In the world of International basketball, there exists an exciting event called FIBA World Cup. This event attracts basketball fans from all over the world. The International Basketball Federation mainly manages the FIBA World Cup. This championship started out in 1950 under the name, FIBA World Championship. After 2010, it was renamed as the FIBA World Cup.
This championship features 32 teams from all over the world. A total of eighty teams struggle to qualify for the FIBA World Cup but the handiest 32 teams get qualified. This year, the FIBA World Cup is beginning on August 25 and could cease on 10 September. The 2023 FIBA World Cup is hosted by three countries, the Philippines, Japan and Indonesia. It will be the first time a World Cup is hosted by more than one country.
The teams that will play inside the 2023 FIBA World Cup are divided into eight groups from A to H. Each group will include 4 teams and each team will play in opposition to the opposite three teams. There will be a total of 48 games (3 games per team and 6 games per group).
In this article, we will particularly look at the top 10 players in the history of the FIBA World Cup and their data whilst gambling in FIBA.
1. Oscar Schmidt- Oscar Daniel Bezerra Schmidt was born on February 16, 1958. He played basketball in Brazil and now, he is retired. Oscar played in all four World Cups between 1978 and 1990. He was just 20 years old in 1978. Despite that, his self-belief degree was at the pinnacle. Oscar even had a more stunning performance in 1990 as he scored 34.6 points per game with 52 points against Australia and 44 points against Greece.
Playing position: Guard/Forward
Points: 843
Games Played: 33
Participations: 1978, 1982, 1986, 1990
Medals: 1978 (Bronze)
2. Luis Scola- Luis Alberta Scola Balboa is a former basketball player from Argentina. He was born on April 30, 1980, and played at five World Cup Championships for Argentina. Luis led the team to second place in the tournament in 2002 and 2019. His point average in 2002 was 9.1 and in 2014, he was the top scorer of Argentina with 19.5 points per game. In 2019, he averaged 17.9 points during the semi-finals against France.
Playing Position: Power Forward
Points: 716
Games Played: 41
Participations: 2002, 2006, 2010, 2014, 2019
Medals: 2002 & 2019 (Silver)
3. Andrew Gaze- Born on July 24, 1965, Andrew Barry Casson Gaze belongs to Australia. He played 22 seasons of basketball and also served as a coach. Andrew appeared in four World Cups for Australia from 1986 to 1998. He finished three times in the top five for scoring and was the top scorer in 1994. Andrew averaged 14.8 points in the 1986 FIBA World Cup. His overall performance was impressive and he was selected among the top 50 players of the FIBA in 1991.
Playing Position: Shooting Guard
Points: 594
Games Played: 29
Participations: 1986, 1990, 1994, 1998
Medals: 0
4. Drazen Dalipagic- Drazen “Praja” Dalipagic (born on November 27, 1951) played basketball for Serbia. He was one of Yugoslavia’s leaders in four World Cups from 1974 to 1978. Drazen led his team in winning the 1980 Olympic Gold Medal. Additionally, he earned the World Cup crown as the Most Valuable Player in 1978. At the age of 34, Drazen scored 16.2 points per game in 1986 and earned third place in the game. He was also named among the FIBA’s 50 Greatest Players in 1991.
Playing Position: Forward
Points: 563
Games Played: 35
Participations: 1974, 1978, 1982, 1986
Medals: 1978 (Gold), 1974 (Silver), 1982 & 1986 (Bronze)
5. Marcel De Souza- Marcel Ramon Ponickwar de Souza was born on December 4, 1956. He is a retired professional basketball player from Brazil. Marcel competed in all five World Cups from 1974 to 1990. He received a gold medal with third place in 1978. Marcel played his last World Cup in 1990 and averaged 11.8 points per game at the age of 33. He scored 20 points in games against the Soviet Union and China.
Playing Position: Guard/Forward
Points: 543
Games Played: 40
Participations: 1974, 1978, 1982, 1986, 1990
Medals: 1978 (Bronze)
6. Jose Ortiz- Jose Rafael “Piculin” Ortiz Rijos is a former basketball player from Puerto Rico. He was born on October 25, 1963, and he played for numerous teams including the NBA, NCAA and many European teams at the same point of his basketball career. Jose participated in all World Cups from 1990 to 2002 and his average points were always above 12.8.
Playing Position: Power Forward/Center
Points: 511
Games Played: 33
Participations: 1990, 1994, 1998, 2002
Medals: 0
7. Dragan Kicanovic- Dragan Kicanovic (born on August 17, 1963) appeared at three World Cups with a victory in 1978 and second place in 1974 and third in 1982. In 1974, he scored 19.9 points per game and was named the Most Valuable Player. In addition to this, Dragan has a 1980 Olympic Gold medal and three European Crowns.
Playing Position: Shooting Guard
Points: 491
Games Played: 25
Participations: 1974, 1978, 1982
Medals: 1978 (Gold), 1974 (Silver), 1982 (Bronze)
8. Pau Gasol- Born on July 6, 1980, Pau is a Spanish former basketball player. He led Spain in winning the 2006 FIBA Basketball World Cup. However, Pau ranked third in scoring with 21.3 points because he suffered from an injury in the finals. All in all, he is a three-time European Champion and has two Olympic Silver medals and one bronze medal.
Playing Position: Center
Points: 482
Games Played: 24
Participations: 2002, 2006, 2014
Medals: 2006 (Gold)
9. Ubiratan Pereira Maciel- Ubiratan “Bira” Pereira Maciel was a professional basketball player from Brazil who was born on January 18, 1944. He helped his country in four World Cups between 1963 and 1978. Ubiratan led the team to win the World Cup title in 1963, finished second in 1970 and third place in 1967 and 1978. In 1994, he was named to the FIBA’s 50 top players.
Playing Position: Center
Points: 474
Games Played: 41
Participations: 1963, 1967, 1970, 1978
Medals: 1963 (Gold), 1970 (Silver), 1967 & 1978 (Bronze)
10. Panagiotis Giannakis- Panagiotis (born on January 1, 1959) played basketball for Greece. He appeared in three World Cups (1986, 1990 and 1994) and finished fourth in 1998 and second in 2006. In 1990, Panagiotis ranked third in scoring with 26.0 points in a game.
Playing Position: Guard
Points: 469
Games Played: 26
Participations: 1986, 1990, 1994
Medals: 0
FAQs
A. Yes, many NBA players regularly play in the World Cup.
A. KD has only one MVP title.
A. No, India is out for the World Cup
A. Throughout his 13 seasons in the NBA, he has won 13 All-Star titles.
