1998 FIBA World Championship

1998 FIBA World Championship
13th FIBA World Championship
Official website
1998 FIBA World Championship
Tournament details
Host nation	Greece
Dates	29 July – 9 August
Teams	16 (from ? federations)
Venues	2 (in 1 host city)
Champions	Yugoslavia (4th title)
MVP	Dejan Bodiroga
Tournament statistics
Players Teams Points Alberto Herreros (17.88) United States (82.10) Rebounds José Ortiz (10.5) Nigeria (37.4) Assists Shane Heal (4.5) Argentina (13.10)
< 1994 2002 >

The 1998 FIBA World Championship was the 13th FIBA World Championship, an international basketball tournament held by the International Basketball Federation and hosted in Athens, Greece from 29 July to 9 August 1998. The tournament was contested by 16 nations and the matches were played in two venues in Athens.

Because of the National Basketball Association lockout and unlike the previous championship, the USA Basketball Association was unable to send a team comprised from NBA players, thus causing the American national team roster to be comprised out of professional basketball players playing in Europe and two college players. The tournament was won by FR Yugoslavia, in their first participation after the breakup of Yugoslavia, defeating 64–62 Russia in the final.

Venues

Athens
Marousi	Piraeus
Athens Olympic Indoor Hall Capacity: 18,700	Peace and Friendship Stadium Capacity: 14,776

Squads

Main article: 1998 FIBA World Championship squads

Competing nations

Greece and the United States qualified automatically, the first because of its status as host country, and the latter due to earning a gold medal in the 1996 Summer Olympics.

The remaining places were secured according to the different continental tournaments held in 1997.

FIBA Africa (2)

• Nigeria
• Senegal

FIBA Asia (2)

• Japan
• Korea

FIBA Americas (4+1)

• Argentina
• Brazil
• Canada
• Puerto Rico
• United States (Olympic Champions)

FIBA Oceania (1)

• Australia

FIBA Europe (5+1)

• Greece (Host Nation)
• Italy
• FR Yugoslavia
• Lithuania
• Spain
• Russia

Preliminary rounds

Competing teams

The top three teams in each group advance to the second preliminary rounds, into either Group E or F. The fourth place team in each group moves onto the Thirteenth-to-sixteenth playoffs.

Group A

Rank	Team	Pts.	W	L	PF	PA	Diff
1	Greece	6	3	0	210	185	+25
2	Italy	5	2	1	211	199	+12
3	Canada	4	1	2	211	214	−3
4	Senegal	3	0	3	180	214	−34

29 July 1998

Senegal	66–76	Italy
Greece	78–72	Canada

30 July 1998

Canada	70–57	Senegal
Italy	56–64	Greece

31 July 1998

Canada	69–79	Italy
Senegal	57–68	Greece

Group Β

Rank	Team	Pts.	W	L	PF	PA	Diff
1	FR Yugoslavia	6	3	0	261	194	+67
2	Russia	5	2	1	243	213	+30
3	Puerto Rico	4	1	2	217	223	−6
4	Japan	3	0	3	169	260	−91

29 July 1998

Japan	58–83	Russia
FR Yugoslavia	80–66	Puerto Rico

30 July 1998

Puerto Rico	78–57	Japan
Russia	74–82	FR Yugoslavia

31 July 1998

Japan	54–99	FR Yugoslavia
Puerto Rico	73–86	Russia

Group C

Rank	Team	Pts.	W	L	PF	PA	Diff
1	Lithuania	6	3	0	247	200	+47
2	United States	5	2	1	253	205	+48
3	Brazil	4	1	2	197	222	−25
4	Korea	3	0	3	191	261	−70

29 July 1998

Korea	56–97	Lithuania
United States	83–59	Brazil

30 July 1998

Brazil	76–73	Korea
Lithuania	84–82	United States

31 July 1998

Brazil	62–66	Lithuania
Korea	62–88	United States

Group D

Rank	Team	Pts.	W	L	PF	PA	Diff
1	Spain	6	3	0	225	211	+14
2	Argentina	5	2	1	201	181	+20
3	Australia	4	1	2	208	207	+1
4	Nigeria	3	0	3	183	218	−35

29 July 1998

Nigeria	68–80	Spain
Australia	62–66	Argentina

30 July 1998

Argentina	68–51	Nigeria
Spain	77–76	Australia

31 July 1998

Nigeria	64–70	Australia
Argentina	67–68	Spain

Second Preliminary rounds

First three teams in each group of the first group phase qualify to the second phase, creating two new groups of six teams. The final standings also take in account the results of previous round matches.

