soviet Union in international competitions. After the dissolution of the Soviet Union in 1991, the successor countries all set up their own national teams...
and Yugoslavia
Yugoslavia national basketball team
The Yugoslavian national basketball team represented the Kingdom and socialist Yugoslavia. Its of governing body was the Basketball Federation of Yugoslavia, whose seat was in Belgrade....
in particular – began to catch up to the teams from the American continents. Between 1963 and 1998, the tournament was dominated by the United States, the Soviet Union (and later Russia
Russia national basketball team
The Russian national basketball team represents Russia in international basketball matches. The team came into existence after the dissolution of the Soviet Union and its powerful basketball team. It has won 2 silver medals in the FIBA World Championships...
), Yugoslavia
Yugoslavia national basketball team
The Yugoslavian national basketball team represented the Kingdom and socialist Yugoslavia. Its of governing body was the Basketball Federation of Yugoslavia, whose seat was in Belgrade....
(and later Croatia
Croatia national basketball team
The Croatian national basketball team represents Croatia at international tournaments. It is organized by the Croatian Basketball Federation...
and FR Yugoslavia
Serbia national basketball team
The Serbian national basketball team represents Serbia in international basketball matches....
), and Brazil
Brazil national basketball team
The Brazilian National Basketball Team represents Brazil in FIBA's basketball competitions.-Men's team:First drafted in 1922, the men's team has won two World Championships , three bronze Olympic medals , four Americas Championships and five Pan American Games .-Olympic Games:-FIBA...
accounted for every medal at the tournament.
In 1994
1994 FIBA World Championship
The 1994 FIBA World Championship was an international basketball competition hosted by Canada from August 4 to August 14, 1994. The tournament was held at SkyDome and Maple Leaf Gardens in Toronto as well as at Copps Coliseum in Hamilton...
, professional players participated in the tournament for the first time. Although the United States initially dominated with NBA
National Basketball Association
The National Basketball Association is the pre-eminent men's professional basketball league in North America. It consists of thirty franchised member clubs, of which twenty-nine are located in the United States and one in Canada...
players, other nations eventually used professional players to finally catch up to the four powerhouse countries. In 2002
2002 FIBA World Championship
The 2002 FIBA World Championship was an international basketball tournament held by the International Basketball Federation in Indianapolis, Indiana, USA from August 29 to September 8, 2002.-Venues:-Squads:...
, Argentina
Argentina national basketball team
The Argentina national basketball team represents Argentina in basketball international competitions, and is controlled by the Argentine Basketball Federation....
, led by four future NBA players, captured the silver medal, while NBA player and tournament MVP Dirk Nowitzki
Dirk Nowitzki
Dirk Werner Nowitzki is a German professional basketball player who plays for the Dallas Mavericks of the National Basketball Association...
led Germany
Germany national basketball team
The German national basketball team for men is the basketball side that represents Germany in international competitions. Their biggest successes are the victory in the European Championship of 1993 at home in Germany, the silver medal in the 2005 European Championships and the bronze medal in the...
to the bronze, its first ever World Championship medal. Meanwhile, the United States' team, made up entirely of NBA players, struggled to a sixth place finish. In 2006
2006 FIBA World Championship
The 2006 FIBA World Championship was an international basketball competition hosted by Japan from August 19 to September 3, 2006. It was co-organised by the International Basketball Federation , Japan Basketball Association and the 2006 Organizing Committee...
, emerging powerhouse Spain
Spain national basketball team
The Spanish national basketball team is the basketball team representing Spain in international competitions, organized and run by the Spanish Basketball Federation...
beat Greece
Greece national basketball team
The Greece national basketball team is the representative for Greece in international men's basketball competitions, organized and run by the Hellenic Basketball Federation. Traditionally, Greece is considered among the world's top basketball powers; they were runners-up in the 2006 FIBA World...
in the first appearance in the final for both teams. Spain became only the seventh team (Yugoslavia and FR Yugoslavia are counted separately in the FIBA records) to capture a World Championship gold. This new era of parity convinced FIBA to expand the tournament to 24 teams for both the 2006 and 2010
2010 FIBA World Championship
The 2010 FIBA World Championship, hosted by Turkey, was the international basketball competition contested by the men's national teams. The tournament ran from August 28 to September 12, 2010. It was co-organized by the International Basketball Federation , Turkish Basketball Federation and the...
editions of the tournament. Currently FIBA expects to have 24 teams again at the 2014 FIBA World Championship
2014 FIBA World Championship
The 2014 FIBA World Championship will be the 17th tournament of the FIBA World Championship held by Spain.- Host selection :FIBA opened the bidding process on January 10, 2008 and all the letters of intent were submitted on April 30, 2008....
