FIBA

The International Basketball Federation (FIBA /ˈfiːbə/ FEE-bə; French: Fédération Internationale de Basketball) is an association of national organizations which governs the sport of basketball worldwide. FIBA defines the rules of basketball, specifies the equipment and facilities required, organizes international competitions, regulates the transfer of athletes across countries, and controls the appointment of international referees. A total of 212 national federations are members, organized since 1989 into five zones: Africa, Americas, Asia, Europe, and Oceania.

FIBA organizes both the men's and women's FIBA World Olympic Qualifying Tournament and the Summer Olympics Basketball Tournament, which are sanctioned by the IOC. 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-American creator James Naismith. The tournament structure is similar but not identical to that of the FIFA World Cup in association football; these tournaments occurred in the same year from 1970 through 2014, but starting in 2019, the Basketball World Cup moved 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 quadrennial; from 1986 through 2014, it was held in the same year as the men's event but in a different country.

The association was founded in Geneva in 1932, two years after the sport was officially recognized by the IOC. Before 1934, basketball was under the umbrella of the International Amateur Handball Federation. Its original name was Fédération Internationale de basket-ball amateur. The eight nations' basketball federations that were the founding members of FIBA were: Argentina, Czechoslovakia, Greece, Italy, Latvia, Portugal, Romania, and Switzerland. In September 1934 the Protocol of Stockholm was passed and the FIBA became the only recognized authority responsible for basketball. During the 1936 Summer Olympics held in Berlin, the Federation named James Naismith (1861–1939), the founder of basketball, as its Honorary President.

FIBA has organized a world championship, known as World Cup, for men since 1950 and a women's world championship, known as the Women's World Cup, since 1953. From 1986 through 2014, both events were held every four years, alternating with the Olympics. The men's World Cup was moved to a new four-year cycle, with tournaments in the year before the Summer Olympics, after 2014.

On 7 April 1989, at a special congress in Munich following the conclusion of the 1988–89 FIBA European Cup, FIBA member nations voted, by a margin of 56 to 13, to allow NBA players to participate in its international events, including the World Cup and the Olympics. The change also intended to ward off competition from the Goodwill Games, which was rivaling the Olympics at the time and also seeking to bring NBA players into its basketball events.

The Federation headquarters moved to Munich in 1956, then returned to Geneva in 2002. In 1991, it founded the FIBA Hall of Fame; the first induction ceremony was held on 12 September 2007, during EuroBasket 2007. During its 81st anniversary in 2013, FIBA moved into its new headquarters, "The House of Basketball", at Mies. Andreas Zagklis became the Secretary-General of FIBA on 7 December 2018.

In February 2022, Russia and Belarus were provisionally suspended from international competitions until further notice due to Russia's invasion of Ukraine. It also suspended the two countries from hosting any competitions.

During the 1936 Summer Olympics, the FIBA honored James A. Naismith, the founder of basketball, as their honorary President.