FIBA

International basketball governing body From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

FIBA

The International Basketball Federation (FIBA /ˈfbə/ FEE-bə; French: Fédération Internationale de Basketball)[a][5] is an association of national organizations which governs the sport of basketball worldwide. FIBA defines the rules of basketball, specifies the equipment and facilities required, organizes international competitions, regulates the transfer of athletes across countries, and controls the appointment of international referees. A total of 212 national federations are members, organized since 1989 into five zones: Africa, Americas, Asia, Europe, and Oceania.

Quick Facts Abbreviation, Predecessor ...
FIBA
Fédération Internationale de Basketball
AbbreviationFIBA
PredecessorInternational Amateur Handball Federation
Formation18 June 1932; 92 years ago (1932-06-18)
Founded atGeneva, Switzerland
TypeSports federation
Headquarters
Membership212 national federations
Official languages
English
French[2]
President
Saud Ali Al Thani
Secretary general
Andreas Zagklis[3]
Key people
George Vassilakopoulos
Manfred Ströher [de]
RevenueUS$102.2 million[4] (2018)
ExpensesUS$107.74 million[4] (2018)
Websitewww.fiba.basketball
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FIBA headquarters in Mies, Switzerland

FIBA organizes both the men's and women's FIBA World Olympic Qualifying Tournament and the Summer Olympics Basketball Tournament, which are sanctioned by the IOC.[6] The FIBA Basketball World Cup is a world tournament for men's national teams held every four years. Teams compete for the Naismith Trophy, named in honor of basketball's Canadian-American creator James Naismith. The tournament structure is similar but not identical to that of the FIFA World Cup in association football; these tournaments occurred in the same year from 1970 through 2014, but starting in 2019, the Basketball World Cup moved to the year following the FIFA World Cup. A parallel event for women's teams, the FIBA Women's Basketball World Cup, is also held quadrennial; from 1986 through 2014, it was held in the same year as the men's event but in a different country.

History

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1932–49; founding and early years

The association was founded in Geneva in 1932, two years after the sport was officially recognized by the IOC. Before 1934, basketball was under the umbrella of the International Amateur Handball Federation. Its original name was Fédération Internationale de basket-ball amateur. The eight nations' basketball federations that were the founding members of FIBA were: Argentina, Czechoslovakia, Greece, Italy, Latvia, Portugal, Romania, and Switzerland. In September 1934 the Protocol of Stockholm was passed and the FIBA became the only recognized authority responsible for basketball. During the 1936 Summer Olympics held in Berlin, the Federation named James Naismith (1861–1939), the founder of basketball, as its Honorary President.

Development (1950–2019)

FIBA has organized a world championship, known as World Cup, for men since 1950 and a women's world championship, known as the Women's World Cup, since 1953. From 1986 through 2014, both events were held every four years, alternating with the Olympics.[7] The men's World Cup was moved to a new four-year cycle, with tournaments in the year before the Summer Olympics, after 2014.

On 7 April 1989, at a special congress in Munich following the conclusion of the 1988–89 FIBA European Cup, FIBA member nations voted, by a margin of 56 to 13, to allow NBA players to participate in its international events, including the World Cup and the Olympics. The change also intended to ward off competition from the Goodwill Games, which was rivaling the Olympics at the time and also seeking to bring NBA players into its basketball events.[8][9][10]

The Federation headquarters moved to Munich in 1956, then returned to Geneva in 2002. In 1991, it founded the FIBA Hall of Fame; the first induction ceremony was held on 12 September 2007, during EuroBasket 2007. During its 81st anniversary in 2013, FIBA moved into its new headquarters, "The House of Basketball", at Mies.[11] Andreas Zagklis became the Secretary-General of FIBA on 7 December 2018.

2020–present; suspensions of Russia and Belarus

In February 2022, Russia and Belarus were provisionally suspended from international competitions until further notice due to Russia's invasion of Ukraine.[12][13] It also suspended the two countries from hosting any competitions.[13]

Presidents

More information Years, Name ...
Presidents of FIBA
Years Name[14]
1932–1948 Switzerland Leon Bouffard
1948–1960 United States Willard Greim
1960–1968 Brazil Antonio dos Reis Carneiro
1968–1976 Egypt Abdel Moneim Wahby
1976–1984 Philippines Gonzalo Puyat II
1984–1990 France Robert Busnel
1990–1998 United States George E. Killian
1998–2002 Senegal Abdoulaye Seye Moreau [fr]
2002–2006 Hong Kong Carl Men Ky Ching [zh]
2006–2010 Australia Robert Elphinston
2010–2014 France Yvan Mainini [fr]
2014–2019 Argentina Horacio Muratore [es]
2019–2023 Mali Hamane Niang
2023–present Qatar Saud Ali Al Thani
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During the 1936 Summer Olympics, the FIBA honored James A. Naismith, the founder of basketball, as their honorary President.[7]