, and is considering expanding to 32 teams for future events.
Qualification
The World Championship has used various forms of qualification throughout its history. The first five tournaments were held in South America and participation was dominated by teams from the Americas. At the first tournament, FIBA intended for the three Olympic medalists to compete, plus the host Argentina and two teams each from Europe, Asia, and South America. However, no Asian team was willing to travel to the event, so six of the ten teams were from the Americas. European powerhouse Soviet Union later made their first appearance in 19591959 FIBA World Championship
The 1959 FIBA World Championship was an international basketball competition hosted by Chile from January 16 to 31 , 1959. Amaury Antônio Pasos was named the MVP....
after missing the first two events.
In the tournament's early years, only Europe
Eurobasket
The EuroBasket, also referred to as the FIBA European Basketball Championship, is the main basketball competition contested biennially by the men's national teams governed by FIBA Europe, the European zone within the International Basketball Federation. The championship was first held in 1935 and...
and South America
South American Basketball Championship
South American Basketball Championship was first played in 1930. Male teams from South America take part in this tournament, which often has been played biannually.-Summaries:-Championships per nation:-Participation details:-External links:* *...
had established continental tournaments, so participation in the tournament was largely by invitation. Later, Asia
FIBA Asia Championship
The FIBA Asia Championship for Men is a tournament which takes place every two years between teams of the continent. This is the Asian qualifying tournament for the FIBA World Championship and the Olympic basketball tournament...
added a continental championship in 1960, followed by Africa
FIBA Africa Championship
The FIBA Africa Championship is the men's basketball continental championship of Africa, played biennially under the auspices of the Fédération Internationale de Basketball, the basketball sport governing body, and the African zone thereof...
in 1962, Central America
Centrobasket
Centrobasket is a FIBA sponsored basketball tournament where national teams from Mexico, Central America and the Caribbean participate. These countries make up the Central American and Caribbean Confederation . The top three or four teams typically earn berths to the FIBA Americas Championship,...
in 1965, and Oceania
FIBA Oceania Championship
FIBA Oceania Championship is the name commonly used to refer to the Oceania basketball championships that take every two years between national teams of the continent...
in 1971, As a result of these changes, qualification became more formalized starting with the 1967 tournament
1967 FIBA World Championship
The 1967 FIBA World Championship was an international basketball competition hosted by Montevideo, Uruguay from May 27 to June 11, 1967.-Venues:- Competing nations :- Preliminary round :-Group A:-Group B:-Group C:-Classification round:...
. In that year, the Asian champion received an automatic berth in the tournament, joining the top European and South American teams. In 1970
1970 FIBA World Championship
The 1970 FIBA World Championship was an international basketball competition hosted by Yugoslavia at Sarajevo, Split, Karlovac, Skopje and Ljubljana, from May 10 to 24 , 1970...
, the African and Oceanian champion each received a berth, while the Centrobasket champion and runner-up were each invited. For most of these years, the tournament host, defending World Champion, and top Olympic basketball tournament
Basketball at the Summer Olympics
Basketball has been a Summer Olympics sport for men consistently since 1936. Prior to its inclusion as a medal sport, it was held as demonstration event in 1904 and 1932, both in the United States. Women's basketball was played in the Olympics only since 1976....
finishers also qualified for the event.
Since 1970, qualification has continued to be based on the continental competitions and the Olympic tournament. The only major change came in the 1990 FIBA World Championship
1990 FIBA World Championship
The 1990 FIBA World Championship was an international basketball competition hosted by Argentina from August 8 to August 20, 1990.The competition final phase was held at the Luna Park, Buenos Aires.Yugoslavia emerged as the tournament winner...
, when the tournament started taking qualifiers from the newly redesigned FIBA Americas Championship
FIBA Americas Championship
The FIBA Americas Championship is the name commonly used to refer to the American Basketball Championship that take place every two years between national teams of the continents...
rather than from North, Central, and South America individually. After the tournament expanded to 24 teams in 2006
2006 FIBA World Championship
The 2006 FIBA World Championship was an international basketball competition hosted by Japan from August 19 to September 3, 2006. It was co-organised by the International Basketball Federation , Japan Basketball Association and the 2006 Organizing Committee...
