In the FIBA Men’s Rankings, Spain Surpasses the USA for the Top Spot
For the first time in 12 years, USA Basketball is not at the top of the men’s rankings.
The sport’s governing body, FIBA, updated its rankings on Friday; Spain moved into the top spot, just ahead of the United States.
After winning the FIBA world championship in 2010, the four-time defending Olympic champion Americans climbed to the top and remained there ever since.
“It’s not exactly a new title, and it probably won’t be kept for very long, but it’s something so special, prestigious, and historic that I’m incredibly proud of everyone who has earned it… have contributed to it,” Sergio Scariolo, the coach of Spain, tweeted on Friday.
In 2017, a new ranking system adopted by FIBA was implemented, which only considers data from the previous eight years. As a result, the United States no longer benefits from its World Cup victory in 2014, but its Olympic gold medals from Rio de Janeiro and Tokyo continue to count toward the rankings. At the 2019 World Cup, the U.S. finished in seventh place.
In addition to winning this year’s EuroBasket, Spain also won the most recent World Cup. Spain has now won four times in its last six appearances at the continental championship, all of those victories coming under Scariolo.
Only 1.1 points separate Spain and America. men now; the margin is 758.6-757.5.
The top 10 positions in the world rankings remained the same. Argentina, which was ranked No. 1, is second, and Australia is third. 1 before the The United States, which took over that position in 2010, is in fourth place, ahead of France, Serbia, Slovenia, Lithuania, Greece, Italy, Germany, and the Czech Republic.
America is still first. 1 in women’s basketball by a nearly 200-point margin over The Americans rolled to a gold at the women’s World Cup this year, further solidifying their position at the top of the list.
Additionally, USA Basketball maintains commanding positions atop the boys’ and girls’ global rankings.
The 118 women’s national teams and 164 men’s national teams are all represented in the most recent FIBA rankings.s
Source: Read it here!
