The evolution of basketball over the years has been tremendous. This personified sport has dominated the court from the 1970s until today, and it doesn’t seem to be slowing down any time soon. In this article, we have compiled a list of the best basketball teams in the world. As of 2023, Spain is the best basketball team in the world, with 758.6 points. The United state is now ranked second and the highest achievement for the team was winning the Olympic gold medal in 1992, 1996, 2000, 2008, 2012, and 2016. Golden State Warriors is the current Champions.
The United States of America is one of the only four nations to win the men’s or women’s tournament at least five times. The US men’s national basketball team had its first international success at the 1948 Summer Olympics, holding France to an 8-point lead before losing in overtime. Furthermore, in their first Olympic appearance since 1960, the American men went undefeated (8-0).
1. Spain
The Spanish basketball team has won two silver medals in the Summer Olympic Games (Los Angeles 1984 and Barcelona 1992), and one silver medal in the World Championship (Puerto Rico 2014). They also won four silver medals in European Championships (Paris 1949, Moscow 1951, Belgrade 1975, and Istanbul 2011), three bronze medals in Eurobasket, and four gold medals at the Mediterranean Games. Spain has also been runner-up at the FIBA Basketball World Cup on two occasions (1994 and 2006), being the only national team to have lost both finals on their home soil.
The Spanish basketball team’s first success initially came at the EuroBasket 1935 held by Switzerland, where they finished second. They followed that by winning the bronze medal at EuroBasket 1939. Furthermore, Spain qualified for five consecutive Olympic Games between 1984 and 2000.
2. The USA
The USA is currently the most successful team in international competition. They won medals in all eighteen Olympic tournaments it has entered, also including fifteen golds. In the professional era, the team won the Olympic gold medal in 1992, 1996, 2000, 2008, 2012, and also 2016. Two of its gold medal-winning teams were inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in August 2010 (the 1960 team and also the 1992 “Dream Team”). The team is ranked first in the FIBA World Rankings.
USA Basketball is also a member of FIBA (International Basketball Federation) and qualifies for FIBA AmeriCup, and FIBA World Cup play. Since 1950, the USA men competed in the Olympics and won gold at 14 Olympics, including seven consecutive medals from 1936 to 1968.
3. Australia
The Australian men’s national basketball team is also known as the Boomers. The team is named after the kangaroo, the national animal of Australia, and is an informal term for a male kangaroo. Since 1994, Australia has qualified for every FIBA World Cup. However, with their win against Lithuania in the 2016 Olympics, they achieved their best result in an official FIBA tournament by finishing 5th. Australia is also a member of the International Federation of Basketball and competes in FIBA’s Asia zone.
They are one of the strongest teams in the Oceania region behind New Zealand. They were also champions at the 2015 FIBA Oceania Championship and runners-up to New Zealand at the 2011 Championship. The Boomers won a silver medal at the Melbourne 2006 Commonwealth Games (their first medal since 1986), defeating New Zealand in the semi-finals. The Boomers women’s team also won a gold medal at the 2010 FIBA World Championship.
4. Argentina
Argentina has always been one of the powerhouses of world basketball. Argentina won 17 medals at the FIBA World Cup (two golds, eight silvers, and seven bronzes). They also won 13 South American Basketball Championships (including 8 of the last 9). The national team debuted at the 1948 Summer Olympics held in London, where they eventually finished 7th. At the 1952 Summer Olympics held in Helsinki, Argentina took 4th place. In addition, at the 1956 Summer Olympic Games in Melbourne, Argentina finished 2nd after defeating France 65-50 in the medal game to win their first Olympic medal. Also, the following 1960 Summer Olympic Games held in Rome saw Argentina take 5th place.
5. France
The French national basketball team has won two silver medals at the Summer Olympics (2000, 1948), one silver medal at the FIBA World Cup (2014), and also two silver medals at the EuroBasket (2011, 2013). They also won a Gold medal at the Mediterranean Games (2013) and one bronze medal at the FIBA Africa Championship. The French team finished 4th in 2006 and 2008 but did not qualify for the 2012 and 2016 Summer Olympics.
In 2009, France won its first title in almost 20 years at EuroBasket 2009. France is placed fourth in the FIBA World Rankings. France defeated Serbia on September 14, 2013, by 98–66, which gave them a qualifying spot for the 2014 FIBA Basketball World Cup. Furthermore, at EuroBasket 2015, France became champions and qualified for the 2016 Rio Olympics by beating Lithuania by 80–66 in the gold-medal game.
6. Serbia
Serbia is currently ranked 6th in the FIBA World Rankings. The national team won a silver medal at the 2000 Sydney Olympics after defeating the United States team 95–69 in the tournament’s semifinal. They also won the FIBA World Cup in 1998. The national team also won five European Championships (five consecutive from 2001 to 2009), three FIBA World Championships (1998, 2002, and 2010), and one Olympic silver medal (1996). They also won an Olympic bronze medal (2016), and one FIBA Diamond Ball (2009). Furthermore, their total gold medal count at the Olympics and World Cups are two gold medals, while their total gold medal count at the EuroBasket stands at five.
