EuroBasket
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EuroBasket, also commonly called the European Basketball Championship, is the main international basketball competition for the senior men's national teams of primarily European countries. It is held every four years and organised by FIBA Europe, the European zone of FIBA, the International Basketball Federation.
The competition was first held in 1935. The former Soviet Union holds the record for most gold medals with 14. The tournament is generally held in August or September, in the offseason of major club competitions. The current champion is Germany, who won the 2025 title.
History
Beginning
The first championships was held three years after the establishment of FIBA, in 1935. Switzerland was chosen as the host country, and ten countries joined. Only one qualifying match was played between Portugal and Spain. With a complicated formula, the final would see Latvia as champions. According to the rule at the time, the winner had to hold the following games. The following two tournaments would be won by Lithuania and would see the introduction of Egypt who would compete in EuroBasket until 1953 winning one championship at home in 1949 along the way.[1] The 1941 edition of the tournament was scheduled be held in Lithuania as well, but was cancelled due to WWII.[2]
Soviet dominance
After the 1946 edition saw the first jump shot performed by Italian player Giuseppe Stefanini, the following edition would see the Soviet Union compete in their first edition in the 1947 edition and would see the Soviets win the first of eleven out of the next thirteen European championships.[3] During the 50s, the Soviet Union won four of the five competitions held during the decade with the only tournament that they did not win being the 1955 edition. This was won by Hungary as they finished top while the Soviets finished in third place. It was also during that edition that the thirty-second shot clock was introduced, which changed the style of basketball.[4]
The Soviets would win all championships of the 60s. They had a fifty-five game winning streak which would be broken by Yugoslavia in 1969. The 1960s would see also a change in how the competition was viewed and run with FIBA putting a limit on the number of countries that entered to 16 with qualifiers being the way to bring them down to that number as it first appeared in 1963. The following edition would see the competition not be held in one city with Tbilisi joining Moscow in hosting games and in 1967 the first modern games were held, because the games were televised and international media were present.[5]
Rise of Yugoslavia
The 1970s were the competition between Yugoslavia and the Soviet Union. During the decade Yugoslavia won three gold medals and the Soviet Union taking out the remaining two. After the Soviets won 1971, the 1973 edition would finally see Yugoslavia win their first championship after Spain defeated the Soviets in the semi-finals to qualify for their first final since the first edition way back in 1935. Yugoslavia would finally have a chance to defeat the Soviets as at home, they would get the chance to defeat them and they did as they won by six points to take home 1975 edition. After following that up in 1977, the Soviets would get their revenge in the final round at EuroBasket 1979 when they defeated them 96–77 to qualify through to the final where they would defeat Israel who shocked the basketball world as they defeated Yugoslavia in the opening round by a point.[6]
Brewing under the Soviets and Yugoslavs, Western Europe was starting to appear with the 1980s seeing the change happen. In 1983, the Western side of Europe tasted success with Italy defeating Spain in the final to record their first of two titles. An important development happened in the following edition which was held in Germany. That edition saw the first three-point arc being used.
New winners emerge and Spanish dominance
Greece would win the next edition in 1987 at home after remarkable victory over heavily favored Soviet Union, with a 103–101 score in a gripping final decided in overtime. At the 1989 edition, Greece beat the Soviet team again in the semifinals with a one-point margin but then lost to hosts Yugoslavia in the final.[7] EuroBasket 1991 was the first EuroBasket tournament in which currently active NBA players, that had also already played in an official NBA regular season game were allowed to participate. It would also be the first edition where the Soviets weren't entered into the competition, as the USSR didn't qualify for the main tournament and afterwards collapsed. Yugoslavia would take the title, but afterwards war would split the country up with Jure Zdovc being a "casualty" after Slovenia declared independence, two days into the tournament. 1993 saw a shock winner, with Germany taking the championship at home with a one-point victory over Russia. After being suspended in 1993, FR Yugoslavia came back and took the trophy after defeating Lithuania who was making its first appearance, since it had been a Soviet Republic. But politics came into play with the crowd protesting "Lithuania is the champions", while the Croatian team who had defeated Greece for bronze step down from the podium in protest of the war that was happening at the time.[8][9] Nevertheless, FR Yugoslavia managed to repeat their success in 1997 after victory over Italy in the final match.
