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Basketball, Men

Date14 July – 2 August 1952
StatusOlympic
LocationMessuhalli II, Helsinki / Tennispalatsi, Helsinki
Participants294 from 23 countries
FormatRound-robin pools advanced teams to classification matches.

In 1950, FIBA introduced the World Championships, and the first championship was won by Argentina, defeating the United States, which finished second. It was quite an upset, made more so by the fact that Argentina was not considered the best team in South America, that being Uruguay, which had won the South American Championships in 1947 and 1949. American dominance was also threatened by the presence of the Soviet Union, which competed in the Olympics for the first time in 1952. They had been European Champions in 1947 and 1951, not competing in 1949, when the title was oddly won by Egypt.

The US team was made up of seven players from the NCAA Champions, the University of Kansas, five players from the Peoria Caterpillar team, which won the final US Trials, and two players from the Phillips Petroleum team. The star of the US team was the 7-foot center from the Phillips team, Bob Kurland, who was responsible for the rules being changed to prevent goaltending, and the enlargement of the lane from 6 feet to 12 feet. He was assisted by Clyde Lovellette of the University of Kansas. Lovellette had a long NBA career and became the first player ever to play on NCAA, Olympic, and NBA Champion teams.

In the semi-final pools, the USA played the Soviet Union and dispatched them easily, 86-58. But they met again in the finals, and the USSR responded by stalling to hold down the score. The score was only 17-15 at halftime, but the USA pulled away in the second half to win 36-25.

PosNrTeamNOCWLPtsPoints
1United StatesUSA8016562–406Gold
2Soviet UnionURS6212468–431Silver
3UruguayURU5310486–471Bronze
4ArgentinaARG5310600–523
5ChileCHI448447–508
6BrazilBRA448469–436
7BulgariaBUL6412582–620
8FranceFRA448468–460
=9CzechoslovakiaTCH122161–164
=9MexicoMEX122172–171
=9PhilippinesPHI326297–303
=9EgyptEGY336363–391
=13HungaryHUN244300–329
=13FinlandFIN030147–178
=13CanadaCAN336404–385
=13CubaCUB244335–353
=17BelgiumBEL122173–179
=17GreeceGRE122136–174
=17ItalyITA224221–210
=20SwitzerlandSUI020107–128
=20IsraelISR02099–111
=20TurkeyTUR02082–113
23RomaniaROU02090–125

Qualification Round (14 – 18 July 1952)

Group A (14 – 18 July 1952)

Round-robin pool, with a team being eliminated after losing two matches.

PosNOCWLPtsPoints
1BUL204131–114
2CUB214186–176
3BEL122173–179
4SUI020107–128

Match #114 JulCUB 59 – 51BEL
Match #214 JulBUL 69 – 58SUI
Match #315 JulBEL 59 – 49SUI
Match #417 JulBUL 62 – 56CUB
Play-off18 JulCUB 71 – 63BEL

Group B (14 – 18 July 1952)

Round-robin pool, with a team being eliminated after losing two matches.

PosNOCWLPtsPoints
1PHI204105–82
2HUN214157–130
3GRE122136–174
4ISR02099–111

Match #114 JulHUN 75 – 38GRE
Match #214 JulPHI 57 – 47ISR
Match #315 JulGRE 54 – 52ISR
Match #417 JulPHI 48 – 35HUN
Play-off18 JulHUN 47 – 44GRE

Group C (14 – 18 July 1952)

Round-robin pool, with a team being eliminated after losing two matches.

PosNOCWLPtsPoints
1CAN306203–165
2EGY214187–170
3ITA224221–210
4TUR02082–113
5ROU02090–125

Match #114 JulCAN 68 – 57ITA
Match #214 JulEGY 64 – 45TUR
Match #315 JulCAN 72 – 51ROU
Match #415 JulITA 49 – 37TUR
Match #517 JulITA 53 – 39ROU
Match #617 JulCAN 63 – 57EGY
Match #718 JulEGY 66 – 62ITA

Round One (25 – 27 July 1952)

Group A (25 – 27 July 1952)

Round-robin pools.