Group Ε

Rank	Team	Pts.	W	L	PF	PA	Diff
1	FR Yugoslavia	11	5	1	486	366	+120
2	Russia	11	5	1	455	388	+67
3	Greece	10	4	2	395	379	+16
4	Italy	10	4	2	395	408	−13
5	Puerto Rico	8	2	4	438	443	−5
6	Canada	4	1	5	419	473	−54

2 August 1998

FR Yugoslavia	95–55	Canada
Russia	71–55	Italy
Puerto Rico	64–71	Greece

3 August 1998

Canada	81–94	Puerto Rico
Italy	61–60	FR Yugoslavia
Greece	48–60	Russia

4 August 1998

Russia	81–72	Canada
Puerto Rico	63–68	Italy
FR Yugoslavia	70–56	Greece

Group F

Rank	Team	Pts.	W	L	PF	PA	Diff
1	United States	11	5	1	511	430	+81
2	Spain	11	5	1	431	424	+7
3	Lithuania	10	4	2	472	432	+40
4	Argentina	9	3	3	423	405	+18
5	Australia	8	2	4	432	439	−7
6	Brazil	7	1	5	399	456	−57

2 August 1998

Australia	71–61	Lithuania
Argentina	74–87	United States
Spain	73–63	Brazil

3 August 1998

Lithuania	84–75	Argentina
Brazil	63–75	Australia
United States	75–73	Spain

4 August 1998

Spain	86–80	Lithuania
Argentina	86–76	Brazil
Australia	78–96	United States

Knockout stages

	Quarter-finals				Semi-finals				Final
	7 August 1998
	Russia	82
					8 August 1998
	Lithuania	67
					Russia	66
	7 August 1998
					United States	64
	Italy	77
									9 August 1998
	United States	80
									Russia	62
	7 August 1998
									FR Yugoslavia	64
	FR Yugoslavia	70
					8 August 1998
	Argentina	62
					FR Yugoslavia	78			Third place
	7 August 1998
					Greece	73
	Greece	69							United States	84
	Spain	62							Greece	61
									9 August 1998

Classification

Fifth-to-eighth-place playoffs

	5th–8th place				5th place
	8 August 1998
	Lithuania	71
	Italy	76
					9 August 1998
					Italy	61
					Spain	64
					7th place
	8 August 1998			9 August 1998
	Argentina	64		Lithuania	77
	Spain	77			Argentina	76

Ninth-to-twelfth-place playoffs

	Ninth to twelfth				Ninth place
	7 August 1998
	Puerto Rico	64
	Brazil	76
					8 August 1998
					Brazil	75
					Australia	79
					Eleventh place
	7 August 1998			8 August 1998
	Canada	71		Puerto Rico	92
	Australia	88			Canada	81

Thirteenth-to-sixteenth-place playoffs

	Thirteenth to sixteenth				Thirteenth place
	2 August 1998
	Senegal	55
	Japan	60
					3 August 1998
					Japan	60
					Nigeria	70
					Fifteenth place
	2 August 1998			3 August 1998
	Korea	65		Senegal	75
	Nigeria	89			Korea	72

Awards

1998 World Championship Winner
FR Yugoslavia Fourth title

MVP
Dejan Bodiroga

All-Tournament Team

• Vasili Karasev
• Alberto Herreros
• Dejan Bodiroga
• Gregor Fučka
• Željko Rebrača

Top scorers

Country	Name	Ppg
	Alberto Herreros	17.9
	Mohammed Acha	17.5
	Artūras Karnišovas	17.1
	Shane Heal	17.0
	Andrew Gaze	16.8
	José "Piculín" Ortiz	16.5
	Maikeru Takahashi	16.4
	Vasili Karasev	16.1
	Seo Jang-Hoon	15.2
	Dejan Bodiroga	14.7

Final standings

Rank	Team	Record
1	FR Yugoslavia	8–1
2	Russia	7–2
3	United States	7–2
4	Greece	5–4
5	Spain	7–2
6	Italy	5–4
7	Lithuania	5–4
8	Argentina	3–6
9	Australia	5–3
10	Brazil	2–6
11	Puerto Rico	3–5
12	Canada	1–7
13	Nigeria	2–3
14	Japan	1–4
15	Senegal	1–4
16	Korea	0–5