Arvydas Romas Sabonis is a Lithuanian former professional basketball player and businessman. Sabonis won the Euroscar six times and the Mr. Europa Award twice. He played in a variety of leagues, including the Spanish ACB League, and spent seven seasons in the National Basketball Association (NBA). Playing the center position, Sabonis won a gold medal at the 1988 Summer Olympics, in South Korea, for the Soviet Union, and later earned bronze medals at the 1992 Olympic Games and 1996 Olympic Games representing Lithuania. He retired from professional basketball in 2005. Sabonis was selected by the Portland Trail Blazers in the first round of the 1986 NBA draft, but he did not play his first NBA game until 1995, at the age of 30.
The 2005 FIBA European Championship, commonly called FIBA EuroBasket 2005, was the 34th FIBA EuroBasket regional basketball championship held by FIBA Europe. It also served as Europe qualifier for the 2006 FIBA World Championship, giving a berth to the top six teams in the final standings. It was held in Serbia and Montenegro between 16 September and 25 September 2005. Sixteen national teams entered the event under the auspices of FIBA Europe, the sport's regional governing body. The cities of Belgrade, Novi Sad, Podgorica and Vršac hosted the tournament. It was the third time that the championship was hosted by the city of Belgrade. Greece won its second FIBA European title by defeating Germany with a 78–62 score in the final. Germany's Dirk Nowitzki was voted the tournament's MVP.
The 2003 Tournament of the Americas in basketball, later known as the FIBA Americas Championship and the FIBA AmeriCup, was hosted by Puerto Rico, from August 20 to August 31, 2003. The games were played in San Juan, at the Roberto Clemente Coliseum. This FIBA AmeriCup was to earn the three berths allocated to the Americas for the 2004 Olympics in Athens, Greece. The United States won the tournament, the country's fifth AmeriCup championship.
The 2010 FIBA World Championship was the 16th FIBA World Championship, the international basketball world championship contested by the men's national teams. The tournament ran from 28 August to 12 September 2010. It was co-organised by the International Basketball Federation (FIBA), Turkish Basketball Federation and the 2010 Organising Committee. It was considered as prestigious a competition as the Olympic Basketball Tournament. The tournament was hosted by Turkey.
The 2005 FIBA Americas Championship, later known as the FIBA AmeriCup, was hosted by the Dominican Republic, from August 24, to September 4, 2005. The games were played in Santo Domingo. This FIBA AmeriCup was to earn the four berths allocated to the Americas for the 2006 FIBA World Championship, in Japan. Argentina had already qualified, by winning the gold medal at the 2004 Olympics. Brazil won the tournament, the country's third AmeriCup championship.
The 2007 FIBA Americas Championships later known as the FIBA AmeriCup, was a basketball tournament held at Thomas & Mack Center, in Las Vegas, from August 22, to September 2. It was the thirteenth staging of the FIBA AmeriCup.
The 2003 FIBA European Championship, commonly called FIBA EuroBasket 2003, was the 33rd FIBA EuroBasket regional basketball championship held by FIBA Europe, which also served as the Europe qualifier for the 2004 Summer Olympics, giving a berth to the top three teams in the final standings. It was held in Sweden between 5 September and 14 September 2003. Sixteen national teams entered the event under the auspices of FIBA Europe, the sport's regional governing body. The cities of Borås, Luleå, Norrköping, Södertälje and Stockholm hosted the tournament. Lithuania won its third FIBA European title by defeating Spain with a 93–84 score in the final. Lithuania's Šarūnas Jasikevičius was voted the tournament's MVP.
EuroBasket 2011 was the 37th men's European Basketball Championship, held by FIBA Europe. The competition was hosted by Lithuania. This was the second time EuroBasket had been held in Lithuania, the country having also hosted the 1939 championship. FIBA Europe asserted that Lithuania managed to organize the best European championship in its history. The top two teams are guaranteed spots at the 2012 Summer Olympics.
The 2009 FIBA European Championship, commonly called FIBA EuroBasket 2009, was the 36th FIBA EuroBasket regional basketball championship held by FIBA Europe. The tournament, which was hosted by Poland, began on 7 September and concluded with the final on 20 September 2009. The competition served as a qualification tournament for the 2010 FIBA World Championship in Turkey.
The 2001 FIBA European Championship, commonly called FIBA EuroBasket 2001, was the 32nd FIBA EuroBasket regional basketball championship held by FIBA Europe, which also served as Europe qualifier for the 2002 FIBA World Championship, giving a berth to the top four teams in the final standings. It was held in Turkey between 31 August and 9 September 2001. Sixteen national teams entered the event under the auspices of FIBA Europe, the sport's regional governing body. The cities of Ankara, Antalya and Istanbul hosted the tournament. Serbia won its third FIBA European title by defeating hosts Turkey with a 78–69 score in the final. Vlado Šćepanović scored 19 points for Serbia, while İbrahim Kutluay scored 19 for Turkey. Serbia's Peja Stojaković was voted the tournament's MVP.
The 1999 FIBA European Championship, commonly called FIBA EuroBasket 1999, was the 31st FIBA EuroBasket regional basketball championship held by FIBA Europe, which also served as Europe qualifier for the 2000 Olympic Tournament, giving a berth to the top five teams in the final standings. It was held in France between 21 June and 3 July 1999. Sixteen national teams entered the event under the auspices of FIBA Europe, the sport's regional governing body. The cities of Antibes, Clermont-Ferrand, Dijon, Le Mans, Paris, Pau and Toulouse hosted the tournament. Italy won its second FIBA European title by defeating Spain with a 64–56 score in the final. Italy's Gregor Fučka was voted the tournament's MVP.
The basketball qualification for the Summer Olympics men's basketball tournament occurred from 2006–2008; all five FIBA zones sent in teams.
The 1993 FIBA European Championship, commonly called FIBA EuroBasket 1993, was the 28th FIBA EuroBasket regional basketball championship, held by FIBA Europe. It was held in Germany between 22 June and 4 July 1993. Sixteen national teams entered the event under the auspices of FIBA Europe, the sport's regional governing body. The cities of Berlin, Karlsruhe and Munich hosted the tournament. Hosts Germany won their first FIBA European title by defeating Russia with a 71–70 score in the final. Germany's Chris Welp was voted the tournament's MVP. This edition of the FIBA EuroBasket tournament also served as qualification for the 1994 FIBA World Championship, giving a berth to the top five teams in the final standings.
The 1995 FIBA European Championship, commonly called FIBA EuroBasket 1995, was the 29th FIBA EuroBasket regional basketball championship held by FIBA Europe, which also served as Europe qualifier for the 1996 Summer Olympics, giving a berth to each of the top four teams in the final standings. It was held in Greece between 21 June and 2 July 1995. Fourteen national teams entered the event under the auspices of FIBA Europe, the sport's regional governing body. The city of Athens hosted the tournament. Serbia and Montenegro won its first FIBA European title, by defeating Lithuania by the score of 96–90 in the final. Lithuania's Šarūnas Marčiulionis was voted the tournament's MVP. This edition of the FIBA EuroBasket tournament saw the successful return of the Lithuania national team to the competition, since its last triumph in 1939.
The 1997 FIBA European Championship, commonly called FIBA EuroBasket 1997, was the 30th FIBA EuroBasket regional basketball championship held by FIBA Europe, which also served as Europe qualifier for the 1998 FIBA World Championship, giving a berth to the top four teams in the final standings. It was held in Spain between 24 June and 6 July 1997. Sixteen national teams entered the event under the auspices of FIBA Europe, the sport's regional governing body. The cities of Badalona, Barcelona and Girona hosted the tournament. Serbia won its second FIBA European title, by defeating Italy with a 61–49 score in the final. Serbia's Saša Đorđević was voted the tournament's MVP.
The 2009 FIBA Americas Championship, later known as the FIBA AmeriCup, was the continental championship held by FIBA Americas, for North, Central and South America and the Caribbean. This FIBA AmeriCup championship served as a qualifying tournament for the 2010 FIBA World Championship in Turkey. Each of the top four finishers in the quarterfinal round robin qualified for the World Championship.
The men's qualification for the 2000 Olympic men's basketball tournament occurred from 1998–2000; all five FIBA zones sent in teams.
The 2014 FIBA Basketball World Cup qualification began in earnest at the 2011 Caribbean Championships, a qualifier to the 2012 Centrobasket, which was in itself a qualifier to the 2013 FIBA Americas Championship. The winners of the 2012 Olympic basketball tournament, the United States, qualified outright. The USA joined the host nation Spain, which was earlier elected to host the 2014 FIBA Basketball World Cup in July 2009.
Kayla Renae McBride is an American professional basketball player for the Minnesota Lynx of the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA). She was drafted third overall by the San Antonio Stars in the 2014 WNBA draft. McBride played shooting guard for Notre Dame, where she led the Fighting Irish to four consecutive Final Fours and three NCAA championship appearances.
The Israel national basketball team has completed at 29 EuroBasket competitions since their tournament debut at EuroBasket 1953 in Moscow.
Russia (1st title)
Spain 
Lithuania 
Greece 
Dirk Nowitzki 
