Georgia men's national basketball team

Georgia
FIBA ranking	24 1 (15 August 2024)
Joined FIBA	1992
FIBA zone	FIBA Europe
National federation	GBF
Coach	Aleksandar Džikić
Nickname(s)	ჯვაროსნები; jvarosnebi (Crusaders)
FIBA World Cup
Appearances	1
Medals	None
EuroBasket
Appearances	5
Medals	None
Home	Away
First international
	Poland 91–68 Georgia ; (Birmingham, England; 24 May 1995)
Biggest win
	Georgia 103–43 Azerbaijan ; (Tbilisi, Georgia; 2 September 2001)
Biggest defeat
	Italy 90–43 Georgia ; (Siena, Italy; 28 February 1998)

The Georgia men's national basketball team (Georgian: საქართველოს ეროვნული საკალათბურთო ნაკრები) represents the country of Georgia in international basketball matches, and is controlled by the Georgian Basketball Federation. Georgia became a member of FIBA in 1992, after they gained independence from the Soviet Union. The national team played their first official match against Poland in 1995.

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Georgia's accomplishments on the international level have been clinching qualification to the European Basketball Championship five times. Their best result came at their debut trip to the tournament in 2011. In 2023, Georgia achieved their first qualification on to the global stage at the FIBA World Cup.

Soviet era

Until 1991, Georgia was a part of the Soviet Union, with players born in Georgia playing for the Soviet Union national team. Notable players born in Georgia who played for the Soviet Union and won medals at the Olympic Games, FIBA World Cup and EuroBasket include: Nodar Dzhordzhikiya, Otar Korkia, Guram Minashvili, Vladimer Ugrekhelidze, Levan Moseshvili, Zurab Sakandelidze, Mikheil Korkia and Nikolay Deryugin.

Independent Georgia

After gaining independence from the Soviet Union, on several occasions the Georgian national team unsuccessfully tried to qualify for the EuroBasket, Europe's biggest basketball competition and major tournament. Although the national team did play on the EuroBasket Division B level three times and gained promotion in 2009 after defeating Belarus in play-offs.^[2] However, after the expansion of the EuroBasket in 2011 from 16 to 24 teams, Georgia qualified to the competition for the first time.

EuroBasket 2011

The national team played five matches in Group D. They finished their preliminary group with an 2–3 record, with wins against Belgium and Ukraine, to advance. In their second round group phase, Georgia lost all five of their matches to finish their maiden voyage to the EuroBasket in 11th place.^[3]

EuroBasket 2013

After finishing second in qualifying group, Georgia qualified for its second EuroBasket tournament. After a comfortable 84–67 victory in the opening match over Poland, Georgia lost their four remaining matches and finished the tournament with an 1–4 record.^[4] To that point, the Eurobasket 2013 was the only tournament in which Georgia could not win more than one match.

EuroBasket 2015

Georgia qualified to the EuroBasket for the third successive time in 2015. After three consecutive losses to start the tournament, the national team finally earned their first win in group play against Macedonia 90–75. They followed it up with another victory to end the opening phase of the event against Croatia, 71–58^[5] to move on to the knockout stages for the first time. There they suffered a narrow hard fought defeat to the tournament favourites, and eventual silver medalist Lithuania 81–85.^[6]

EuroBasket 2017

During the EuroBasket 2017 qualification Georgia topped its group after an 90–84 victory over Montenegro, and qualified to EuroBasket for the fourth successive time.^[7] Once the competition began, the national team got off to a quick start, avenging their EuroBasket 2015 knockout stage defeat to Lithuania 79–77.^[8] The rest of the group stage didn't go as well for the Georgian side though. As the team could only manage to pullout one more victory against Israel, before falling to Italy to finish the tournament with an 2–3 record and being eliminated.^[9]

EuroBasket 2022

Georgia was the co-host the EuroBasket 2022, and they automatically qualified for the 2022 finals tournament. This was the fifth successive time that Georgia qualified for the event overall. Tbilisi was one of the host cities, and was used for Group A matches at the brand new Tbilisi Basketball Arena.^[10]^[11]

The Foundation

The core of the national team that has consistently qualified to Europe's biggest basketball competition consisted of captain Zaza Pachulia, Viktor Sanikidze, Manuchar Markoishvili, Tornike Shengelia, Giorgi Tsintsadze and Giorgi Shermadini. These pioneers in the Georgian basketball community have set the standard for future generations of the national team to build upon, and maintain.

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FIBA World Cup

World Cup					Qualification
Year	Position	Pld	W	L	Pld	W	L
1950 to 1990	Part of Soviet Union
1994	Did not enter				Did not enter
1998	Did not qualify				EuroBasket served as qualifiers
2002
2006
2010
2014
2019					12	5	7
2023	16th	5	2	3	12	7	5
2027	To be determined				To be determined
Total	1/8	5	2	3	24	12	12

Olympic Games

Olympic Games					Qualifying
Year	Position	Pld	W	L	Pld	W	L
1948 to 1988	Part of Soviet Union
1992	Did not enter				Did not enter
1996	Did not enter				Did not enter
2000	Did not qualify				Did not qualify
2004
2008
2012
2016
2020
2024					2	1	1
Total	0/9				2	1	1

EuroBasket

EuroBasket					Qualification
Year	Position	Pld	W	L	Pld	W	L
1947 to 1991	Part of Soviet Union
1993	Did not enter				Did not enter
1995	Did not enter				Did not enter
1997	Did not qualify				15	6	9
1999					13	2	11
2001					5	2	3
2003					11	6	5
2005	Division B				6	4	2
2007	Division B				8	6	2
2009	Division B				10	9	1
2011	11th	8	2	6	8	5	3
2013	17th	5	1	4	8	6	2
2015	15th	6	2	4	6	4	2
2017	17th	5	2	3	6	5	1
2022	21st	5	1	4	6	4	2
2025	To be determined				To be determined
Total	5/14	29	8	21	102	59	43