The 1963 FIBA World Championship was the 4th FIBA World Championship, the international basketball world championship for men's national teams. The competition was hosted by Brazil from 12 to 25 May 1963.

The Philippines was originally awarded the right to host the tournament, but FIBA rescinded this after the Filipino immigration officials refused to grant visas to players from communist countries.

Brazil, the defending champion and a previous host, re-hosted the championship from 12 to 25 May 1963, and won the first back-to-back title with just six games, having been seeded and entering the well-rested team in the final round only.

Background

The Philippines was supposed to host the FIBA World Championship in 1962 but FIBA revoked hosting rights after the government of then President Diosdado Macapagal, refused to grant visas to players and officials of socialists countries including Yugoslavia and the Soviet Union. A smaller tournament, the Spalding Invitation Tournament was held in the Philippines in its place.

The FIBA World Championship was held in 1963 in Brazil.

Competing nations

EventDateLocationBerthsQualified
Original host nation0Philippines
1959 FIBA World Championship / host nation16–31 January 1959Chile Chile1Brazil
1960 Summer Olympics26 August–10 September 1960Italy Rome1United States
EuroBasket 196129 April–8 May 1961Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia Beograd3Soviet Union Yugoslavia France
South American Basketball Championship 196120–30 April 1961Brazil Rio de Janeiro3Peru Uruguay Argentina
Wild cards5Canada Mexico Puerto Rico Italy Japan

Competition format

  • Preliminary round: Three groups of four teams play each other once; top two teams progress to the final round, bottom two teams relegated to classification round.
  • Classification round: All bottom two teams from preliminary round group play each other once. The team with the best record is ranked eighth; the worst is ranked 13th.
  • Final round: All top two teams from preliminary round group, the 1960 Olympic champion, and the host team play each other once. The team with the best record wins the championship.

Preliminary round

Group A

PosTeamPldWLPFPAPDPtsQualification
1Soviet Union330222177+456Final round
2France321200181+195
3Uruguay312195214−194Classification round
4Canada303158203−453
12 May
France64–54Uruguay
Scoring by half: 19-25, 45-29
Belo Horizonte
12 May
Soviet Union58–45Canada
Scoring by half: 27-24, 31-21
Belo Horizonte
13 May
Canada56–66Uruguay
Scoring by half: 27-25, 29-41
Belo Horizonte
13 May
France57–70Soviet Union
Scoring by half: 30-28, 27-42
Belo Horizonte
14 May
Canada57–79France
Scoring by half: 25-28, 32-51
Belo Horizonte
14 May
Uruguay75–94Soviet Union
Scoring by half: 30-39, 45-55
Belo Horizonte

Group B

PosTeamPldWLPFPAPDPtsQualification
1Yugoslavia330262208+546Final round
2Puerto Rico321234212+225
3Japan312198231−334Classification round
4Peru303181224−433
12 May
Yugoslavia84–67Peru
Scoring by half: 30-42, 54-25
Curitiba
12 May
Puerto Rico86–65Japan
Scoring by half: 33-33, 53-32
Curitiba
13 May
Puerto Rico70–64Peru
Scoring by half: 45-33, 25-31
Curitiba
13 May
Japan63–95Yugoslavia
Scoring by half: 24-37, 39-58
Curitiba
14 May
Peru50–70Japan
Scoring by half: 17-41, 33-29
Curitiba
14 May
Puerto Rico78–83Yugoslavia
Scoring by half: 35-42, 43-41
Curitiba

Group C

PosTeamPldWLPFPAPDPtsQualification
1United States330256202+546Final round
2Italy321258242+165
3Mexico312240260−204Classification round
4Argentina303206256−503
12 May
United States88–74Mexico
Scoring by half: 41-42, 47-32
Ginásio do Ibirapuera, São Paulo
12 May
Italy91–73Argentina
Scoring by half: 42-34, 49-39
Ginásio do Ibirapuera, São Paulo
13 May
Mexico82–90Italy
Scoring by half: 44-36, 38-54
Ginásio do Ibirapuera, São Paulo
13 May
Argentina51–81United States
Scoring by half: 26-43, 25-38
Ginásio do Ibirapuera, São Paulo
14 May
Mexico84–82Argentina
Scoring by half: 42-53, 42-29
Ginásio do Ibirapuera, São Paulo
14 May
United States87–77Italy
Scoring by half: 42-34, 45-43
Ginásio do Ibirapuera, São Paulo

Classification round

PosTeamPldWLPFPAPDPts
8Argentina541449414+359
9Mexico532389364+258
10Uruguay532376372+48
11Canada532365375−108
12Peru523362367−57
13Japan505377426−495
16 May
Argentina88–86Mexico
Scoring by half: 41-40, 47-46
Petrópolis
16 May
Peru66–59 (OT)Canada
Scoring by half: 32-24, 20-28 Overtime: 14-7
Petropolis
17 May
Japan63–79Uruguay
Scoring by half: 30-42, 33-37
Petropolis
17 May
Peru57–72Mexico
Scoring by half: 27-34, 30-38
Petropolis
18 May
Argentina103–85Japan
Scoring by half: 58-39, 45-46
Petropolis
18 May
Canada73–71Uruguay
Scoring by half: 34-30, 39-41
Petropolis
19 May
Peru66–67Uruguay
Scoring by half: 34-29, 32-38
Petropolis
20 May
Canada82–77Argentina
Scoring by half: 51-34, 31-43
Petropolis
20 May
Mexico71–70Japan
Scoring by half: 35-36, 36-34
Petropolis
21 May
Peru95–85Japan
Scoring by half: 53-46, 42-39
Petropolis
21 May
Argentina97–83Uruguay
Scoring by half: 46-45, 51-38
Petropolis
22 May
Peru78–84 (OT)Argentina
Scoring by half: 38-36, 37-39 Overtime: 3-9
Petropolis
22 May
Mexico87–73Canada
Scoring by half: 38-32, 49-41
Petropolis
23 May
Japan74–78Canada
Scoring by half: 41-42, 33-36
Petropolis
23 May
Uruguay76–73Mexico
Scoring by half: 42-33, 34-40
Petropolis

Final round

Yugoslavia's Radivoj Korać versus the USA's Ed Smallwood in the Final round. Yugoslavia won 75–73.
PosTeamPldWLPFPAPDPts
1Brazil (C, H)660485411+7412
2Yugoslavia651472424+4811
3Soviet Union642426399+2710
4United States633498433+659
5France624369438−698
6Puerto Rico615366426−607
7Italy606407492−856
16 May
Soviet Union58–48France
Scoring by half: 25-23, 33-25
Ginásio do Maracanãzinho, Rio de Janeiro
16 May
United States73–75Yugoslavia
Scoring by half: 32-30, 41-45
Ginásio do Maracanãzinho, Rio de Janeiro
16 May
Brazil62–55Puerto Rico
Scoring by half: 25-27, 37-28
Ginásio do Maracanãzinho, Rio de Janeiro
17 May
Yugoslavia73–57Puerto Rico
Scoring by half: 34-32, 39-25
Ginásio do Maracanãzinho, Rio de Janeiro
17 May
United States81–61France
Scoring by half: 36-35, 45-26
Ginásio do Maracanãzinho, Rio de Janeiro
17 May
Brazil81–62Italy
Scoring by half: 40-24, 41-38
Ginásio do Maracanãzinho, Rio de Janeiro
18 May
Puerto Rico60–67France
Scoring by half: 27-28, 33-39
Ginásio do Maracanãzinho, Rio de Janeiro
18 May
Yugoslavia85–74Italy
Scoring by half: 34-36, 51-38
Ginásio do Maracanãzinho, Rio de Janeiro
18 May
United States74–75Soviet Union
Scoring by half: 40-34, 34-41
Ginásio do Maracanãzinho, Rio de Janeiro
20 May
France67–63Italy
Scoring by half: 30-24, 37-39
Ginásio do Maracanãzinho, Rio de Janeiro
20 May
Yugoslavia71–90Brazil
Scoring by half: 27-51, 44-39
Ginásio do Maracanãzinho, Rio de Janeiro
21 May
Puerto Rico55–64Soviet Union
Scoring by half: 18-29, 37-35
Ginásio do Maracanãzinho, Rio de Janeiro
21 May
France63–77Brazil
Scoring by half: 31-38, 32-39
Ginásio do Maracanãzinho, Rio de Janeiro
22 May
Italy63–83Soviet Union
Scoring by half: 28-48, 35-35
Ginásio do Maracanãzinho, Rio de Janeiro
22 May
Puerto Rico64–88United States
Scoring by half: 26-33, 38-55
Ginásio do Maracanãzinho, Rio de Janeiro
23 May
Italy73–101United States
Scoring by half: 28-59, 45-42
Ginásio do Maracanãzinho, Rio de Janeiro
23 May
Soviet Union79–90Brazil
Scoring by half: 42-43, 37-47
Ginásio do Maracanãzinho, Rio de Janeiro
24 May
Italy72–75Puerto Rico
Scoring by half: 31-42, 41-33
Ginásio do Maracanãzinho, Rio de Janeiro
24 May
France63–99Yugoslavia
Scoring by half: 33-46, 30-53
Ginásio do Maracanãzinho, Rio de Janeiro
25 May
Soviet Union67–69Yugoslavia
Scoring by half: 28-34, 39-35
Ginásio do Maracanãzinho, Rio de Janeiro
25 May
Brazil85–81United States
Scoring by half: 39-39, 46-42
Ginásio do Maracanãzinho, Rio de Janeiro

Awards

1963 World Championship winner
Brazil Second title
Most Valuable Player
Brazil Wlamir Marques

Final standings

RankTeamRecord
1Brazil6–0
2Yugoslavia8–1
3Soviet Union7–2
4United States6–3
5France4–5
6Puerto Rico3–6
7Italy2–7
8Argentina4–4
9Mexico4–4
10Uruguay4–4
11Canada3–5
12Peru2–6
13Japan1–7
PhilippinesSuspended

All-Tournament Team

Top scorers (ppg)

  1. Ricardo Duarte (Peru) 23.1
  2. Aleksander Petrov (USSR) 17.6
  3. Luis Enrique Grajeda (Mexico) 17.5
  4. Radivoj Korać (Yugoslavia) 16.8
  5. Maxime Dorigo (France) 16.8
  6. Alfredo Tulli (Argentina) 16.1
  7. Alberto Desimone (Argentina) 16
  8. Rafael Valle (Puerto Rico) 15.8
  9. Nemanja Đurić (Yugoslavia) 14.6
  10. Paolo Vittori (Italy) 14.3

External links