Italy managed to win the last title of the 20th century, defeating Spain in the 1999 final. In 2001, FR Yugoslavia regained European title but it was their last victory at the EuroBasket. In 2003, Lithuania defeated Spain in the final match and won their first European trophy since 1939. In 2005, Greece repeated success of 1987 after beating Germany in the final match.
2007 saw a shock winner, with Russia taking their first EuroBasket title since the dissolution of the Soviet Union with a one-point victory over heavily favored Spanish hosts in Madrid. However, the next tournaments were dominated by Spain who finally gained their maiden European title in 2009 and then won 3 of 5 next editions. In 2013, France won their first European title. In 2017, Slovenia won the trophy, becoming the 14th country to win the EuroBasket. But in general, the first decades of the 21st century have been characterized by the dominance of Spanish team who has reached at least the semifinals of the 11 last tournaments, obtaining at these editions a total of four gold, three silver and three bronze medals, including the current title of 2022.
Qualification
24 European teams take part in the final competition. The qualification format that existed until the 2011 EuroBasket permitted 16 teams to compete. Eight spots were determined by the host nation and the top seven finishers of the previous EuroBasket. The remaining Division A teams compete in a qualification tournament. There, they were divided into four groups. Each group played a double round-robin. The top team in each group qualified for EuroBasket. The best three of the four runners-up also qualified.
Of the ten teams that did not qualify in the qualification tournament, the six best got another chance in the additional qualification round. The remaining four competed in a relegation round, with two being sent to Division B for the next qualification cycle (and replaced by the two best teams from Division B).
The final spot was determined by the additional qualifying round. The six teams were divided into two groups of three, with each group playing a double round-robin. The top team in each group played in the final against the other group's top team; the winner of that game received the final EuroBasket qualification spot.
In 2015, the national team of Iceland became the smallest nation to ever qualify for a EuroBasket final stage at the population of around 330.000 people. The team was led by the former Dallas Maverick, Jón Arnór Stefánsson followed by a great performance which drove them through the qualifiers. In 2017, Iceland made back to back qualification to a EuroBasket final stage, then led by the young Martin Hermannsson.
Competition format
EuroBasket has used a number of different formats, ranging from the simple round-robin used in 1939, to a three-stage tournament, and now a two-stage tournament that is currently in use.
The current format begins with a preliminary round. The twenty-four qualified teams are placed into four groups of six, and each group plays a round-robin tournament. The top four teams in each group (16 overall) advance to the knockout stage. The knockout stage is a 16-team single-elimination tournament, with a bronze medal game for semi-final losers and classification games for the quarterfinal losers to determine fifth to eighth places.
Results
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Medal table
The medal table below lists the national teams according to the respective table published by FIBA.[10] Countries in italics no longer compete at the EuroBasket.
- Notes
Participating nations
- Notes
- According to FIBA, Yugoslavia competed until 2001.[12]
Debut of teams
A total of 46 national teams have appeared in at least one FIBA EuroBasket in the history of the tournament through the 2025 competition. Each successive EuroBasket has had at least one team appearing for the first time. Countries competing in their first EuroBasket are listed below by year.
Most successful players
Boldface denotes active basketball players and highest medal count among all players (including these who not included in these tables) per type.
