The world's top b-ball stars are in Japan for the 2006 World Basketball Championships. Find out more about this international b-ball tournament right here.
World Basketball Championships - History 22624l
- The first World Basketball Championships were held in Argentina in 1950. Argentina won the title with a 64-50 victory over the United States. The USA didn't take the tournament all that seriously and was represented by a corporate team from a car factory in Denver.
- The United States sent a team of Russia.
- The World Basketball Championships were held in the United States for the first time in 2002, when Indianapolis was the host city. Despite having a team that was loaded with superstars, including Ben Wallace, Shawn Marion and Paul Pierce, the United States had a disappointing tournament and finished in 6th place.
- The World Basketball Championships have now grown to include 24 countries and are held every four years. The 2010 Championships will be held in Turkey
World Basketball Championships - Records 5m5x4x
- Yugoslavia has won the World Basketball Championships a record five times. The USA and Russia have each won the tournament three times.
- Jae Hur of Egypt.
- At the 1974 World Basketball Championships, Russia defeated the overmatched Central African Republic 140-48 - the biggest margest of victory in the tournament's history.
- At 7 feet, five inches tall (2.26 meters), NBA giant Yao Ming, is the tallest player to ever play at the World Basketball Championship
World Basketball Championships - Players To Watch 6r3k2t
- The United States is the only team at the 24 nation tournament that is made entirely of NBA players. NBA stars from Team USA include Carmelo Anthony and Chris Bosh.
- Other international NBA stars at the World Basketball Championships include Yao Ming of the Houston Rockets, Dirk Nowitzki of the Dallas Mavericks and Manu Ginobili of the San Antonio Spurs.
- The finals of the World Basketball Championships will be held September 4, 2006. The winner will automatically qualify for the 2008 Summer Olympics in China.
Related Stories:
