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FIBA Tournaments, 3x3 and Rules: Facts

Asian, African and American championships, youth tournaments, 3x3 and the history of FIBA's rules.

1932 FIBA was founded in Geneva in 1932. Latvia was among the eight founding members, Lithuania was not.

1962 Egypt won the first AfroBasket in 1962, competing as the United Arab Republic.

1984 FIBA introduced the three-point line, at 6.25 m, in 1984. It made its Olympic debut in Seoul in 1988.

120-115 Brazil trailed the USA by 20 at half-time of the 1987 Pan American Games final in Indianapolis, then won 120-115. Oscar Schmidt scored 46.

11/12 At the 1987 junior world championship in Bormio, 18-year-old Toni Kukoč made 11 of 12 threes against the USA, and Yugoslavia won 110-95.

1989 In 1989 the FIBA Congress in Munich voted 56 to 13 to let NBA players into international competition, opening the door for the Dream Team.

12 Angola have won AfroBasket 12 times, more than any other country, including six in a row from 1999 to 2009.

94-87 In 1999 a young Spain side with Pau Gasol, Juan Carlos Navarro and Felipe Reyes won the U19 World Championship in Lisbon, beating the USA 94-87 in the final.

30 Until 2000 FIBA games had a 30-second shot clock and two 20-minute halves. Then came 24 seconds and four 10-minute quarters.

4 Lebanon have reached four Asia Cup finals, in 2001, 2005, 2007 and 2022, and lost all four.

2007 Iran won their first Asian title in 2007 and added two more, in 2009 and 2013.

74-69 In the 2007 U19 World Championship final, hosts Serbia beat a US team featuring Stephen Curry 74-69.

2010 In 2010 FIBA moved its three-point line from 6.25 m to 6.75 m and changed the trapezoid-shaped lane into a rectangle.

67-56 In 2011 Tunisia won AfroBasket for the first time, beating Angola 67-56 in the final in Madagascar.

2013 Mexico won the 2013 FIBA Americas Championship even though they only got in as a replacement for disqualified Panama. Gustavo Ayón was MVP.

2015 Venezuela won their first FIBA Americas Championship in Mexico City in 2015, beating Argentina 76-71 in the final.

74:65 Nigeria won its first AfroBasket in 2015, beating Angola 74-65 in the final in Tunisia. NBA forward Al-Farouq Aminu made the tournament's All-Star Five.

2017 Australia joined FIBA Asia competitions in 2017 and won the Asia Cup at the first attempt, beating Iran 79-56 in the final.

61 In 2023 the Philippines beat Jordan 70-60 to win Asian Games basketball gold for the first time in 61 years.

19-11-11 Nikola Jokić had 19 points, 11 rebounds and 11 assists as Serbia beat Germany 93-83 for bronze in Paris in 2024. It was the fifth triple-double in Olympic history.

16 In 2025 Brazil won the AmeriCup in Managua, their first title in 16 years, at the first edition held in Central America.

16 China have won the Asian championship, now the FIBA Asia Cup, 16 times, more than any other country.

21 A 3x3 game ends when a team reaches 21 points or after 10 minutes. Teams get 12 seconds to shoot, and a shot from beyond the arc is worth two.

Mies FIBA's headquarters, the House of Basketball, is in Mies, Switzerland, near Lake Geneva.

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