FIBA World Cup 2023: Looking back at 5 biggest upsets of all time
The FIBA World Cup 2023 is set to take place in less than 40 days. Teams are about to open their training camps ahead of summer's major tournament, which runs from August 25 to September 10.
Spain will look to defend its title, while Team USA will seek to return to the top in the World Cup, after its worst performance in FIBA tournaments (7th, 2019). France, headlined by multiple NBA stars, is also a team to watch in the battle for the gold medal.
FIBA tournaments have a long history of favorites coming up short and underdogs stunning their opponents. That said, let's take a look back at the five biggest upsets of all time:
#5, Angola and Nigeria reaching the knockout stage for the first time in their history in 2006
Angola and Nigeria reached the knockout stage in the 2006 FIBA World Cup, with the Nigerians falling by a single point to Dirk Nowitzki’s Germany in the battle for a place in the Quarter-Finals.
It was the first time in the history of these two teams that they went past the first round, which set the bar higher for their performance in major FIBA tournaments since.
#4, France eliminates Team USA from the 2019 FIBA World Cup
Led by Rudy Gobert and Evan Fournier, France rallied past Team USA in the 2019 FIBA World Cup quarter-finals in China and eliminated the Americans (79-89).
The French ended Team USA's 58-game winning streak in FIBA tournaments, which lasted 13 years. The Americans failed to win a medal for the first time since 2002, finishing seventh eventually.
#3, Yugoslavia stuns Team USA in Indianapolis, 2002
Team USA wanted to claim the gold medal in the 2002 FIBA World Cup while playing on home soil in Indianapolis. However, they came up short and lost to Yugoslavia in the quarter-finals, a team that included NBA stars like Vlade Divac and Peja Stojakovic (78-81).
The defeat meant that the Americans wouldn't fight for a medal and fell into the classification round, ending up in sixth place. Reggie Miller, Paul Pierce, and Ben Wallace were some of the top NBA stars playing in that tournament for Team USA.
#2, Lebanon stuns France in 2006 FIBA World Cup
Lebanon caused the upset of the tournament in the 2006 FIBA World Cup by holding off France's late rally to take a 74-73 win under assistant coach Kosai Khalaf.
Boris Diaw had a chance to tie the game for the French, but missed the second of two free throws. After France got the offensive rebound, Laurent Foirest could not make an open baseline jumper at the buzzer.
Lebanon couldn't take advantage of this victory, as they finished 19th in the tournament (2-3 record), while France was fifth with a 6-3 record. It was one of the biggest upsets in FIBA World Cup history.
#1, Greece upsets Team USA in Saitama, 2006
This was the biggest upset in World Cup history. Team USA wanted to get back to the top after failing to win gold in 2002 FIBA World Cup and 2004 Olympic Games.
They sent a young squad comprising LeBron James, Chris Paul, Dwayne Wade and Carmelo Anthony, who were just emerging as NBA superstars. They failed yet again, this time against a team that did not have any NBA players on their roster.
Team USA lost 95-101 to Greece in the quarter-final stage of the tournament in Saitama, Japan. The Greeks took control after the opening quarter and went on to win the game, claiming the greatest victory in the history of Greek basketball.
As for Team USA, they brought their superstars back, created the 'Redeem Team' and responded by winning the next five major championships in international basketball, including Olympic gold in 2008, 2012 and 2016.