, the tournament has allocated qualification as follows:
- EuroBasketEurobasketThe EuroBasket, also referred to as the FIBA European Basketball Championship, is the main basketball competition contested biennially by the men's national teams governed by FIBA Europe, the European zone within the International Basketball Federation. The championship was first held in 1935 and...
(Europe) – 6 berths - FIBA Africa ChampionshipFIBA Africa ChampionshipThe FIBA Africa Championship is the men's basketball continental championship of Africa, played biennially under the auspices of the Fédération Internationale de Basketball, the basketball sport governing body, and the African zone thereof...
(Africa) – 3 berths - FIBA Asia ChampionshipFIBA Asia ChampionshipThe FIBA Asia Championship for Men is a tournament which takes place every two years between teams of the continent. This is the Asian qualifying tournament for the FIBA World Championship and the Olympic basketball tournament...
(Asia) – 3 berths - FIBA Americas ChampionshipFIBA Americas ChampionshipThe FIBA Americas Championship is the name commonly used to refer to the American Basketball Championship that take place every two years between national teams of the continents...
(North, Central, and South America) – 4 berths - FIBA Oceania ChampionshipFIBA Oceania ChampionshipFIBA Oceania Championship is the name commonly used to refer to the Oceania basketball championships that take every two years between national teams of the continent...
(Oceania) – 2 berths - Defending Olympic ChampionBasketball at the Summer OlympicsBasketball has been a Summer Olympics sport for men consistently since 1936. Prior to its inclusion as a medal sport, it was held as demonstration event in 1904 and 1932, both in the United States. Women's basketball was played in the Olympics only since 1976....
– 1 berth - Host team – 1 berth
- FIBA-selected wild cardsWild card (sports)The term wild card refers broadly to a tournament or playoff berth awarded to an individual or team that has not qualified through normal play.-International sports:...
– 4 berths
Each of the five continental championships also serves as qualification for the Olympics, so all are held every two years. The year immediately preceding the World Championship is used to determine the berths at the tournament. For example, all of the berths at the 2010 FIBA World Championship
2010 FIBA World Championship
The 2010 FIBA World Championship, hosted by Turkey, was the international basketball competition contested by the men's national teams. The tournament ran from August 28 to September 12, 2010. It was co-organized by the International Basketball Federation , Turkish Basketball Federation and the...
were determined by continental championships held in 2009
2010 FIBA World Championship qualification
Qualifying for the 2010 FIBA World Championship in Turkey commenced as early as 2007 and will culminate in the five continental championships in each of the five FIBA zones...
. After the first twenty teams have qualified, FIBA then selects four wild card teams, based on sporting, economic, and governance criteria, as well as a required registration fee from each team to be considered by the FIBA board. Of the four wild cards, only three can come from one continental zone. In each of the two tournaments that the wild card system has been in place, FIBA has selected the maximum three European teams to compete in the event.
Tournament format
The World Championship has existed in several different formats throughout the years as it has expanded and contracted between 10 and 24 teams. The first tournament in 19501950 FIBA World Championship
The 1950 FIBA World Championship was an international basketball tournament held by the International Basketball Federation in Buenos Aires, Argentina, from October 22 to November 3, 1950. Ten nations participated in the inaugural tournament. All competition was held at the Luna Park, Buenos Aires...
began with a ten-team double-elimination tournament
Double-elimination tournament
A double-elimination tournament is a type of elimination tournament competition in which a participant ceases to be eligible to win the tournament's championship upon having lost two games or matches...
followed by a six-team round robin round to determine the champion. Between 1954 and 1974, each tournament started with a group stage preliminary round; the top teams in each preliminary round group then moved on to a final round robin group to determine the champion. In 1978
1978 FIBA World Championship
The 1978 FIBA World Championship was an international basketball competition hosted by Philippines from October 1 to 14, 1978.Rizal Memorial Coliseum at Manila and Araneta Coliseum at Quezon City, Metro Manila were the venues for the event.-Venues:...
