The 1951 FIBA EuroBasket set a record with 18 national teams competing, more than double the 1949 field, marking a major expansion of European basketball.
Key Facts
- Edition
- 7th FIBA EuroBasket
- Participating nations
- 18 teams
- Matches played
- 73 matches
- Walkovers
- 3 (Romania withdrew after draw)
- Host venue
- Vélodrome d'hiver, Paris
- Host nation
- France (runner-up at EuroBasket 1949)
By the Numbers
Location
Cause → Event → Consequence
France earned hosting rights after finishing second at EuroBasket 1949, where Egypt had served as host. Growing FIBA membership across Europe drove record participation, with 18 nations entering — more than twice the number that had competed two years prior.
The 1951 FIBA EuroBasket was held at the Vélodrome d'hiver in Paris, France. Eighteen national teams contested 73 matches across the tournament. Romania's withdrawal after the draw resulted in three walkovers, slightly reducing the number of played contests.
The tournament established a new participation record for the championship, reflecting the rapid postwar growth of organized basketball across Europe and demonstrating FIBA's increasing reach as the sport's governing body on the continent.