Multiple gold medalists
| Rank | Player | Country | From | To | Gold | Silver | Bronze | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Gennadi Volnov | Script error: No such module "flag". | 1959 | 1969 | 6 | – | – | 6 |
| 2 | Sergei Belov | Script error: No such module "flag". | 1967 | 1979 | 4 | 2 | 1 | 7 |
| 3 | Rudy Fernández | Script error: No such module "flag". | 2007 | 2022 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 6 |
| 4 | Predrag Danilović | Script error: No such module "flag". Script error: No such module "flag". |
1989 | 1999 | 4 | – | 1 | 5 |
| Modestas Paulauskas | Script error: No such module "flag". | 1965 | 1973 | 4 | – | 1 | 5 | |
| Zurab Sakandelidze | Script error: No such module "flag". | 1965 | 1973 | 4 | – | 1 | 5 | |
| 7 | Armenak Alachachian | Script error: No such module "flag". | 1953 | 1965 | 4 | – | – | 4 |
| Aleksandr Petrov | Script error: No such module "flag". | 1959 | 1965 | 4 | – | – | 4 | |
| 9 | Krešimir Ćosić | Script error: No such module "flag". | 1969 | 1981 | 3 | 3 | 1 | 7 |
| 10 | Pau Gasol | Script error: No such module "flag". | 2001 | 2017 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 7 |
Multiple medalists
The table shows players who have won at least 6 medals in total at the EuroBasket.
| Rank | Player | Country | From | To | Gold | Silver | Bronze | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Sergei Belov | Script error: No such module "flag". | 1967 | 1979 | 4 | 2 | 1 | 7 |
| 2 | Krešimir Ćosić | Script error: No such module "flag". | 1969 | 1981 | 3 | 3 | 1 | 7 |
| 3 | Pau Gasol | Script error: No such module "flag". | 2001 | 2017 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 7 |
| 4 | Gennadi Volnov | Script error: No such module "flag". | 1959 | 1969 | 6 | – | – | 6 |
| 5 | Rudy Fernández | Script error: No such module "flag". | 2007 | 2022 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 6 |
| 6 | Felipe Reyes | Script error: No such module "flag". | 2001 | 2015 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 6 |
| 7 | Alexander Belostenny | Script error: No such module "flag". | 1977 | 1989 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 6 |
| 8 | Valdemaras Chomičius | Script error: No such module "flag". Script error: No such module "flag". |
1979 | 1995 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 6 |
| Juan Carlos Navarro | Script error: No such module "flag". | 2001 | 2017 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 6 |
Awards
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Below are the lists of all players voted as the MVPs[21][22] and the Top Scorers of each EuroBasket edition. Krešimir Ćosić and Pau Gasol are the only players to win the MVP award twice. Nikos Galis and Radivoj Korać were the Top Scorers 4 times each.[23]
| Bronze | Member of the FIBA Hall of Fame. |
| Silver | Member of the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame. |
| Gold | Member of both the FIBA Hall of Fame and the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame. |
| Player (X) | Denotes the number of times the player was selected the MVP or was the Top Scorer. |
MVP and Top scorer by country
| Country | Times MVP | Years | Country | Times Top Scorer | Years | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| File:Flag of Spain.svg Spain | 8 Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".
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1935, 1963, 1973, 1983, 2009, 2011, 2015, 2022 | File:Flag of Greece.svg Greece | 7 Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".
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1967, 1969, 1983, 1987, 1989, 1991, 2022 | |
| File:Flag of the Soviet Union.svg Soviet Union | 7 Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".
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1947, 1953, 1959, 1965, 1969, 1981, 1985 | File:Flag of Spain.svg Spain | 4 Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".
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1999, 2003, 2009, 2015 | |
| File:Flag of Yugoslavia (1946-1992).svg Yugoslavia | 6 Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".
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1961, 1971, 1975, 1977, 1989, 1991 | File:Flag of Poland.svg Poland | 4 Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".
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1946, 1971, 1979, 1981 | |
| File:Flag of Lithuania.svg Lithuania | 4 Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".
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1937, 1939, 1995, 2003 | File:Flag of Yugoslavia (1946-1992).svg Yugoslavia | 4 Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".
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1959, 1961, 1963, 1965 | |
| File:Flag of the Czech Republic.svg Czechoslovakia | 3 Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".
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1951, 1957, 1967 | File:Flag of France.svg France | 3 Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".
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1947, 2011, 2013 | |
| File:Flag of Germany.svg Germany | 3 Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".
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1993, 2005, 2025 | File:Flag of Germany.svg Germany | 3 Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".
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2001, 2005, 2007 | |
| File:Flag of Serbia and Montenegro (1992–2006).svg Yugoslavia | 2 Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".