, FIBA added a gold medal game between the top two finishers in the final group and a bronze medal game between the third and fourth place teams. In each year between 1959 and 1982, the host team received a bye into the final group. Of the seven host teams in this era, only three medaled despite the head start. As a result, FIBA made the host team compete in the preliminary round starting in 1986
1986 FIBA World Championship
The 1986 FIBA World Championship was an international basketball competition hosted by Spain from July 5 to 19 1986.The Final phase of the tournament was held at the Palacio de Deportes de la Comunidad, Madrid...
.
In 1986, the tournament briefly expanded to 24 teams. Four groups of six teams each competed in the preliminary round group stage. The top three teams in each group then competed in the second group stage, followed by a four-team knockout tournament between the top two finishers in each group. The championship contracted back down to 16 teams for the 1990 tournament
1990 FIBA World Championship
The 1990 FIBA World Championship was an international basketball competition hosted by Argentina from August 8 to August 20, 1990.The competition final phase was held at the Luna Park, Buenos Aires.Yugoslavia emerged as the tournament winner...
. The three tournaments between 1990 and 1998 each had two group stages followed by a four-team knockout tournament to determine the medalists. The 2002 tournament
2002 FIBA World Championship
The 2002 FIBA World Championship was an international basketball tournament held by the International Basketball Federation in Indianapolis, Indiana, USA from August 29 to September 8, 2002.-Venues:-Squads:...
expanded the knockout round to eight teams.
In 2006
2006 FIBA World Championship
The 2006 FIBA World Championship was an international basketball competition hosted by Japan from August 19 to September 3, 2006. It was co-organised by the International Basketball Federation , Japan Basketball Association and the 2006 Organizing Committee...
, FIBA made the decision to expand back to 24 teams and introduced the format that is currently in place. Under the current format, the teams are divided into four preliminary round groups of six teams each. Should teams be tied at the end of the preliminary round, the ties are broken by the following criteria in order:
- Game results between tied teams
- Goal average between games of the tied teams
- Goal average for all games of the tied teams
- Drawing of lots
The top four teams in each group then advance to a sixteen-team single-elimination knockout round. It begins with the eighth finals, where the top teams in each group play the fourth-placed teams in another group and the second and third-placed teams in each group face off. This is followed by the quarterfinals, semifinals, and final. The semifinal losers play in the bronze medal game, while the quarterfinal losers play in a consolation bracket to determine fifth through eighth places.
Naismith Trophy
Since 19671967 FIBA World Championship
The 1967 FIBA World Championship was an international basketball competition hosted by Montevideo, Uruguay from May 27 to June 11, 1967.-Venues:- Competing nations :- Preliminary round :-Group A:-Group B:-Group C:-Classification round:...
, the champion of each tournament has been awarded the Naismith Trophy, named for basketball inventor James Naismith
James Naismith
The first game of "Basket Ball" was played in December 1891. In a handwritten report, Naismith described the circumstances of the inaugural match; in contrast to modern basketball, the players played nine versus nine, handled a soccer ball, not a basketball, and instead of shooting at two hoops,...
. A trophy had been planned since the first World Championship in 1950, but did not come to fruition until FIBA finally commissioned a trophy in 1965 after receiving a US$1,000 donation. The original trophy was used from 1967 through 1994
1994 FIBA World Championship
The 1994 FIBA World Championship was an international basketball competition hosted by Canada from August 4 to August 14, 1994. The tournament was held at SkyDome and Maple Leaf Gardens in Toronto as well as at Copps Coliseum in Hamilton...
. An updated trophy was introduced for the 1998 FIBA World Championship
1998 FIBA World Championship
The 1998 FIBA World Championship was the 13th FIBA World Championship, an international basketball tournament held by the International Basketball Federation and hosted in Athens, Greece from July 29 to August 9, 1998...
and the original now sits at the Pedro Ferrándiz
Pedro Ferrándiz
Pedro Ferrándiz González is a Spanish basketball coach. He is most famous for coaching Real Madrid basketball club in the 1960s and 1970s. He won record 12 titles in Spanish League, 4 titles in European Champions Cup and 10 titles in Spanish Cup. His combined record coaching Real is 437-90. He...
Foundation in Spain.
