This Day in Basketball History

This Day June 18, 1932 (America) June 19, 1932 (Philippines), the Federation Internationale de Basketball Amateur (FIBA), the world governing body for basketball, was founded in Geneva, Switzerland.

The association was founded in Geneva in 1932, two years after the sport was officially recognized by the International Olympic Committee. Eight nations were founding members: Argentina, Czechoslovakia, Greece, Italy, Latvia, Portugal, Romania, and Switzerland.

FIBA defines the international rules of basketball, specifies the equipment and facilities required, regulates the transfer of athletes across countries, and controls the appointment of international referees. A total of 215 national federations are now members, organized since 1989 into five zones or "commissions": Africa, Americas, Asia, Europe, and Oceania.

The FIBA Basketball World Cup is a world tournament for men's national teams held every four years. Teams compete for the Naismith Trophy, named in honor of basketball's Canadian creator James Naismith. The tournament structure is similar but not identical to that of the FIFA World Cup in football; these tournaments occurred in the same year from 1970 through 2014, but starting in 2019, the Basketball World Cup will move to the year following the FIFA World Cup. A parallel event for women's teams, the FIBA Women's Basketball World Cup, is also held quadrennially; from 1986 through 2014, it was held in the same year as the men's event but in a different country. The women's tournament will continue to be held in the same year as the FIFA World Cup.

Here are the list of the presidents of FIBA.

1929-1931: Ernest Talingdan Castro

1932–1948: Leon Bouffard

1932–1939: James A. Naismith (honorary)

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: Dr. Carl Men Ky Ching

2006–2010: Bob Elphinston

2010–2014: Yvan Mainini

2014–present: Horacio Muratore

See Top plays video of last 2014 FIBA Word Championship: