FIBA Asia Cup explained

FIBA Asia Cup
Formerly:	FIBA Asia Championship ABC Championship
Current Season:	2025 FIBA Asia Cup qualification
Sport:	Basketball
Inaugural:	1960
Teams:	16
Country:	Asia and Oceania
Champion:	(2nd title)
Most Champs:	(16 titles)
Website:	FIBA Asia
Related Comps:	FIBA Women's Asia Cup

The FIBA Asia Cup (formerly the FIBA Asia Championship and ABC Championship) is an international basketball tournament which takes place every four years between the men's national teams of Asia and Oceania.

Through the 2015 edition, the tournament took place every two years and was also a qualifying tournament for the FIBA World Cup and the Olympic basketball tournament. However, since 2017, the tournament was renamed the FIBA Asia Cup and now includes teams from FIBA Oceania. Also, it was the first to be played on a new four-year cycle, and is no longer a part of the qualifying process for the World Cup or the Olympics.^[1] ^[2]

History

Beginnings: Philippines/Japan dominance

The Asian Basketball Confederation (ABC) Championship was inaugurated in Manila in 1960. The championship was held to find Asia's best team and for qualification to the World Championship and the Olympics. On the next four tournaments, the Philippines won 3 with the Japanese beating the Filipinos in 1965. Korea, Japan and the Philippines split the next 3 championships until China debuted in 1975 at Bangkok with the championship, where they have dominated for 40 years.

Chinese dominance

Right after the Philippines had started sending amateur players when the Philippine Basketball Association was established in 1975 as the first professional basketball league in Asia and therefore not allowed to lend the country's best players, China emerged as the new dominant country in Asian basketball.

From 1975 to 2007, there were only two instances where China did not win the championship. In 1985, the Philippines defeated a full-strength Chinese team, which were by then five-time defending champions, in the championship round. The Chinese then won every game in the championship until 1997, where they to lost to South Korea in the semi-finals where they complained about the climate in Riyadh. The Koreans beat the Japanese in the final, but the Chinese would then start a championship streak of four tournaments, led by Yao Ming.

Renaming

By 2005, the tournament had been renamed as the FIBA Asia Championship; in that year's tournament in Doha, the Chinese easily won against the Lebanese in the final. During the 2007 championship, the Chinese did not send their "A" team since they had already qualified to the Olympics by virtue of hosting it. In this championship, West Asian teams started to compete with the traditional East Asian powers, as evidenced of an all-West Asian final when Iran defeated Lebanon. In 2009, Iran defeated the Chinese team A in the 2009 final to become only the 3rd team to successfully defend the championship. The 2009 championship started a streak of finals contested between a team from the Middle East and a team from the Far East; in 2011, Iran was eliminated by Jordan in the quarterfinals, which would then lose to hosts China by one point in the final. The 2013 championship would be the first to be hosted outside East Asia since 2005 in the Philippines, the hosts, emerged as finalists; China had been eliminated by Chinese Taipei in the quarterfinals, which were then defeated by the Iranians, who then beat the Filipinos in the Final.

Removal of qualification status

As FIBA implemented a new cycle and tournament format, the 2013 FIBA Asia Championship held in Manila and the 2015 FIBA Asia Championship held in Changsha were the last Asian Championships to serve as qualification to either the FIBA Basketball World Cup and the Olympic Games, respectively.The 2017 FIBA Asia Championship marked firsts and lasts for the Asian Championship, as it was the first Asian Championship as a standalone tournament, meaning it did not serve as the qualifier for either the Basketball World Cup or the Olympic Games. The 2017 tournament was the last Asian Championships to be ever held under a 2-year cycle. After 2017, the Asian Championships and the FIBA Oceania Championship merged into a tournament to be known as the FIBA Asia Cup. It was held every 4 years like the EuroBasket, AfroBasket and AmeriCup, which are held 2 years before/after the FIBA World Cup.

