The Basketball World Championships (official name is FIBA World Championship) is primarily the most influential basketball event in the world. Its champion is determined from over 200 countries and regions that form FIBA, the International Federation of Basketball.
    Basketball World Championships made its official debut in 1950 in Buenos Aires, Argentina. Since then, the competition is held once in four years between Olympic Games, creating intense and excitement as well as lot of motivating scenes.
    The most triumphant teams in the relatively short history of the Basketball World Championships are the United States of America, SFR Yugoslavia and the Soviet Union, having three Champion titles each.
    Starting from 2006, the number of teams-participants will raise from 16 to 24. The following categories of teams will qualify for the 2006 Basketball World Championships: the Champion of 2004 Olympics, the host nation, and regions/nations - winners of the preliminary games of America, Europe, Africa, Asia and Oceania zones.
    Past and future basketball championships:
    1950 -- Host country: Argentina; World Champion: Argentina; Team: Bustos, Contarbio, Del Vechio, Perez varela, Viau, Menini, Liva, Furlong, Gonzalez, Monza, Uder, López
    1954 -- Host country: Brazil; World Champion: USA; Team: Penwell, Retheford, Minter, Waine, Stratton, Johnson, Kelley, Sheets, Hamilton, Solomon, Born.
    1959 -- Host country: Chile; World Champion: Brazil; Team: Azevedo, Marqques, Pasos, Boccardo, Freitas, Senra, De Souza, Dos Santos, Schall, Da Nobrega, Blatkauskas, Fonseca.
    1963 -- Host country: Brazil; World Champion: Brazil; Team: Pasos, Ubiratan, Marques, Domingos, De Souza, Cicero, Schall, Sucar, Menon, Mirchauwska, Blatkauskas, Wihelm.
    1967 -- Host country: Uruguay; World Champion: USSR; Team: Checuro, Sakandilze, Paulauskas, Travin, Polivoda, Belov, Selikhov, Tomson, Volnov, Nesterov, Lipso, Andreiev.
    1970 -- Host country: SFR Yugoslavia; World Champion: SFR Yugoslavia; Team: Daneau, Cermak, Cosic, Jelovac, Plecas, Kapicic, Rajkovic, Simonovic, Solman, Skansi, Tvrdic, Zeravic, Zorga.
    1974 -- Host country: Puerto Rico; World Champion: USSR; Team: Pavlov, Miloserdov, Paulauskas, Salnikov, Edesheko, Boloshev, S. Belov, Boslshakov, Tomson, Kharchenov, Zigli, A. Belov.
    1978 -- Host country: Philippines; World Champion: SFR Yugoslavia; Team: Vilfan, Zizic, Kicanovic, Jerkov, Knego, Skroce, Cosic, Slavnic, Radovanovic, Dalipagic, Kristulovic, Delibasic.
    1982 -- Host country: Colombia; World Champion: USSR; Team: Eremin, Tarakanov, Sabonis, Enden, Deriouguine, Lopatov,Valters, Mychkine, Tkatchenko, Jovaiša, Chomicius, Belosteny.
    1986 -- Host country: Spain; World Champion: USA; Team: Bogues, Kerr, Amaker, K. Smith, McKey, Elliott, Seikaly, Hammond, Robinson, Shaw, C. Smith, William.
    1990 -- Host country: Argentina; World Champion: SFR Yugoslavia; Team: Petrovic, Cutura, Perasovic, Kukoc, Zdovc, Paspalj, Obradovic, Divac, Curcic, Jovanovic, Savic, Komazec.
    1994 -- Host country: Canada; World Champion: USA; Team: Dumars, Coleman, Price, Kemp, Majerle, Smith, Johnson, Miller, Wilkins, Mourning, O'Neal, Johnson.
    1998 -- Host country: Greece; World Champion: FR Yugoslavia; Team: V. Scepanovic, D. Bodiroga, S. Obradovic, D. Lukovski, N. Loncar, A. Djordjevic, M. Beric, Z. Rebraca, N. Bulatovic, P. Drobnjak,D. M. Topic, Tomasevic.
    2002 -- Host country: USA; World Champion: FR Yugoslavia; Team: D. Koturovic, D. Bodiroga, Z. Cabarkapa, IP. Stojakovic, . Rakocevic, M. Jaric, V. Radmanovic, P. Drobnjak, M. Vujanic, V. Divac, D. Tomasevic, M. Gurovic.
    2006 -- Host country: Japan.
    2010 -- Host country: Turkey.