FIBA International Christmas Tournament

FIBA International Christmas Tournament

Sport	Basketball
Founded	1966
Inaugural season	1966
No. of teams	4
Country	FIBA members
Continent	Europe
Most recent champion(s)	Real Madrid (26th title)
Most titles	Real Madrid (26 titles)

FIBA International Christmas Tournament ^[1] also known as the Christmas Tournament (Torneo de Navidad) was a men's basketball international friendly competition at the club level (and in some editions with national teams), organized by FIBA at its first decades through the Commission of International Organizations under the hand of Raimundo Saporta, club director and president of the International Commission of the International Basketball Federation (FIBA), and with the authorization and support of R. William Jones, its general secretary, so it had the officiality of FIBA in its first decades of life, ^[2] being also the starting point of the FIBA Intercontinental Cup, whose first edition appears in the history of this competition. ^{[3] [4]} After 1980, the tournament transitioned to being an festive exhibition, although it still garnered attention and popularity.^{[ citation needed ]}

History

The competition was held for the first time in January 1966 with the name of FIBA Intercontinental Cup on the occasion of the inauguration of the new basketball venue of Real Madrid, the Pabellón de la Ciudad Deportiva (later called the "Raimundo Saporta Pavilion"). This edition also served as the starting point of the FIBA Intercontinental Cup (later known as the FIBA Club World Cup), whose results were valid for the first edition of the aforementioned competition of the highest basketball organism, and whose first trophy It was the same as the one used in the FIBA International Christmas Tournament until 1980.

The second edition of the Christmas Tournament was baptized at the time as Latin Cup, due to the origin of the participating teams (there was a competition called Latin Cup in 1953 that only had an edition, although the one of December 1966 counts as the second edition of the Christmas Tournament), and it was not until the third edition, in 1967, when the tournament was renamed by the popular and better-known FIBA International Tournament Christmas – Torneo de Navidad – (also known as the "Trophy Raimundo Saporta", and later "Memorial Fernando Martín", together with the denomination of Christmas Tournament, as well as "Philips Trophy" from its beginnings and El Corte Inglés from 1981 until the end of the 80s). ^{[5] [3]} That is, FIBA organized, Philips put the money and Real Madrid yielded the field, with the approval and consent of the FEB. ^[6] As of 1981, Real Madrid, with the sponsorship of the English Court (until 1989, subsequently replacing other sponsors), managed the tournament, although their relations with FIBA continued. ^[2]

Despite the tournament's perceived importance at the time, it is considered nowadays a friendly competition, although the prestige of the twelve silver medals of the winner for the contenders was maximum, since until 1980 it had the official status and the protection of FIBA. However, the first edition of the International Christmas Tournament made the FIBA Intercontinental Basketball Cup officially emerge, a competition that "merengues" would go on to win four times.

It could be said that the International Christmas Tournament, while it was under the auspices and organization of the FIBA (1966–1980), had a rank of para-official competition, that is, that it had an official rank or character (although it was not considered like this at present), but it worked as such at that time. For what was an international friendly competition of an official nature. Although from 1981 it was managed by Real Madrid, the Committee of International Activities of FIBA was behind it. In fact it was the starting point of the FIBA Intercontinental Cup, and whose second edition of this tournament (called Copa Latina in that edition), already breaking away from the Intercontinental, continued under the organization and official FIBA in everything concerning the delivery of trophies and the FIBA emblem on the podium, as well as FIBA referees, but the fact that its last decades were largely managed by Real Madrid, because it gave the competition, for all intents and purposes, a friendly character, despite its weight, importance and notoriety, but above all due to the fact that its participants acceded by invitation (although in the FIBA Club World Cup as well). In short, the officiality of FIBA was languishing as of 1980 (despite the fact that FIBA and its committee were still behind the event, as attested by the presence, year after year, of FIBA referees) and redefining itself in a friendly tournament (from 1980), although of great prestige for all tale meant and the international character of it. ^[6]

Results

The competition featured three different trophy models throughout its history. The first gold and granted by FIBA until 1980, the second granted by Real Madrid together with its sponsor El Corte Inglés during the time that the sponsorship lasted (1981-1989), and the third trophy model that granted Real Madrid during his last decades. ^{[7] [8]}