Qualification

Qualification is via the different FIBA Asia subzones. The East, Gulf, Southeast and West subzones receive two berths each, while the Central and South zones get one each. The host and the champion from the preceding FIBA Asia Cup also get a berth each. Each subzone conducts a qualification tournament up to a year before the championship to determine the qualifying teams. The other four berths are distributed to the subzones in reference to their performance in the previous year's FIBA Asia Cup, with the subzone receiving an extra berth for each team in the top four excluding the champion and the host.

Tournament format

There had been a variety of tournament formats used before. Most were similar to the format of two group stages and a knockout stage. The current format, as first applied in 2017, is a multistage tournament. The 16 teams are grouped in four groups in the preliminary round. The teams play against each other once; the top team will directly advance to the quarterfinals, and the second placed teams will play an elimination game between the third placed team of another group. The four winning teams of the elimination games will advance to the quarterfinals. After the elimination games, the knock-out phase will follow.

The classification games will be conducted as follows:

13–16th place games are for the teams eliminated from the group phase.
The 9th to 12th place games are for the losing teams of the elimination games.
The 5–8th place games are for the eliminated teams in the quarterfinals.

Summary

Year	Host	width=1% rowspan=33 bgcolor=ffffff		Final			width=1% rowspan=33 bgcolor=ffffff		Third place Game
width=15%	Champion	width=9%	Score	width=15%	Second place	width=15%	Third place	width=9%	Score	width=15%	Fourth place
1960 Details	Manila		No playoffs			No playoffs
1963 Details	Taipei		91–77			No playoffs
1965 Details	Kuala Lumpur		No playoffs			No playoffs
1967 Details	Seoul		No playoffs			No playoffs
1969 Details	Bangkok		No playoffs			No playoffs
1971 Details	Tokyo		No playoffs			No playoffs
1973 Details	Manila		No playoffs			No playoffs
1975 Details	Bangkok		No playoffs			No playoffs
1977 Details	Kuala Lumpur		No playoffs			No playoffs
1979 Details	Nagoya		No playoffs			No playoffs
1981 Details	Kolkata		No playoffs			No playoffs
1983 Details	Hong Kong		95–71			83–60
1985 Details	Kuala Lumpur		No playoffs			No playoffs
1987 Details	Bangkok		86–79 OT			89–75
1989 Details	Beijing		102–72			69–58
1991 Details	Kobe		104–88			63–60
1993 Details	Jakarta		93–72			86–70
1995 Details	Seoul		87–78			69–63
1997 Details	Riyadh		78–76			94–68
1999 Details	Fukuoka		63–45			93–67
2001 Details	Shanghai		97–63			95–94 OT
2003 Details	Harbin		106–96			77–67
2005 Details	Doha		77–61			89–77
2007 Details	Tokushima		74–69			80–76
2009 Details	Tianjin		70–52			80–66
2011 Details	Wuhan		70–69			70–68
2013 Details	Manila		85–71			75–57
2015 Details	Changsha		78–67			68–63
2017 Details	Zouk Mikael		79–56			80–71
2022 Details	Jakarta		75–73			83–75
2025 Details	Jeddah

Tournament awards

Most recent award winners (2022)

See main article: FIBA Asia Cup Most Valuable Player and FIBA Asia Cup All-Tournament Team.

Year	Player	Position
2022	Wael Arakji	Point guard
	Mitch McCarron	Shooting guard
	Tohi Smith-Milner	Power forward
	Thon Maker	Power forward/center
		Center

Tournament leaders

Minimum of five games played (GP).

All-time

Highest scoring averages

Rank	Player	GP	Pts	PPG	Tournaments
1		11	314	28.5	2007, 2017
2		8	179	22.4	2015
3		7	156	22.3	2003
4		39	860	22.1	2001, 2005, 2007, 2009, 2017
5		8	172	21.5	2015
6		10	212	21.2	2017, 2022
7		14	290	20.7	2003, 2005
8	A. Mohamad	7	139	19.9	2003
9	K. Satiyseelan	7	138	19.7	2003
10	Rasheim Wright	26	504	19.4	2007, 2009, 2011

