FIBA facts for kids
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Fédération internationale de basket-ball
(FIBA) |
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 |
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| Abbreviation | FIBA |
|---|---|
| Predecessor | International Amateur Handball Federation |
| Formation | 18 June 1932 |
| Founded at | Geneva, Switzerland |
| Type | Sports federation |
| Headquarters | Mies, Switzerland |
|
Region served
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Worldwide |
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Membership
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212 national federations |
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Official languages
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English French |
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President
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Sheikh Saud Ali Al Thani |
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Secretary general
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Andreas Zagklis |
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Key people
|
Borislav Stanković George Vassilakopoulos Manfred Ströher |
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Revenue (2018)
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US$102.2 million |
| Expenses (2018) | US$107.74 million |
| Website | FIBA.basketball |
The International Basketball Federation (FIBA) is a group of national organizations that manages the sport of basketball all over the world. FIBA creates the rules of basketball, decides what equipment and facilities are needed, and organizes big international games. They also control how players move between countries and choose international referees.
There are 212 national basketball groups that are members of FIBA. Since 1989, these groups have been organized into five main areas: Africa, Americas, Asia, Europe, and Oceania.
FIBA helps organize the basketball tournaments at the Summer Olympics. They also run the FIBA Basketball World Cup for men's national teams every four years. Teams compete for the Naismith Trophy, named after James Naismith, who invented basketball. There's also a similar event for women's teams, the FIBA Women's Basketball World Cup, which happens every four years too.
Contents
History of FIBA
How FIBA Started (1932–1949)
FIBA was created in Geneva, Switzerland, in 1932. This was two years after basketball was officially recognized by the IOC. Before 1934, basketball was managed by a different group called the International Amateur Handball Federation.
FIBA's first name was Fédération Internationale de basket-ball amateur. The word "amateur" was later removed in 1989, but the short name FIBA stayed the same. Eight countries were the first members: Argentina, Czechoslovakia, Greece, Italy, Latvia, Portugal, Romania, and Switzerland.
During the 1936 Summer Olympics in Berlin, James Naismith, the person who invented basketball, was named FIBA's Honorary President.
FIBA Grows and Changes (1950–2019)
FIBA started organizing a world championship for men in 1950. This event is now called the World Cup. A similar championship for women, the Women's World Cup, began in 1953. These events happen every four years, usually alternating with the Olympics.
In 1989, FIBA made a big change. They voted to allow professional basketball players to play in their international events, including the World Cup and the Olympics. This meant that famous players, especially from the United States' National Basketball Association (NBA), could now play for their home countries. This decision helped make international basketball even more exciting.
FIBA's main office moved to Munich in 1956, then back to Geneva in 2002. In 2013, FIBA moved into its new headquarters, called "The House of Basketball," in Mies.
Recent Events (2020–Present)
In February 2022, due to international events, Russia and Belarus were temporarily suspended from playing in FIBA competitions. They were also not allowed to host any games.
FIBA Presidents
| Years | Name |
|---|---|
| 1932–1948 |  Leon Bouffard |
| 1948–1960 |  Willard Greim |
| 1960–1968 |  Antonio dos Reis Carneiro |
| 1968–1976 |  Abdel Moneim Wahby |
| 1976–1984 |  Gonzalo Puyat II |
| 1984–1990 |  Robert Busnel |
| 1990–1998 |  George E. Killian |
| 1998–2002 |  Abdoulaye Seye Moreau |
| 2002–2006 |  Ching Men-ky [zh] |
| 2006–2010 |  Robert Elphinston |
| 2010–2014 | Yvan Mainini |
| 2014–2019 |  Horacio Muratore |
| 2019–2023 |  Hamane Niang |
| 2023–present |  Sheikh Saud Ali Al Thani |
Secretaries General
| Years | Name |
|---|---|
| 1932–1976 |  Renato William Jones |
| 1976–2003 |  / Borislav Stanković |
| 2003–2018 | Patrick Baumann |
| 2018–present |  Andreas Zagklis |
How FIBA is Organized
Five Zones and 212 Countries
FIBA divides the world into five main zones. Each zone has its own office to manage basketball in that part of the world. All 212 national basketball federations are members of FIBA and belong to one of these zones.
The five zones are:
- FIBA Africa (54 members)
- FIBA Americas (42 members)
- FIBA Asia (44 members)
- FIBA Europe (50 members)
- FIBA Oceania (22 members)
FIBA recognizes the British Basketball Federation as the main group for basketball in Great Britain. Some members from FIBA Oceania, like Australia and New Zealand, also play in Asian tournaments.
In 2021, Peru was removed from FIBA after being suspended in 2018.
FIBA also has world rankings for both men's and women's teams. These rankings are updated after major competitions and show how well teams are performing.
Rules and Leadership
FIBA's main office is in Mies, Switzerland. It's called the Patrick Baumann House of Basketball, named after a former leader of the organization.
The most important group in FIBA is the FIBA Congress. This is where representatives from every national basketball federation meet. Each country gets one vote. The Congress meets every two years to make big decisions and changes to FIBA's rules. They also elect the FIBA President and other important leaders.
The FIBA Central Board is the top executive group. It has 29 members, including the president and secretary-general. This board decides which countries will host the FIBA Basketball World Cup and the FIBA Women's Basketball World Cup.