The updated trophy is designed in an Egyptian-inspired lotus shape upon which there are carved maps of the continents and precious stones symbolizing the five continents (FIBA Americas
FIBA Americas
FIBA Americas is a zone within FIBA which contains the 44 FIBA Federations located in the Americas. FIBA Americas is headquartered in San Juan, Puerto Rico.- National teams :CONCECABACaribbean...
represents both North America and South America). Dr. Naismith's name is engraved on all four sides in Latin
Latin alphabet
The Latin alphabet, also called the Roman alphabet, is the most recognized alphabet used in the world today. It evolved from a western variety of the Greek alphabet called the Cumaean alphabet, which was adopted and modified by the Etruscans who ruled early Rome...
, Arabic
Arabic language
Arabic is a name applied to the descendants of the Classical Arabic language of the 6th century AD, used most prominently in the Quran, the Islamic Holy Book...
, Chinese
Chinese language
The Chinese language is a language or language family consisting of varieties which are mutually intelligible to varying degrees. Originally the indigenous languages spoken by the Han Chinese in China, it forms one of the branches of Sino-Tibetan family of languages...
, and Egyptian hieroglyphs
Egyptian hieroglyphs
Egyptian hieroglyphs were a formal writing system used by the ancient Egyptians that combined logographic and alphabetic elements. Egyptians used cursive hieroglyphs for religious literature on papyrus and wood...
. The trophy stands 47 centimeters (18.5 inches) tall and weighs nine kilograms (twenty pounds).
Summaries
| Year | Host (final location) | Gold medal game | Bronze medal game | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gold | Score | Silver | Bronze | Score | Fourth place | ||
| 1950 1950 FIBA World Championship The 1950 FIBA World Championship was an international basketball tournament held by the International Basketball Federation in Buenos Aires, Argentina, from October 22 to November 3, 1950. Ten nations participated in the inaugural tournament. All competition was held at the Luna Park, Buenos Aires... |
 Argentina (Buenos AiresBuenos Aires Buenos Aires is the capital and largest city of Argentina, and the second-largest metropolitan area in South America, after São Paulo. It is located on the western shore of the estuary of the Río de la Plata, on the southeastern coast of the South American continent... ) |
64–50 | 51–40 | ||||
| 1954 1954 FIBA World Championship The 1954 FIBA World Championship was an international basketball tournament held by the International Basketball Federation in Ginásio do Maracanãzinho, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil from October 22 to November 5, 1954... |
 Brazil (Rio de JaneiroRio de Janeiro Rio de Janeiro , commonly referred to simply as Rio, is the capital city of the State of Rio de Janeiro, the second largest city of Brazil, and the third largest metropolitan area and agglomeration in South America, boasting approximately 6.3 million people within the city proper, making it the 6th... ) |
62–41 | 66–60 | ||||
| 1959 1959 FIBA World Championship The 1959 FIBA World Championship was an international basketball competition hosted by Chile from January 16 to 31 , 1959. Amaury Antônio Pasos was named the MVP.... |
 Chile (SantiagoSantiago, Chile Santiago , also known as Santiago de Chile, is the capital and largest city of Chile, and the center of its largest conurbation . It is located in the country's central valley, at an elevation of above mean sea level... ) |
81–67 | 86–85 Overtime |
||||
| 1963 1963 FIBA World Championship The 1963 FIBA World Championship was an international basketball competition hosted by Rio de Janeiro, Brazil from May 11 to 23 , 1963.- Competing nations :- Preliminary round :-Group A:-Group B:-Group C:-Classification round:... |
 Brazil (Rio de JaneiroRio de Janeiro Rio de Janeiro , commonly referred to simply as Rio, is the capital city of the State of Rio de Janeiro, the second largest city of Brazil, and the third largest metropolitan area and agglomeration in South America, boasting approximately 6.3 million people within the city proper, making it the 6th... ) |
90–71 | 69–67 | ||||
| 1967 1967 FIBA World Championship The 1967 FIBA World Championship was an international basketball competition hosted by Montevideo, Uruguay from May 27 to June 11, 1967.-Venues:- Competing nations :- Preliminary round :-Group A:-Group B:-Group C:-Classification round:... |
 Uruguay (MontevideoMontevideo Montevideo is the largest city, the capital, and the chief port of Uruguay. The settlement was established in 1726 by Bruno Mauricio de Zabala, as a strategic move amidst a Spanish-Portuguese dispute over the platine region, and as a counter to the Portuguese colony at Colonia del Sacramento... ) |
71–59 | 80–71 | ||||