Secretaries General

More information Years, Name ...
Secretaries General of FIBA
Years Name
1932–1976 United Kingdom Renato William Jones
1976–2003 Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia/Serbia and Montenegro Borislav Stanković
2003–2018 Switzerland Patrick Baumann
2018–present Greece Andreas Zagklis
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Structure

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Five zones and 212 national federations

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FIBA divides the world into 5 zones, each roughly based on a continent.

There are five zones, in which FIBA oversees the game in the different continents and regions of the world through its regional offices under its new governance structure, which was approved by the 2014 FIBA Extraordinary Congress in Istanbul.[15] National federations are members of FIBA and are provided for in FIBA's General Statutes with their assigned zones.[16] The Statutes also state that upon a national federation's admission into FIBA, it is assigned to a zone by the Central Board.[17]

FIBA recognizes 212 national federations; see the list of men's national basketball teams and the list of women's national basketball teams. Unlike other sports organizations, FIBA recognizes the British Basketball Federation as the lone governing body for basketball in Great Britain, as a result of a merger in 2016 between the basketball federations of two of the four Home Nations within the United Kingdom (England and Scotland).[18] Wales had rejected the proposed merger in 2012 but agreed in 2015. Several members of FIBA Oceania, notably Australia and New Zealand, also compete in Asian tournaments.

In 2021, Peru was disaffiliated from FIBA[19] after being suspended in 2018.[20]

The FIBA Men's World Ranking and FIBA Women's World Ranking are both updated after a FIBA competition or qualification window and are based on their performance, particularly in games, in those events. The men's ranking was updated on 10 September 2023 after the 2023 FIBA Basketball World Cup, while the latest women's ranking was updated on 21 August 2023 after the FIBA Women's Continental Cups, which took place in all FIBA zones.

Laws and governance

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FIBA in Mies.

FIBA's headquarters is located in Mies, Switzerland and is known as the Patrick Baumann House of Basketball, named after the organization's former Secretary-General.

FIBA's supreme body is the FIBA Congress, an assembly of representatives from each affiliated national federation, with each having one vote. The Congress assembles every two years, either an elective or mid-term congress, and is the only body that can make modifications to FIBA's General Statutes. An elective congress elects the FIBA President, Treasurer, and members of the FIBA Central Board, and appoints members of their Ethics and Nominations Panels.[21] Two extraordinary congresses have been held since 1989, with the most recent held in 2014.

The FIBA Central Board is the organization's highest executive body. It comprises 29 people: the president; the secretary-general; the treasurer; 13 members elected by the FIBA Congress; the 5 presidents of each FIBA zone; up to six co-opted members; a representative each from the National Basketball Association and the players. The Board is the body that decides which countries will host the FIBA Basketball World Cup and the FIBA Women's Basketball World Cup. The Central Board for the term 2023-2027 comprises 27 members.

The president and the secretary general are the main office holders of FIBA and are in charge of its daily administration. Sheikh Saud Ali Al Thani was elected president on 23 August 2023 at the FIBA Congress. Andreas Zagklis was appointed secretary-general on 8 December 2018 following the death of Patrick Baumann.[22]

Competitions

Current title holders

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World champions

More information Tournament, Year ...
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^ A: The Youth Olympic Games are a U-19 event played in FIBA 3x3 format.

3x3 world champions

More information Tournament, Year ...
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World club champions

More information Club competition, Year ...
Club competition Year Champion Score Runner-up Next edition
FIBA Intercontinental Cup 2024 Spain Málaga Unicaja 75-60 United States NBA G League United 2025
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EFIBA Esport World Champions

More information National teams, Year ...
National teams Year Champion Score Runner-up Next edition
EFIBA 2023 United States France 2024
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Continental champions