7. Slovenia
Since gaining independence from Yugoslavia, Slovenia has played 12 Summer Olympic Games. One FIBA World Championship, and also three EuroBasket (the highest finish being fourth in the 1995 edition). Slovenia’s best performance was in 2009 when they won the Eurobasket championship for the first time.
Slovenia’s men’s national basketball team has participated in 12 Summer Olympics games. With a decade-long streak from 1992 until 2012, it is one of the few teams to be qualified for every Olympic tournament since 1996. Its best result was in Atlanta in 1996 when it finished fourth. They tied with Croatia, Lithuania, and Russia. Slovenia also won a bronze medal at the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens, beating Puerto Rico 90–68.
Top 100 best basketball teams in the world: FIBA World Rankings
| Rank | Country | Points |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | USA | 760.7 |
| 2 | Spain | 758.9 |
| 3 | Australia | 741.1 |
| 4 | Argentina | 736.1 |
| 5 | France | 712.9 |
| 6 | Serbia | 711.5 |
| 7 | Slovenia | 703.5 |
| 8 | Lithuania | 673.7 |
| 9 | Greece | 670.8 |
| 10 | Italy | 647.6 |
| 11 | Germany | 640.6 |
| 12 | Czech Republic | 597.7 |
| 13 | Poland | 589.9 |
| 14 | Brazil | 574.6 |
| 15 | Canada | 559.3 |
| 16 | Turkey | 516.3 |
| 17 | Venezuela | 516.3 |
| 18 | Montenegro | 500.6 |
| 19 | Nigeria | 460.1 |
| 20 | Tunisia | 447.5 |
| 21 | Iran | 445.4 |
| 22 | Puerto Rico | 439.2 |
| 23 | Croatia | 436.7 |
| 24 | New Zealand | 427.5 |
| 25 | Finland | 425 |
| 26 | Dominican Republic | 424.4 |
| 27 | China | 398.8 |
| 28 | Ukraine | 387.8 |
| 29 | Belgium | 377.1 |
| 30 | Latvia | 375.3 |
| 31 | Mexico | 354.1 |
| 32 | Georgia | 337.4 |
| 33 | Israel | 332.7 |
| 34 | Korea | 332.1 |
| 35 | Jordan | 331.5 |
| 36 | Senegal | 329.9 |
| 37 | Bosnia and Herzegovina | 326.1 |
| 38 | Japan | 317.7 |
| 39 | Angola | 310.6 |
| 40 | Hungary | 310 |
| 41 | Philippines | 306.4 |
| 42 | Cote d’Ivoire | 306.2 |
| 43 | Lebanon | 299 |
| 44 | Estonia | 282.1 |
| 45 | Uruguay | 277.4 |
| 46 | Netherlands | 276.2 |
| 47 | Bulgaria | 269.3 |
| 48 | Great Britain | 265.4 |
| 49 | Iceland | 250.1 |
| 50 | Sweden | 234.9 |
| 51 | Panama | 233.9 |
| 52 | Colombia | 203.8 |
| 53 | North Macedonia | 195.3 |
| 54 | Portugal | 194.5 |
| 55 | Egypt | 194.2 |
| 56 | Virgin Islands | 192.5 |
| 57 | Switzerland | 179.7 |
| 58 | Denmark | 179.7 |
| 59 | Romania | 179.7 |
| 60 | Bahamas | 178.8 |
| 61 | Austria | 168.7 |
| 62 | Slovakia | 161.3 |
| 63 | South Sudan | 160.2 |
| 64 | Chile | 158.5 |
| 65 | Kazakhstan | 151.9 |
| 66 | Cape Verde | 148.8 |
| 67 | Cameroon | 146 |
| 68 | Chinese Taipei | 144.5 |
| 69 | Cuba | 143.7 |
| 70 | Syria | 140.4 |
| 71 | Congo DR | 139.4 |
| 72 | Mali | 135.9 |
| 73 | Saudi Arabia | 133.9 |
| 74 | Uganda | 133.7 |
| 75 | Central African Rep. | 131.8 |
| 76 | Luxembourg | 131.3 |
| 77 | Morocco | 124.4 |
| 78 | Paraguay | 124.3 |
| 79 | Kosovo | 123.6 |
| 80 | Indonesia | 121.6 |
| 81 | Guinea | 118 |
| 82 | Cyprus | 117.9 |
| 83 | Rwanda | 117.9 |
| 84 | Norway | 117 |
| 85 | India | 116.9 |
| 86 | Bahrain | 116.5 |
| 87 | Guam | 116 |
| 88 | Armenia | 115.2 |
| 89 | Qatar | 113.9 |
| 90 | Iraq | 110.8 |
| 91 | Palestine | 108.6 |
| 92 | Costa Rica | 100.9 |
| 93 | Tahiti | 100.6 |
| 94 | Kenya | 100.2 |
| 95 | Ireland | 97.3 |
| 96 | Nicaragua | 96.6 |
| 97 | Mozambique | 94 |
| 98 | Andorra | 92.8 |
| 99 | Albania | 91.9 |
| 100 | Barbados | 89.1 |
Read also: the best Lakers players of all time.
Conclusion
So here is the article on the best basketball teams in the world right now. Also, please let us know your thoughts in the comments. The source for the information is FIBA Basketball. This topic is subject to change, therefore our website www.beginbasketball.com does not claim that the information is accurate.
