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Basketball, Men

Date30 July – 13 August 1948
StatusOlympic
LocationHarringay Arena, Harringay, London
Participants287 from 23 countries
FormatRound-robin pools followed by single-elimination classification tournaments for places.

There were still no World Championships, and with World War II intervening, there had been very little international competition since the 1936 Olympics. Czechoslovakia had won the 1946 European Championships. South American Championships had continued during the war, with Argentina, Brazil, and Uruguay splitting several titles. The 1947 European Champion had been the Soviet Union, but they did not participate in the 1948 Olympics, so by default, the Americans were still considered the heavy favorites.

The bulk of the United States came from the University of Kentucky, which won the NCAA Championship in 1948, and would repeat in 1949. Players from several club teams that had competed in a US Trials were also chosen to make up the final US Olympic basketball team. Among these was Don Barksdale, the first black man to compete in Olympic basketball. Barksdale had previously been an AAU champion in the triple jump in 1944, and played club ball for the Oakland Bittners.

In the preliminary rounds, the US had its first close game in Olympic competition, narrowly defeating Argentina 59-57. But once thru to the classification matches, they were unmatched, winning the final over France, 65-21.

After the Olympics, several of the Kentucky Olympic basketball players, among them Alex Groza and Ralph Beard, formed a new team in the NBA, the Indianapolis Olympians, which played in the league from 1949-1953.

PosNrTeamNOCWLPtsPoints
1United StatesUSA8016524–256Gold
2FranceFRA5210331–281Silver
3BrazilBRA7114374–263Bronze
4MexicoMEX5210364–264
5UruguayURU5310369–301
6ChileCHI448391–301
7CzechoslovakiaTCH5310315–294
8Republic of KoreaKOR356364–279
9CanadaCAN6212397–313
10PeruPER448326–305
11BelgiumBEL5310312–234
12PhilippinesPHI448369–319
13CubaCUB438358–246
14IranIRI254199–366
15ArgentinaARG448325–279
16HungaryHUN356201–178
17ItalyITA448336–307
18ChinaCHN5310415–315
19EgyptEGY254245–309
20Great BritainGBR172192–423
21SwitzerlandSUI162209–323
22IraqIRQ060141–622
23IrelandIRL060103–382

Preliminary Round (31 July – 6 August 1948)

Group A (31 July – 5 August 1948)

Round-robin pool.

PosNOCWLPtsPoints
1BRA5010261–150
2URU326246–170
3CAN326222–205
4HUN326201–172
5ITA142170–208
6GBR050103–298

Match #131 JulURU 69 – 17GBR
Match #231 JulBRA 45 – 41
AET
HUN
Match #331 JulCAN 55 – 37ITA
Match #401 AugBRA 36 – 32URU
Match #501 AugCAN 44 – 24GBR
Match #601 AugHUN 32 – 19ITA
Match #702 AugBRA 76 – 11GBR
Match #802 AugHUN 37 – 36CAN
Match #903 AugURU 46 – 34ITA
Match #1004 AugITA 49 – 28GBR
Match #1104 AugURU 49 – 31HUN
Match #1204 AugBRA 57 – 35CAN
Match #1305 AugHUN 60 – 23GBR
Match #1405 AugBRA 47 – 31ITA
Match #1505 AugCAN 52 – 50URU

Group B (31 July – 6 August 1948)

Round-robin pool.

PosNOCWLPtsPoints
1CHI326269–162
2KOR326258–152
3BEL326232–155
4PHI326261–198
5CHN326281–202
6IRQ050113–545

Match #131 JulPHI 102 – 30IRQ
Match #231 JulKOR 29 – 27BEL
Match #331 JulCHI 44 – 39CHN
Match #401 AugCHI 100 – 18IRQ
Match #501 AugPHI 35 – 33KOR
Match #602 AugCHN 36 – 34BEL
Match #703 AugCHI 68 – 39PHI
Match #803 AugBEL 98 – 20IRQ
Match #903 AugCHN 49 – 48KOR
Match #1004 AugBEL 38 – 36CHI
Match #1104 AugKOR 120 – 20IRQ
Match #1204 AugPHI 51 – 32CHN
Match #1305 AugBEL 35 – 34PHI
Match #1406 AugCHN 125 – 25IRQ
Match #1506 AugKOR 28 – 21CHI

Group C (31 July – 6 August 1948)

Round-robin pool.