Cumulative top scorers

Rank	GP	Pts	PPG
1	39	860	22.1
2	60	855	14.3
3	44	615	14.0
4	36	551	15.3
5	43	548	12.7
6	50	523	10.5
7	26	504	19.4
8	45	487	10.8
9	34	472	13.9
10	41	467	11.4

Per tournament

Points

Year	Player	GP	Pts	PPG
2007		7	232	33.1
2007	Fadi El Khatib	8	218	27.3
2009		9	186	20.7
2011		9	197	21.9
2013		9	169	18.8
2017		7	181	25.9
2015		8	179	22.4

Rebounds

Year	GP	Reb	RPG
2007	7	74	10.6
2009	9	118	13.1
2011	9	110	12.2
2013	9	90	10.0
2015	8	101	12.6
2017	6	65	10.8

Assists

Year	GP	Ast	APG
2007	7	28	4.0
2009	9	43	4.8
2011	5	32	6.4
2013	9	59	6.6
2015	8	48	6.0
2017	6	39	6.5

Participating nations

20th century

width=170	Nation																				1999
										12th	12th				13th		15th			10th	12th
										13th					15th		18th		15th
								bgcolor=gold	1st	bgcolor=gold	1st	bgcolor=gold	1st	bgcolor=gold	1st	bgcolor=gold	1st	3rd	bgcolor=gold	1st	1st	bgcolor=gold	1st	bgcolor=gold	1st	bgcolor=gold	1st	3rd	bgcolor=gold	1st
	bgcolor=silver	2nd	2nd	5th	5th	4th	4th	3rd						6th	5th	3rd	4th	5th	4th	6th	4th
	5th	6th	8th	9th	9th	9th	11th	9th	10th	11th	10th	7th	13th	14th	13th	11th	13th	15th	14th	13th
			7th	6th	5th	6th	6th	4th	7th	5th	5th	6th	10th	6th	6th	13th		13th	11th
	6th			4th			8th	10th	13th			12th	11th	12th	14th	14th	12th	18th	12th
							5th				8th	5th	8th		5th	6th	4th	10th	8th
									6th	8th				9th
	3rd		bgcolor=gold	1st	3rd	bgcolor=silver	2nd	1st	4th	bgcolor=silver	2nd	3rd	2nd	3rd	bgcolor=silver	2nd	5th	3rd	4th	3rd	7th	3rd	bgcolor=silver	2nd	5th
												8th	9th	10th		8th	9th	17th	7th
																		5th	13th
								12th				4th				12th	10th	11th		6th
																		8th
																				7th
												15th		15th
	7th	5th	6th	8th	7th	5th	9th	8th	4th	7th	6th	11th	4th	7th	9th	17th	14th	14th		15th
																5th	bgcolor=silver	2nd
					8th		12th	11th	9th	6th	9th	13th	14th		10th		17th
	1st	bgcolor=gold	1st	bgcolor=silver	2nd	bgcolor=gold	1st	3rd	bgcolor=silver	2nd	1st	5th	5th	4th	4th	9th	bgcolor=gold	1st	4th	8th	7th	11th	12th	9th	11th
																16th
															7th	9th	6th	6th	4th	3rd
		7th	9th	10th		8th	10th	7th	11th	10th	11th	14th	12th	11th	11th	10th	16th
	4th	3rd	3rd	2nd	bgcolor=gold	1st	3rd	bgcolor=silver	2nd	3rd	bgcolor=silver	2nd	3rd	bgcolor=silver	2nd	3rd	bgcolor=silver	2nd	bgcolor=silver	2nd	bgcolor=silver	2nd	bgcolor=silver	2nd	3rd	2nd	bgcolor=gold	1st	bgcolor=silver	2nd
								13th	14th		12th		15th			18th		19th
																				8th
		4th	4th	7th	6th	7th	7th	6th	8th	9th	7th	10th	7th	8th	12th		15th	16th		14th
																	8th	9th	5th	10th
																		7th		9th
		8th	10th
Total	7	8	10	10	9	9	12	13	14	13	12	15	15	15	15	18	18	19	15	15