PosNOCWLPtsPoints
1USA306195–139
2URU214167–164
3TCH122161–164
4HUN030143–199

Match #125 Jul 10:30USA 66 – 48HUN
Match #225 JulURU 53 – 51
AET
TCH
Match #326 JulURU 70 – 56HUN
Match #426 Jul 12:00USA 72 – 47TCH
Match #527 JulTCH 63 – 39HUN
Match #627 JulUSA 57 – 44URU

Group B (25 – 27 July 1952)

Round-robin pools.

PosNOCWLPtsPoints
1URS306192–143
2BUL214163–182
3MEX122172–171
4FIN030147–178

Match #125 JulURS 74 – 46BUL
Match #225 JulMEX 66 – 48FIN
Match #325 JulBUL 52 – 44MEX
Match #425 JulURS 47 – 35FIN
Match #527 JulBUL 65 – 64FIN
Match #627 JulURS 71 – 62MEX

Group C (25 – 27 July 1952)

Round-robin pools.

PosNOCWLPtsPoints
1ARG306239–196
2BRA214184–179
3PHI122192–221
4CAN030201–220

Match #125 JulARG 85 – 59PHI
Match #225 JulBRA 57 – 55CAN
Match #325 JulBRA 71 – 52PHI
Match #425 JulARG 82 – 81CAN
Match #527 JulPHI 81 – 65CAN
Match #627 JulARG 72 – 56BRA

Group D (25 – 27 July 1952)

Round-robin pools.

PosNOCWLPtsPoints
1FRA306202–149
2CHI214170–150
3EGY122176–221
4CUB030149–177

Match #125 JulFRA 92 – 64EGY
Match #225 JulCHI 53 – 52CUB
Match #325 JulCHI 74 – 46EGY
Match #425 JulFRA 58 – 42CUB
Match #527 JulFRA 52 – 43CHI
Match #627 JulEGY 66 – 55CUB

Round Two (28 – 31 July 1952)

Group A (28 – 30 July 1952)

Round-robin pools.

PosNOCWLPtsPoints
1URU214194–187
2ARG214226–174
3FRA122178–194
4BUL122177–220

Match #128 JulARG 100 – 56BUL
Match #228 JulFRA 68 – 66URU
Match #329 JulURU 62 – 54BUL
Match #429 JulARG 61 – 52FRA
Match #530 JulBUL 367 – 58FRA 4
Match #630 JulURU 66 – 65
AET
ARG

Group B (28 – 31 July 1952)

Round-robin pools.

PosNOCWLPtsPoints
1USA306246–166
2URS214190–195
3BRA122177–155
4CHI030159–256

Match #128 JulBRA 75 – 44CHI
Match #228 JulUSA 86 – 58URS
Match #329 JulUSA 103 – 55CHI
Match #429 JulURS 54 – 49BRA
Match #530 JulUSA 57 – 53BRA
Match #630 JulURS 78 – 60CHI

Classification Round 5-8 (31 July 1952)

Classification matches.

Match #131 Jul 9:00CHI 60 – 53BUL
Match #231 Jul 16:00BRA 59 – 44FRA

Semi-Finals (31 July 1952)

Single-elimination.

Match #131 Jul 9:00URS 61 – 57URU
Match #231 Jul 16:00USA 85 – 76ARG

Final Round (1 – 2 August 1952)

Medal round.

Match 1/202 Aug 16:00USA 36 – 25URS
Match 3/401 Aug 16:00URU 68 – 59ARG
Match 5/602 Aug 9:00CHI 58 – 49BRA
Match 7/801 Aug 9:00BUL 58 – 44FRA

Rankings

Points
Scoring Average
Free Throws Made
Personal Fouls