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1997, 2001 | File:Flag of the Czech Republic.svg Czechoslovakia | 2 Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".
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1951, 1955 | |
| File:Flag of Hungary.svg Hungary | 2 Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".
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1946, 1955 | File:Flag of Bulgaria.svg Bulgaria | 2 Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".
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1973, 1975 | |
| File:Flag of Turkey.svg Turkey | 1 Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".
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1949 | File:Flag of Israel.svg Israel | 2 Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".
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1985, 1997 | |
| File:Flag of Israel.svg Israel | 1 Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".
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1979 | File:Flag of Italy.svg Italy | 1 Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".
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1935 | |
| File:Flag of Greece.svg Greece | 1 Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".
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1987 | File:Flag of Latvia.svg Latvia | 1 Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".
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1937 | |
| File:Flag of Italy.svg Italy | 1 Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".
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1999 | File:Flag of Estonia.svg Estonia | 1 Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".
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1939 | |
| File:Flag of Russia.svg Russia | 1 Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".
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2007 | File:Flag of Turkey.svg Turkey | 1 Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".
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1949 | |
| File:Flag of France.svg France | 1 Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".
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2013 | File:Flag of Lebanon.svg Lebanon | 1 Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".
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1953 | |
| File:Flag of Slovenia.svg Slovenia | 1 Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".
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2017 | File:Flag of Belgium (civil).svg Belgium | 1 Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".
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1957 | |
| File:Flag of the Netherlands.svg Netherlands | 1 Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".
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1977 | ||||
| File:Flag of Bosnia and Herzegovina.svg Bosnia and Herzegovina | 1 Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".
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1993 | ||||
| File:Flag of Lithuania.svg Lithuania | 1 Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".
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1995 | ||||
| File:Flag of Russia.svg Russia | 1 Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".
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2017 | ||||
| File:Flag of Slovenia.svg Slovenia | 1 Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".
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2025 | ||||
Most times MVP and Top scorer by players
| Player | Times MVP | Years | Player | Times Top Scorer | Years | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Template:Flagicon Krešimir Ćosić | 2 Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".
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1971, 1975 | Template:Flagicon Nikos Galis | 4 Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".
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1983, 1987, 1989, 1991 | |
| Template:Flagicon Pau Gasol | 2 Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".
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2009, 2015 | Template:Flagicon Radivoj Korać | 4 Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".
|
1959, 1961, 1963, 1965 | |
| One time MVP, earned by 36 players | Template:Flagicon Dirk Nowitzki | 3 Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".
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2001, 2005, 2007 | |||
| Template:Flagicon Pau Gasol | 3 Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".
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2003, 2009, 2015 | ||||
| Template:Flagicon Giorgos Kolokithas | 2 Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".
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1967, 1969 | ||||
| Template:Flagicon Atanas Golomeev | 2 Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".
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1973, 1975 | ||||
| Template:Flagicon Mieczysław Młynarski | 2 Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".
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1979, 1981 | ||||
| Template:Flagicon Tony Parker | 2 Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".
|
2011, 2013 | ||||
Player scoring records
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Most career points scored
- Counting all games played through the end of EuroBasket 2022, and not counting qualification games.
| Player | Points scored | Games played | Scoring average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Template:Flagicon Pau Gasol | 1,183 | 58 | 20.4 |
| Template:Flagicon Tony Parker | 1,104 | 66 | 16.7 |
| Template:Flagicon Dirk Nowitzki | 1,052 | 49 | 21.4 |
| Template:Flagicon Nikos Galis | 1,031 | 33 | 31.2 |
| Template:Flagicon Kamil Brabenec | 918 | 60 | 15.3 |
| Template:Flagicon Miki Berkovich | 917 | 49 | 18.7 |
| Template:Flagicon Juan Antonio San Epifanio | 894 | 52 | 17.2 |
| Template:Flagicon Emiliano Rodríguez | 864 | 53 | 16.3 |
| Template:Flagicon Radivoj Korać | 844 | 34 | 24.8 |
| Template:Flagicon Panagiotis Giannakis | 769 | 58 | 13.3 |
Highest career points per game average
- Counting all games played through the end of EuroBasket 2022, and not counting qualification games.