| 1970 1970 FIBA World Championship The 1970 FIBA World Championship was an international basketball competition hosted by Yugoslavia at Sarajevo, Split, Karlovac, Skopje and Ljubljana, from May 10 to 24 , 1970... |
 Kingdom of Yugoslavia (LjubljanaLjubljana Ljubljana is the capital of Slovenia and its largest city. It is the centre of the City Municipality of Ljubljana. It is located in the centre of the country in the Ljubljana Basin, and is a mid-sized city of some 270,000 inhabitants... ) |
80–55 | 62–58 | ||||
| 1974 1974 FIBA World Championship The 1974 FIBA World Championship was an international basketball competition hosted by Puerto Rico from July 3 to 14, 1974.-Venues:- Competing nations :- Preliminary round :-Group A:-Group B:-Group C:-Classification round:-Final round:... |
 Puerto Rico (San JuanSan Juan, Puerto Rico San Juan , officially Municipio de la Ciudad Capital San Juan Bautista , is the capital and most populous municipality in Puerto Rico, an unincorporated territory of the United States. As of the 2010 census, it had a population of 395,326 making it the 46th-largest city under the jurisdiction of... ) |
82–79 | 83–70 | ||||
| 1978 1978 FIBA World Championship The 1978 FIBA World Championship was an international basketball competition hosted by Philippines from October 1 to 14, 1978.Rizal Memorial Coliseum at Manila and Araneta Coliseum at Quezon City, Metro Manila were the venues for the event.-Venues:... |
 Philippines (ManilaMetro Manila Metropolitan Manila , the National Capital Region , or simply Metro Manila, is the metropolitan region encompassing the City of Manila and its surrounding areas in the Philippines... ) |
82–81 Overtime |
86–85 | ||||
| 1982 1982 FIBA World Championship The 1982 FIBA World Championship was an international basketball competition hosted by Colombia from August 15 to 28 , 1982.-Venues:- Competing nations :- Preliminary round :-Group A:-Group B:-Group C:-Classification round:-Final round:... |
 Colombia (CaliSantiago de Cali Santiago de Cali , simply referred to as Cali, is a city in western Colombia and the capital of the Valle del Cauca Department. With a population of 2.5 million, Cali is the third largest city in the country. It has one of the fastest growing economies and infrastructure in the country because... ) |
95–94 | 119–117 | ||||
| 1986 1986 FIBA World Championship The 1986 FIBA World Championship was an international basketball competition hosted by Spain from July 5 to 19 1986.The Final phase of the tournament was held at the Palacio de Deportes de la Comunidad, Madrid... |
 Spain (MadridMadrid Madrid is the capital and largest city of Spain. The population of the city is roughly 3.3 million and the entire population of the Madrid metropolitan area is calculated to be 6.271 million. It is the third largest city in the European Union, after London and Berlin, and its metropolitan... ) |
87–85 | 117–91 | ||||
| 1990 1990 FIBA World Championship The 1990 FIBA World Championship was an international basketball competition hosted by Argentina from August 8 to August 20, 1990.The competition final phase was held at the Luna Park, Buenos Aires.Yugoslavia emerged as the tournament winner... |
Argentina (Buenos Aires Buenos Aires Buenos Aires is the capital and largest city of Argentina, and the second-largest metropolitan area in South America, after São Paulo. It is located on the western shore of the estuary of the Río de la Plata, on the southeastern coast of the South American continent... ) |
92–75 | 107–105 Overtime |
||||
| 1994 1994 FIBA World Championship The 1994 FIBA World Championship was an international basketball competition hosted by Canada from August 4 to August 14, 1994. The tournament was held at SkyDome and Maple Leaf Gardens in Toronto as well as at Copps Coliseum in Hamilton... |
 Canada (TorontoToronto Toronto is the provincial capital of Ontario and the largest city in Canada. It is located in Southern Ontario on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. A relatively modern city, Toronto's history dates back to the late-18th century, when its land was first purchased by the British monarchy from... ) |
137–91 | 78–60 | ||||
| 1998 1998 FIBA World Championship The 1998 FIBA World Championship was the 13th FIBA World Championship, an international basketball tournament held by the International Basketball Federation and hosted in Athens, Greece from July 29 to August 9, 1998... |
 Greece (AthensAthens Athens , is the capital and largest city of Greece. Athens dominates the Attica region and is one of the world's oldest cities, as its recorded history spans around 3,400 years. Classical Athens was a powerful city-state... ) |
64–62 | 84–61 | ||||
| 2002 2002 FIBA World Championship The 2002 FIBA World Championship was an international basketball tournament held by the International Basketball Federation in Indianapolis, Indiana, USA from August 29 to September 8, 2002.-Venues:-Squads:... |