Year	Champions	Second place	Third place	Fourth place	Results / Notes
1966 Details	Ignis Varese	Corinthians	Real Madrid	Chicago Jamaco Saints	Final: 66–59 3rd place game: 112–96
1966 Details	Simmenthal Milano	Real Madrid	ASVEL	Benfica	Four team league stage.
1967 Details	Real Madrid	Juventud Kalso	Victoria Melbourne	River Plate	Four team league stage.
1968 Details	Real Madrid	Uruguay	Meralco Reddy Kilowatts	Picadero	Four team league stage.
1969 Details	Real Madrid	Panama	Buenos Aires Selection	Juventud Nerva	Four team league stage.
1970 Details	Real Madrid	Juventud Nerva	Gimnasia y Esgrima	Puerto Rico	Four team league stage.
1971 Details	North Carolina Tar Heels	Real Madrid	Juventud Schweppes	Unión Española	Four team league stage.
1972 Details	Real Madrid	Palmeiras	Virginia Cavaliers	Estudiantes Monteverde	Four team league stage.
1973 Details	Real Madrid	Puerto Rico	Juventud Schweppes	Obras Sanitarias	Four team league stage.
1974 Details	Real Madrid	North Carolina Tar Heels	Cuba	Estudiantes Monteverde	Four team league stage.
1975 Details	Real Madrid	Palmeiras	Arizona State Sun Devils	Estudiantes Monteverde	Four team league stage.
1976 Details	Real Madrid	Tennessee Volunteers	Cavigal Nice	Africa Selection	Four team league stage.
1977 Details	Real Madrid	Australia	Defensor Sporting	Bradley Braves	Four team league stage.
1978 Details	Real Madrid	Joventut Freixenet	Czechoslovakia	Obras Sanitarias	Four team league stage.
1979 Details	Soviet Union	Real Madrid	Athletes in Action	Joventut Freixenet	Four team league stage.
1980 Details	Real Madrid	Cotonificio	Sírio	Partizan	Four team league stage.
1981 Details	Real Madrid	Marlboro All-Stars	Inmobanco	Israel	Four team league stage.
1982 Details	Inmobanco	Real Madrid	Marlboro All-Stars	São José	Four team league stage.
1983 Details	Soviet Union	Real Madrid	New York All-Stars	Cuba	Four team league stage.
1984 Details	Soviet Union	Real Madrid	Cheiw All-Stars	Yugoslavia	Four team league stage.
1985 Details	Real Madrid	Yugoslavia	Monte Líbano	Golden State All-Stars	Four team league stage.
1986 Details	Real Madrid	Yugoslavia	Brazil	Winston All-Stars	Four team league stage.
1987 Details	Real Madrid	Soviet Union	Greece	Argentina	Four team league stage.
1988 Details	Yugoslavia	Real Madrid	Soviet Union	Monte Líbano	Four team league stage.
1989 Details	Jugoplastika	Real Madrid	Aris	Maccabi Elite Tel Aviv	Four team league stage.
1990 Details	Real Madrid Otaysa	POP 84	Maccabi Elite Tel Aviv	Limoges CSP	Four team league stage.
1991 Details	Real Madrid Asegurator	Maccabi Elite Tel Aviv	Australia	Benetton Treviso	Four team league stage.
1992 Details	Estudiantes Argentaria	Real Madrid Teka	Cibona	Maccabi Elite Tel Aviv	Four team league stage.
1993 Details	Brazil All-Stars	Stefanel Trieste	Real Madrid Teka	Estudiantes Argentaria	Four team league stage.
1994 Details	Yugoslavia	Real Madrid Teka	Moscow Selection	São Paulo All-Stars	Four team league stage.
1995 Details	Real Madrid Teka	Australia	Rio Claro	Cuba	Four team league stage.
1996 Details	Real Madrid Teka	Olympiacos	Efes Pilsen	Scavolini Pesaro	Four team league stage.
1997 Details	Real Madrid Teka	Italy	Brazil	Nea Zealand	Four team league stage.
1998 Details	CSKA Moscow	Real Madrid Teka	Partizan	Union Olimpija	Final: 84–77 3rd place game: 66–62
1999 Details	Panathinaikos	Real Madrid Teka	Partizan	Zadar	Final: 78–77 3rd place game: 76–74
2000 Details	Real Madrid Teka	São Paulo All-Stars	N/A	N/A	Final: 111–83
2001 Details	Ural Great Perm	Real Madrid	N/A	N/A	Final: 80–69
2002 Details	Maccabi Elite Tel Aviv	Real Madrid	N/A	N/A	Final: 87–71
2003 Details	Real Madrid	Ülker	N/A	N/A	Final: 86–78
2004 Details	Real Madrid	Telemar Rio de Janeiro	N/A	N/A	Final: 85–69
2006 Details	Real Madrid	Lietuvos rytas	N/A	N/A	Final: 88–78

References

1. José Luis Alises Moreno. "Torneo Internacional de Navidad" . Retrieved 6 September 2022.
2. "Reportaje - LA FIBA, o la geopolítica en el baloncesto". El País. 24 January 1985. Retrieved 15 November 2017.
3. Relaño, Alfredo (23 December 2012). "Aquel torneo de todas las Navidades". El País. Retrieved 15 November 2017.
4. Martin Tello (24 December 2004). "El Torneo de Navidad se despide tras 40 años". as.com. Retrieved 6 September 2022.
5. "El Corte Inglés presento el Torneo de Navidad". El País. 11 December 1981. Retrieved 15 November 2017.
6. "ABC (Madrid) - 24/12/1993, p. 81 - ABC.es Hemeroteca". hemeroteca.abc.es. Retrieved 15 November 2017.
7. Antonio García (16 December 2019). "Intrahistorias y cuentos de los torneos de Navidad. Cuando España se paraba a ver el baloncesto…". gigantes.com. Retrieved 6 September 2022.
8. Cañas, Jose Maria. "PMB Los Ojos del Tigre". Losojosdeltigre.com. Retrieved 15 November 2017.