| Player | Points scored | Games played | Scoring average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Template:Flagicon Nikos Galis | 1,031 | 33 | 31.2 |
| Template:Flagicon Radivoj Korać | 844 | 34 | 24.8 |
| Template:Flagicon Luol Deng | 123 | 5 | 24.6 |
| Template:Flagicon Eddy Terrace | 220 | 9 | 24.4 |
| Template:Flagicon Sabahudin Bilalović | 217 | 9 | 24.1 |
| Template:Flagicon Dražen Petrović | 604 | 26 | 23.2 |
| Template:Flagicon Dennis Schröder | 448 | 20 | 22.4 |
| Template:Flagicon Rik Smits | 154 | 7 | 22.0 |
| Template:Flagicon Mieczysław Młynarski | 482 | 22 | 21.9 |
| Template:Flagicon Michael Jackel | 347 | 16 | 21.6 |
FIBA EuroBasket 2000–2020 Dream Team
| Position | FIBA EuroBasket Dream Team[25] | Years |
|---|---|---|
| PG | Template:Flagicon Šarūnas Jasikevičius | 2000–2020 |
| SG | Template:Flagicon Vassilis Spanoulis | 2000–2020 |
| SF | Template:Flagicon Dimitris Diamantidis | 2000–2020 |
| PF | Template:Flagicon Dirk Nowitzki | 2000–2020 |
| C | Template:Flagicon Pau Gasol | 2000–2020 |
See also
- Basketball at the Summer Olympic Games
- FIBA EuroBasket Records
- FIBA EuroBasket MVP
- FIBA EuroBasket Top Scorer
- FIBA EuroBasket All-Tournament Team
- FIBA World Cup
- FIBA World Cup Records
- FIBA's 50 Greatest Players (1991)
- FIBA EuroBasket Division B (defunct)
- FIBA European Championship for Small Countries
- FIBA EuroBasket Women
- List of FIBA EuroBasket winning head coaches
- European Wheelchair Basketball Championship
References
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- ↑ a b The country was previously a FIBA member under the name of the former Yugoslav Republic (FYR) of Macedonia due to the now-resolved Macedonia naming dispute.
- ↑ a b c Cite error: Script error: No such module "Namespace detect".Script error: No such module "Namespace detect".
- ↑ Czechoslovakia qualified four times prior to being divided into the Czech Republic and Slovakia in 1993. FIBA does not consider any of these nations as the successor team of Czechoslovakia.
- ↑ Egypt took part until they return to Africa for the AfroBasket
- ↑ The Soviet Union qualified nine times prior to being dissolved in 1991. The 15 nations that were former Soviet Republics now compete separately. FIBA does not consider any of these nations as the successor team of the Soviet Union.
- ↑ The Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia (1950–1990) qualified ten times under the name Yugoslavia prior to its breakup by the secession of many of its constituent republics in 1992. The Federal Republic of Yugoslavia qualified twice in 1998 and 2002 as Yugoslavia and in 2006 as Serbia and Montenegro after a name change in 2003. FR Yugoslavia and Serbia and Montenegro are considered the predecessors of the current Serbia team by FIBA; the latter competed for the first time as Serbia in the 2009 EuroBasket. These teams along with the other national teams which resulted from the breakup of the original Yugoslavia (Croatia, Slovenia, Bosnia-Herzegovina and North Macedonia) are considered distinct entities from the Yugoslavia team of 1930–1990. Montenegro now also compete separately after independence in 2006.
- ↑ Lebanon took part until they return to Asia for the FIBA Asia Cup
- ↑ Syria took part until they return to Asia the FIBA Asia Cup
- ↑ Germany took part as West Germany until 1987
- ↑ Iran took part until they return to Asia for the FIBA Asia Cup
- ↑ Baloncesto/Eurobasket.- Gasol, Parker y Papaloukas, en busca del título de MVP de Nowitzki
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- ↑ Top scorer of each EuroBasket (Top 3)
- ↑ All time highest scoring average (Top 10).
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External links
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