 United States (IndianapolisIndianapolis Indianapolis is the capital of the U.S. state of Indiana, and the county seat of Marion County, Indiana. As of the 2010 United States Census, the city's population is 839,489. It is by far Indiana's largest city and, as of the 2010 U.S... ) |
84–77 Overtime |
117–94 | ||||
| 2006 2006 FIBA World Championship The 2006 FIBA World Championship was an international basketball competition hosted by Japan from August 19 to September 3, 2006. It was co-organised by the International Basketball Federation , Japan Basketball Association and the 2006 Organizing Committee... |
 Japan (SaitamaSaitama, Saitama ' is the capital and the most populous city of Saitama Prefecture in Japan, situated in the south-east of the prefecture. Its area incorporates the former cities of Urawa, Ōmiya, Yono and Iwatsuki. It is a city designated by government ordinance... ) |
70–47 | 96–81 | ||||
| 2010 2010 FIBA World Championship The 2010 FIBA World Championship, hosted by Turkey, was the international basketball competition contested by the men's national teams. The tournament ran from August 28 to September 12, 2010. It was co-organized by the International Basketball Federation , Turkish Basketball Federation and the... |
 Turkey (IstanbulIstanbul Istanbul , historically known as Byzantium and Constantinople , is the largest city of Turkey. Istanbul metropolitan province had 13.26 million people living in it as of December, 2010, which is 18% of Turkey's population and the 3rd largest metropolitan area in Europe after London and... ) |
81–64 | 99–88 | ||||
| 2014 2014 FIBA World Championship The 2014 FIBA World Championship will be the 17th tournament of the FIBA World Championship held by Spain.- Host selection :FIBA opened the bidding process on January 10, 2008 and all the letters of intent were submitted on April 30, 2008.... |
Spain (Madrid Madrid Madrid is the capital and largest city of Spain. The population of the city is roughly 3.3 million and the entire population of the Madrid metropolitan area is calculated to be 6.271 million. It is the third largest city in the European Union, after London and Berlin, and its metropolitan... ) |
||||||
Medal table
Soviet Union national basketball team
The Soviet national basketball team was the basketball side that represented the Soviet Union in international competitions. After the dissolution of the Soviet Union in 1991, the successor countries all set up their own national teams...
distinct from Russia
Russia national basketball team
The Russian national basketball team represents Russia in international basketball matches. The team came into existence after the dissolution of the Soviet Union and its powerful basketball team. It has won 2 silver medals in the FIBA World Championships...
, while it allocates all records of all teams named Yugoslavia into Yugoslavia that eventually became Serbia and Montenegro; although the Republic of Serbia is the legal successor of the Serbia and Montenegro/FR Yugoslavia team, it is unknown if FIBA will allocate the old Yugoslavia's records to Serbia's.
| 1 | 5 | 3 | 2 | 10 | |
| 2 | 4 | 3 | 4 | 11 | |
| 3 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 8 | |
| 4 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 6 | |
| 5 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2 | |
| 6 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | |
| 7 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 2 | |
| 8= | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | |
| 8= | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | |
| 10 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 2 | |
| 11= | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | |
| 11= | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | |
| 11= | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | |
| 11= | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
Records and statistics
For individuals, three players – Ubiratan Pereira MacielUbiratan Pereira Maciel
Ubiratan Pereira Maciel was a basketball player from Brazil...
and Marcel De Souza
Marcel de Souza
Marcel Ramon Ponickwar de Souza is a retired Brazilian basketball player and one of only three players to have played in 5 FIBA World Championships . He totaled 38 games and 550 points during that competitions and won a bronze medal in 1978...
of Brazil and Phil Smyth
Phil Smyth
Philip John Smyth AM is an Australian former basketball player and former three time championship winning head coach of the National Basketball League's Adelaide 36ers.-Professional career:...
of Australia
Australia national basketball team
The Australian national basketball team is the men's basketball side that represents Australia in international competitions. The team is known in Australia as the Boomers, an Australian slang term for Kangaroo. Australia is ranked 9th in the world and finished 7th at the 2008 Beijing Olympic...