More information National teams, Year ...
National
teams
FIBA Africa Year Next edition FIBA Americas Year Next edition FIBA Asia Year Next edition FIBA Europe Year Next edition FIBA Oceania Year Next edition
Men  Tunisia (3) 2021 2025  Argentina (3) 2022 2025  Australia (2) 2022 2025  Spain (4) 2022 2025  Australia (19) 2015 N/A[B]
Women  Nigeria (6) 2023 2025  Brazil (6) 2023 2025  China (12) 2023 2025  Belgium (1) 2023 2025  Australia (15) 2015
U-18 Men  Mali (3) 2024 2026  United States (11) 2024 2026  Australia (2) 2024 2026  Germany (1) 2024 2025  Australia (8) 2023 2025
U-18 Women  Mali (9) 2024 2026  United States (12) 2024 2026  Australia (2) 2024 2026  France (3) 2024 2025  Australia (10) 2023 2025
U-16 Men  Guinea (1) 2023 2025  United States (8) 2023 2025  Australia (3) 2023 2025  France (4) 2024 2025  Australia (7) 2024 2026
U-16 Women  Mali (8) 2023 2025  United States (7) 2023 2025  Australia (3) 2023 2025  Finland (1) 2024 2025  Australia (7) 2024 2026
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^ B: FIBA Oceania no longer conducts senior-level championships for either sex. Since 2017, that region's members have competed for FIBA Asia senior championships. FIBA Oceania continues to hold age-grade championships.

Continental club champions

More information Region, Competition ...
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^ C: The top-tier European professional basketball club competitions are complex. The EuroLeague run by Euroleague Basketball and its EuroCup are competing with the FIBA Europe organized competitions. The best European clubs have joined the closed league EuroLeague.

Awards

Most Valuable Player

World rankings

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Men's

The following table has the Top 32 men's basketball countries in the world.[23] The Top 32 is here due to the next iteration of the FIBA Basketball World Cup, the world's major tournament in men's basketball, anticipating to have 32 countries compete. As such, this table shows the projected teams in the next FIBA Men's WC based on the ranking's algorithm. This list does not consider berths given to countries based on hosting or region status.[24]

More information Rank, Change ...
Top 32 Rankings as of 25 February 2025[25]
Rank Change Team Points
1Steady  United States840.1
2Steady  Serbia761.1
3Steady  Germany757.3
4Steady  France753.4
5Increase 1  Spain745.7
6Decrease 1  Canada744.9
7Steady  Australia733.1
8Steady  Argentina732.5
9Steady  Latvia716.3
10Steady  Lithuania702.8
11Increase 1  Slovenia673.1
12Decrease 1  Brazil672.9
13Steady  Greece658.8
14Steady  Italy638.6
15Steady  Puerto Rico606.9
16Steady  Montenegro596.6
17Steady  Poland582
18Steady  Dominican Republic551
19Steady  Czech Republic545.9
20Steady  Finland538.6
21Increase 5  Japan532.3
22Decrease 1  New Zealand487.3
23Increase 11  South Sudan481
24Decrease 1  Georgia468.3
25Decrease 3  Venezuela462
26Decrease 1  Mexico433.9
27Decrease 3  Turkey429
28Decrease 1  Iran419.7
29Decrease 1  Lebanon409.2
30Decrease 1  China397.2
31Increase 1  Ivory Coast392.3
32Increase 3  Angola386
*Change from 9 August 2021
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Women's

The following table has the Top 16 women's basketball countries in the world.[26] The Top 16 is here due to the next iteration of the FIBA Women's Basketball World Cup, the world's major tournament in women's basketball, anticipating to have 16 countries compete. As such, this table shows the projected teams in the next FIBA Women's WC based on the ranking's algorithm. This list does not consider berths given to countries based on hosting or region status.[27]

More information Rank, Change ...
Top 20 Rankings as of 9 February 2025[28]
Rank Change Team Points
1Steady  United States888.2
2Steady  Australia716.2
3Steady  France715.5
4Steady  China709.9
5Steady  Spain702.2
6Steady  Belgium690.5
7Steady  Canada660.3
8Increase 1  Serbia631.4
9Increase 1  Japan614.5
10Increase 1  Brazil590.2
11Decrease 3  Nigeria577.9
12Steady  Puerto Rico532.7
13Steady  Germany503.8
14Steady  South Korea456.5
15Steady  Hungary380.3
16Steady  Italy374.8
*Change from 9 August 2021
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Sponsors of FIBA

As of December 2024

FIBA Global Partners

Other Partners

Notes

  1. Originally known as the Fédération internationale de basketball amateur (hence FIBA), in 1989 it dropped the word amateur from its name but retained the acronym.

References

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