2006 FIBA World Championship

FIBA World Championship 2006
15th FIBA World Basketball Championship

Official website
2006 FIBA World Championship
Tournament details
Host nation	Japan
Dates	August 19 – September 3
Teams	24 (from 212 federations)
Venues	5 (in 5 host cities)
Champions	Spain (1st title)
MVP	Pau Gasol
Tournament statistics
	Players	Teams
PPG	Yao (25.3)	USA (103.6)
Rebounds	Lugo (11.4)	France (38.3)
Assists	Sanchez (5.8)	USA (18.8)

The 2006 FIBA World Championship was an international basketball competition hosted by Japan from August 19 to September 3, 2006. It was co-organised by the International Basketball Federation (FIBA), Japan Basketball Association (JABBA) and the 2006 Organizing Committee. Badtz-Maru, a fellow character of Hello Kitty from Japanese company Sanrio, was the official 2006 mascot.

For the first time since 1986, the World Championship was contested by 24 nations, eight more than in 2002. As a result, group rounds were conducted in four different cities, with the knockout round's being hosted by Saitama City.

The tournament was won by Spain, who, in the championship final, beat Greece, 70-47, to finish the tournament having won all nine games played. The bronze medal was won by the United States, who defeated Argentina, 96-81, in the third place game.

Competing nations

The following national teams competed:

Group A	Group B	Group C	Group D
Argentina France Lebanon Nigeria Serbia and Montenegro Venezuela	Angola Germany Japan New Zealand Panama Spain	Australia Brazil Greece Lithuania Qatar Turkey	China Italy Puerto Rico Senegal Slovenia United States

Teams that entered qualification tournaments; Asia (purple), Africa (orange), Americas (green), Europe (blue) and Oceania (yellow) and automatic qualifiers (aqua)

Teams qualified

Japan qualified as the host country, and Italy, Puerto Rico, Serbia & Montenegro, and Turkey gained FIBA wild-card invitations. Argentina qualified as the champion of the 2004 Olympics. The remaining 18 countries qualified through their continents' qualifying tournaments (six from Europe, four from the Americas, three from each of Asia and Africa and two from Oceania).

The draw for 2006 World Championship was held in Tokyo on 15 January 2006. In the preliminary rounds, Group A played at Sendai, Group B at Hiroshima, Group C at Hamamatsu and Group D at Sapporo. The Medal Rounds were played at Saitama.

Squads

Main article: 2006 FIBA World Championship squads

At the start of tournament, all 24 participating countries had 12 players on their roster.

Venues

City	Arena	Capacity
Hamamatsu	Hamamatsu Arena	5,100
Hiroshima	Hiroshima Green Arena	6,900
Sapporo	Sapporo Arena	6,400
Saitama	Saitama Super Arena	21,000
Sendai	Sendai Gymnasium	6,100

Preliminary rounds

Group A (Sendai)

Team	Pts	Pld	W	L	PF	PA	Diff	First Tiebreaker Classification for Tied Teams
Argentina	10	5	5	0	464	339	+125	x
France	8	5	3	2	353	329	+24	x
Nigeria	7	5	2	3	371	393	-22	2W-0L
Serbia and Montenegro	7	5	2	3	409	352	+57	1W-1L
Lebanon	7	5	2	3	357	451	-94	0W-2L
Venezuela	6	5	1	4	336	426	-90	x

August 19, 2006


Venezuela	72–82	Lebanon
Serbia & Montenegro	75–82	Nigeria
Argentina	80–70	France

August 20, 2006


Nigeria	77–84	Venezuela
Lebanon	72–107	Argentina
France	65–61	Serbia & Montenegro

August 21, 2006


Argentina	96–54	Venezuela
Serbia & Montenegro	104–57	Lebanon
France	64–53	Nigeria

August 23, 2006


Nigeria	64–98	Argentina
Venezuela	65–90	Serbia & Montenegro
Lebanon	74–73	France

August 24, 2006


Serbia & Montenegro	79–83	Argentina
Lebanon	72–95	Nigeria
France	81–61	Venezuela

Group B (Hiroshima)

Team	Pts	Pld	W	L	PF	PA	Diff
Spain	10	5	5	0	476	336	+140
Germany	9	5	4	1	421	384	+37
Angola	8	5	3	2	451	406	+45
New Zealand	7	5	2	3	345	393	-48
Japan	6	5	1	4	322	393	-71
Panama	5	5	0	5	326	429	-103

August 19, 2006


Germany	81–70	Japan
Angola	83–70	Panama
Spain	86–70	New Zealand

August 20, 2006


Japan	62–87	Angola
New Zealand	56–80	Germany
Panama	57–101	Spain

August 21, 2006


Angola	95–73	New Zealand
Germany	71–92	Spain
Japan	78–61	Panama

August 23, 2006


Spain	93–83	Angola
Panama	63–81	Germany
New Zealand	60–57	Japan

August 24, 2006


Angola	103–108 (3OT)	Germany
New Zealand	86–75	Panama
Japan	55–104	Spain

Group C (Hamamatsu)

Team	Pts	Pld	W	L	PF	PA	Diff
Greece	10	5	5	0	404	358	+46
Turkey	9	5	4	1	370	358	+12
Lithuania	8	5	3	2	413	353	+60
Australia	7	5	2	3	370	349	+21
Brazil	6	5	1	4	399	392	+7
Qatar	5	5	0	5	310	456	-146

August 19, 2006


Brazil	77–83	Australia
Greece	84–64	Qatar
Turkey	76–74	Lithuania

August 20, 2006


Qatar	66–97	Brazil
Australia	68–76	Turkey
Lithuania	76–81(OT)	Greece

August 22, 2006


Lithuania	106–65	Qatar
Greece	72–69	Australia
Turkey	73–71	Brazil

August 23, 2006


Australia	57–78	Lithuania
Qatar	69–76	Turkey
Brazil	80–91	Greece

August 24, 2006


Australia	93–46	Qatar
Lithuania	79–74	Brazil
Greece	76–69	Turkey

Group D (Sapporo)

Team	Pts	Pld	W	L	PF	PA	Diff	First Tiebreaker Classification for Tied Teams	Second Tiebreaker Goal Average for Tied Teams
United States	10	5	5	0	543	428	+115	x	x
Italy	9	5	4	1	386	367	+19	x	x
Slovenia	7	5	2	3	434	433	+1	1W-1L	(167/160, 1.0438)
China	7	5	2	3	424	455	-31	1W-1L	(165/167, 0.9880)
Puerto Rico	7	5	2	3	432	440	-8	1W-1L	(172/177, 0.9718)
Senegal	5	5	0	5	355	451	-96	x	x