– have appeared in five tournaments. Six different players have won medals in four tournaments. Brazilian legend Oscar Schmidt
Oscar Schmidt
Oscar Daniel Bezerra Schmidt is a retired Brazilian basketball player. He is also known as Oscar Schmidt Bezerra in Spain, where he played for Fórum Valladolid for the 1993-94 and 1994-95 seasons, and simply Oscar or Mão Santa in his homeland. At his peak, he was 2.05 m tall and weighed...
is the runaway all-time leading scorer, scoring 916 career points in four tournaments between 1978 and 1990. Nikos Galis of Greece
Greece national basketball team
The Greece national basketball team is the representative for Greece in international men's basketball competitions, organized and run by the Hellenic Basketball Federation. Traditionally, Greece is considered among the world's top basketball powers; they were runners-up in the 2006 FIBA World...
is the all-time leading scorer for a single tournament, averaging 33.7 points per game for the Greeks at the 1986 FIBA World Championship
1986 FIBA World Championship
The 1986 FIBA World Championship was an international basketball competition hosted by Spain from July 5 to 19 1986.The Final phase of the tournament was held at the Palacio de Deportes de la Comunidad, Madrid...
. FIBA also names a Most Valuable Player
Most Valuable Player
In sports, a Most Valuable Player award is an honor typically bestowed upon the best performing player or players on a specific team, in an entire league, or for a particular contest or series of contests...
for each tournament. Since the tournament opened to professionals in 1994, NBA
National Basketball Association
The National Basketball Association is the pre-eminent men's professional basketball league in North America. It consists of thirty franchised member clubs, of which twenty-nine are located in the United States and one in Canada...
players have won four of the last five MVP trophies – Shaquille O'Neal
Shaquille O'Neal
Shaquille Rashaun O'Neal , nicknamed "Shaq" , is a former American professional basketball player. Standing tall and weighing , he was one of the heaviest players ever to play in the NBA...
for the United States in 1994, Germany's Dirk Nowitzki
Dirk Nowitzki
Dirk Werner Nowitzki is a German professional basketball player who plays for the Dallas Mavericks of the National Basketball Association...
in 2002, Spain's Pau Gasol
Pau Gasol
Pau Gasol Sáez is a Spanish professional basketball player for the Los Angeles Lakers of the National Basketball Association . He was born to Marisa Sáez and Agustí Gasol, and he spent his childhood in Spain...
in 2006, and the USA's Kevin Durant
Kevin Durant
Kevin Wayne Durant is an American professional basketball player for the Oklahoma City Thunder of the National Basketball Association . A 6'9" small forward/shooting guard who is also capable of playing power forward, Durant was the consensus 2007 National College Player of the Year and the...
in 2010. The only exception was Dejan Bodiroga
Dejan Bodiroga
Dejan Bodiroga is a retired Serbian professional basketball player.He is offten considered as one of the best players who did not play in the NBA....
of Yugoslavia, the MVP of the 1998 tournament, when the NBA players were not able to participate, due to 1998–99 NBA lockout
1998–99 NBA lockout
The 1998–99 NBA lockout was the third lockout in the history of the National Basketball Association . It lasted from July 1, 1998 to January 20, 1999, and forced the 1998–99 season to be shortened to 50 games per team and that season's All-Star Game to be canceled...
.
See also
- National team appearances in the FIBA World ChampionshipNational team appearances in the FIBA World ChampionshipA total of 51 countries have made at least one appearance in the FIBA World Championship in basketball.African, European and teams from the Americas composed the first World Championship - Asian and Oceanian teams did not want to make a long trip to Argentina, the venue of the tournament...
- FIBA World Championship recordsFIBA World Championship records-Performances of host countries:From 1959 to 1982, the host qualified directly to the final round, thus bypassing the preliminary round...
- FIBA World Championship for WomenFIBA World Championship for WomenThe FIBA World Championship for Women is a world basketball tournament for women's national teams held quadrennially...
- Wheelchair Basketball World ChampionshipWheelchair Basketball World ChampionshipThe IWBF World Wheelchair Basketball Championship is an international wheelchair basketball competition contested by the men's and the women's national teams of the members of the International Wheelchair Basketball Federation , the sport's global governing body.The first unofficial Wheelchair...