2006 FIBA World Championship
2006 edition of the FIBA World Championship / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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The 2006 FIBA World Championship was the 15th FIBA World Championship, the international basketball world championship for men's national teams. The tournament was hosted by Japan and held from 19 August to 3 September 2006. It was co-organised by the International Basketball Federation (FIBA), Japan Basketball Association (JABBA) and the 2006 Organising Committee.
| FIBA バスケットボール世界選手権 2006 FIBA Basukettobōru Sekai Senshuken 2006 | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Tournament details | |
| Host country | Japan |
| Dates | 19 August – 3 September |
| Officially opened by | Akihito |
| Teams | 24 (from 5 confederations) |
| Venue(s) | 5 (in 5 host cities) |
| Final positions | |
| Champions |  Spain (1st title) |
| Runners-up |  Greece |
| Third place |  United States |
| Fourth place |  Argentina |
| Tournament statistics | |
| Games played | 80 |
| MVP | Pau Gasol |
| Top scorer |  Yao Ming (25.3 points per game) |
← 2002 2010 → | |
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 cities, with the knockout rounds being hosted by Saitama City.
Spain won the tournament by beating Greece 70–47 in the championship final. Spain won all nine games they played. Spain's gold medal in this tournament was the first medal Spain had ever won in a FIBA World Championship. Pau Gasol also became the first Spaniard to win the MVP award. It was the first time a country has won all nine of its games since 1994 when the United States won all nine games and took the gold medal home. The bronze medal was won by the United States, who defeated Argentina, 96–81, in the third place game, after a semi-finals loss to Greece. Up to 2019, including the 2014 tournament, it has been the only tournament where neither Yugoslavia or the USA have reached the final. The 2006 tournament marked the final appearance of Serbia and Montenegro as they broke up into the independent nations of Serbia and Montenegro after a successful independence referendum in Montenegro in May.
Seventeen years after the 2006 edition, Japan will once again host the FIBA World Championships, now called the World Cup in 2023 in Okinawa along with the Philippines and Indonesia.