PosNOCWLPtsPoints
1USA5010325–167
2TCH418217–190
3ARG326246–199
4PER234198–187
5EGY142162–256
6SUI050120–269

Match #131 JulUSA 86 – 21SUI
Match #231 JulTCH 38 – 30PER
Match #301 AugARG 57 – 38EGY
Match #402 AugPER 52 – 27EGY
Match #502 AugARG 49 – 23SUI
Match #602 AugUSA 53 – 28TCH
Match #703 AugPER 49 – 19SUI
Match #803 AugUSA 59 – 57ARG
Match #903 AugTCH 52 – 38EGY
Match #1004 AugUSA 66 – 28EGY
Match #1105 AugTCH 54 – 28SUI
Match #1205 AugARG 42 – 34PER
Match #1306 AugEGY 31 – 29SUI
Match #1406 AugUSA 61 – 33PER
Match #1506 AugTCH 45 – 41ARG

Group D (1 – 6 August 1948)

Round-robin pool.

PosNOCWLPtsPoints
1MEX408234–109
2FRA316214–131
3CUB224213–131
4IRI132136–215
5IRL04070–281

Match #101 AugFRA 62 – 30IRI
Match #201 AugMEX 39 – 31CUB
Match #302 AugMEX 71 – 9IRL
Match #402 AugFRA 37 – 31CUB
Match #503 AugMEX 56 – 42FRA
Match #604 AugIRI 49 – 22IRL
Match #705 AugMEX 68 – 27IRI
Match #805 AugCUB 88 – 25IRL
Match #906 AugCUB 63 – 30IRI
Match #1006 AugFRA 73 – 14IRL

Quarter-Finals (9 August 1948)

Single-elimination.

Match #109 AugUSA 63 – 28URU
Match #209 AugMEX 43 – 32KOR
Match #309 AugFRA 53 – 52
AET
CHI
Match #409 AugBRA 28 – 23TCH

Semi-Finals (12 August 1948)

Single-elimination.

Match #112 AugUSA 71 – 40MEX
Match #212 AugFRA 43 – 33BRA

Classification Round 5-8 (11 August 1948)

Classification matches.

Match #111 AugURU 45 – 36KOR
Match #211 AugCHI 38 – 36TCH

Classification Round 9-16 (12 August 1948)

Classification matches.

Match #112 AugCAN 81 – 25IRI
Match #212 AugPER 45 – 40
AET
CUB
Match #312 AugPHI 45 – 43ARG
Match #412 AugBEL walkover

Classification Round 17-20 (12 August 1948)

Classification matches.

Match #112 AugCHN 54 – 25GBR
Match #212 AugITA 35 – 33
AET
EGY

Classification Round 21-23 (12 August 1948)

Classification matches.

Match #112 AugSUI 55 – 12IRL
Match #212 AugIRQ walkover

Classification Round 9-12 (12 August 1948)

Classification matches.

Match #112 AugCAN 45 – 40BEL
Match #212 AugPER 40 – 29PHI

Classification Round 13-16 (12 August 1948)

Classification matches.

Match #112 AugCUB 35 – 34ARG
Match #212 AugIRI walkover

Classification Round 17-23 (12 August 1948)

Classification matches.

Match #112 AugCHN 42 – 34SUI
Match #212 AugGBR 46 – 21IRL
Match #312 AugITA 77 – 28IRQ
Match #412 AugEGY bye

Final Round (11 – 13 August 1948)

Medal round.

Match 1/213 AugUSA 65 – 21FRA
Match 3/413 AugBRA 52 – 47MEX
Match 5/611 AugURU 50 – 32CHI
Match 7/811 AugTCH 39 – 38KOR
Match 9/1012 AugCAN 49 – 43PER
Match 11/1212 AugBEL 38 – 34PHI
Match 13/1412 AugARG walkover
Match 15/1612 AugCUB 70 – 36IRI
Match 17/1812 AugITA 54 – 38CHN
Match 19/2012 AugEGY 50 – 18GBR
Match 21/2212 AugSUI walkover

Rankings

Points
Scoring Average
Free Throws Made
Personal Fouls