21st century

width=170	Nation												Years
									bgcolor=gold	1st	bgcolor=gold	1st		2
						15th	12th			13th		9
												4
	1st	1st	bgcolor=gold	1st	10th	2nd	1st	5th	1st	5th	8th		23
	7th	11th	9th	6th	5th	8th	4th	13th	12th	10th		25
	11th	13th	15th	13th			10th	12th	15th			27
	8th	8th	12th	15th	13th	14th	11th	8th	14th	16th		26
			14th	12th	15th	13th				11th		18
		5th	6th	bgcolor=gold	1st	bgcolor=gold	1st	5th	bgcolor=gold	1st	3rd	bgcolor=silver	2nd	5th	18
									11th			4
	6th	6th	5th	8th	10th	7th	9th	4th	9th	7th		29
		10th	7th	5th	3rd	bgcolor=silver	2nd	7th	9th	8th	4th		16
		7th	10th	4th	9th		8th	11th	16th	15th		10
	12th	12th	13th	14th	11th			14th				12
												1
	bgcolor=silver	2nd	4th	bgcolor=silver	2nd	bgcolor=silver	2nd	4th	6th		5th	6th	bgcolor=silver	2nd	10
												2
		16th	16th			11th	15th	16th				24
									4th	3rd		2
												2
												10
								10th				1
		15th		9th	8th	4th	2nd	bgcolor=silver	2nd	7th	9th		28
	5th	3rd	3rd	7th	6th	16th	6th	7th	13th			10
			8th				13th			14th	Q	10
	14th							15th				17
	3rd	bgcolor=silver	2nd	4th	3rd	7th	3rd	3rd	6th	3rd	6th		30
					16th							7
	4th	9th		11th		9th			10th	12th		7
	13th						14th					19
	10th			16th	12th	10th						8
	9th	14th	11th		14th	12th						7
												2
Total	14	16	16	16	16	16	15	16	16	16	16

Debut of teams

A total of 33 national teams have appeared in at least one FIBA Asia Cup in the history of the tournament through the 2025 competition. Each successive Asia Cup has had at least one team appearing for the first time. Countries competing in their first Asia Cup are listed below by year.

Year	Number
valign=top	,,,,,,	7
valign=top	,	10
valign=top		11
valign=top	None	11
valign=top		12
valign=top	None	12
valign=top		13
valign=top	,,	16
valign=top	,	18
valign=top		19
valign=top	None	19
valign=top	,	21
valign=top	None	21
valign=top	None	21
valign=top		22
valign=top	,	24
valign=top		25
valign=top	,,	28
valign=top	None	28
valign=top	,	30
valign=top	None	30
valign=top	None	30
valign=top	None	30
valign=top	None	30
valign=top	None	30
valign=top	None	30
valign=top	None	30
valign=top		31
valign=top	,	33
valign=top	None	33
valign=top	TBD	33
Total	33

General statistics

All-time statistics, as of the 2022 FIBA Asia Cup.

width=200	Team	width=70		width=70	Won	width=70	Lost	width=70	Pct.
	12	12	0
	62	20	42
	25	0	25
	179	163	16
	192	115	77
	194	53	141
	178	71	107
	120	33	87
	134	90	44
	29	14	15
	221	146	75
	119	63	56
	67	28	39
	84	29	55
	8	3	5
	79	49	30
	12	0	12
	175	59	116
	13	8	5
	14	10	4
	73	21	52
	8	4	4
	215	141	74
	72	36	36
	60	29	31
	127	36	91
	240	185	55
	46	0	46
	43	17	26
	145	57	88
	56	22	34
	45	17	28
	17	1	16

Notes and References

Web site: Etchells. Daniel. Holders China learn group-stage opponents for 2017 FIBA Asia Cup. Inside the Games. 18 August 2023. 2 June 2017.
Web site: Beltran. Nelson. 'Stand-alone' FIBA Asia Cup crowns continental champ. The Philippine Star. 18 August 2023. 31 May 2017.