The president and the secretary-general are in charge of FIBA's daily operations. Sheikh Saud Ali Al Thani became president in August 2023. Andreas Zagklis became secretary-general in December 2018.
FIBA Tournaments
World Champions
| Tournament | FIBA World Cup | Year | Next edition | Olympics | Year | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Men |  Germany (1) |
2023 | 2027 | United States (16) |
2020 | ||
| Women | United States (11) |
2022 | 2026 | United States (9) |
2020 | ||
| U-19 Men |  Spain (2) |
2023 | 2025 | Argentina (1) |
2018 | ||
| U-19 Women | United States (10) |
2023 | 2025 | United States (2) |
2018 | ||
| U-17 Men | United States (6) |
2022 | 2024 | N/A | |||
| U-17 Women | United States (5) |
2022 | 2024 | ||||
^ A: The Youth Olympic Games are a U-19 event played in FIBA 3x3 format.
World Club Champions
| Club competition | Year | Champion | Title | Runner-up | Next edition | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Intercontinental Cup | 2023-II |  Sesi Franca |
1st | Telekom Baskets Bonn |
2024 |
Continental Champions
| 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 | |||||
| Women |  Nigeria (6) |
2023 | 2025 | Brazil (6) |
2023 | 2025 | China (12) |
2023 | 2025 |  Belgium (1) |
2023 | 2025 | Australia (15) |
2015 | ||||||
| U-19 Men |  Egypt (6) |
2022 | 2024 | United States (10) |
2022 | 2024 |  South Korea (4) |
2022 | 2024 |  Serbia (5) |
2023 | 2024 |  New Zealand (1) |
2016 | ||||||
| U-19 Women | Mali (8) |
2022 | 2024 | United States (11) |
2022 | 2024 | Australia (1) |
2022 | 2024 |  Slovenia (1) |
2023 | 2024 | Australia (7) |
2016 | ||||||
| U-17 Men |  Guinea (1) |
2023 | 2025 | United States (8) |
2023 | 2025 | Australia (3) |
2023 | 2024 | Spain (6) |
2023 | 2024 | Australia (6) |
2022 | 2024 | |||||
| U-17 Women | Mali (8) |
2023 | 2025 | United States (7) |
2023 | 2025 | Australia (3) |
2023 | 2024 | France (5) |
2023 | 2024 | Australia (6) |
2022 | 2024 |
^ 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
| Region | Competition | Year | Champion | Title | Runner-up | Next edition | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Men's club competitions | ||||||||
| Africa | Basketball Africa League | 2023 | Al Ahly |
1st | AS Douanes |
2024 | ||
| Americas | Basketball Champions League Americas | 2022–23 | Sesi Franca |
1st | Flamengo |
2023–24 | ||
| Asia | Basketball Champions League Asia | 2019 |  Alvark Tokyo |
1st |  Al Riyadi Beirut |
2024 | ||
| Europe | Basketball Champions League | 2023–24 | Unicaja Málaga |
1st | Lenovo Tenerife |
2024–25 | ||
| Europe Cup | 2023–24 | Niners Chemnitz |
1st |  Bahçeşehir Koleji |
2024–25 | |||
| Women's club competitions | ||||||||
| Africa | Africa Women's Clubs Champions Cup | 2022 | Sporting Alexandria |
1st |  Costa do Sol |
2023 | ||
| Europe | EuroLeague Women (1st-tier) | 2023–24 | Fenerbahçe |
2nd | Villeneuve d'Ascq LM |
2024–25 | ||
| EuroCup Women (2nd-tier) | 2023–24 | London Lions |
1st | Beşiktaş |
2024–25 | |||
| SuperCup Women | 2023 | Fenerbahçe |
1st | ASVEL Féminin |
2024 | |||
^ 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.
3x3 World Champions
| Tournament | FIBA 3x3 World Cup | Year | Olympics | Year | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Men | Serbia (6) |
2023 |  Latvia (1) |
2020 | ||
| Women | United States (3) |
2023 | United States (1) |
2020 | ||
| U-23 Men | United States (1) |
2023 | N/A | |||
| U-23 Women |  Netherlands (1) |
2023 | ||||
| U-18 Men | Germany (1) |
2023 | ||||
| U-18 Women | United States (7) |
2023 | ||||
Awards and Rankings
Most Valuable Player Awards
| Tournament | Most Recent Awardee | Team | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Men | Dennis Schröder | Germany |
2023 |
| Women | A'ja Wilson | United States |
2022 |
| U-19 Men | Izan Almansa | Spain |
2023 |
| U-19 Women | Iyana Martín Carrión | Spain |
2023 |
| U-17 Men | Izan Almansa | Spain |
2022 |
| U-17 Women | JuJu Watkins | United States |
2022 |
FIBA World Rankings
FIBA keeps track of how well national teams perform in competitions. They use this information to create world rankings for both men's and women's basketball teams. These rankings help show which teams are currently the best in the world.
FIBA Sponsors
Global Partners
- Ganten
- J9.com
- Molten
- Nike
- Smart Communications
- TCL Corporation
- Tencent
- Tissot
- Wanda Group
- Yili Group
See also
In Spanish: Federación Internacional de Baloncesto para niños
