SPAIN
1986
This edition marked a turning point in the history of the World Championships.
From now on political, financial and organisational problems were relegated to
the past, television companies would broadcast the matches all around the
world, basketball would receive commercial sponsorship and the USA would
send competitive teams.
Why did this spectacular change happen? It was due to a series of circumstances (commercial
interest, excellent players, an exciting USA-USSR duel after the fiasco of Los Angeles '84) came
together in Spain which was the right country at the right time to organise the event.
In 1982 when the Spanish delegation, headed by Raimundo Saporta, presented FIBA with their
candidature for the 1986 championship the FIBA leaders could not believe their eyes. The plan
was to have 24 countries in a competition held in seven different cities. It involved such a huge
change from previous editions that nobody in FIBA foresaw a completely happy ending. However,
FIBA was wrong, Spain was living its finest basketball moment to date. Spain had built on their
fourth place in the Colombia Championship and won the silver medal in the Los Angeles Olympics.
While it was true that the USSR did not take part in those games as a response to the 1980
Moscow boycott the competition included Canada, Yugoslavia, Italy, Australia and Brazil alongside
a wonderful USA team led my Michael Jordan. The Spanish success was followed all over the
country in millions of homes with people sitting up until the early hours of the morning and
catapulted interest in basketball to its highest level ever.
Spain could not get enough basketball. There was great interest in the exciting ACB league and
the rivalry between Barcelona and Real Madrid equalled that of football. Specialist basketball
magazines were achieving record sales, television companies bent over backwards to satisfy the
voracious demand of the viewers and even matches from the remote NBA became commonplace
on the screens. Basketball was the sport in fashion and was taking fans' interest away from
football. It was the perfect scenario for a successful world championship.
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FUNDACIÓN PEDRO FERRÁNDIZ
WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP