The 1946 FIBA European Championship, commonly called FIBA EuroBasket 1946, was the fourth FIBA EuroBasket regional basketball championship, held by FIBA and the first since 1939 due to World War II. Ten national teams affiliated with the International Basketball Federation (FIBA) took part in the competition. Switzerland hosted the tournament for a second time, as the championship returned to Geneva.

EuroBasket 1946
Tournament details
Host countrySwitzerland
CityGeneva
Dates30 April – 4 May
Teams10
Venue(s)1 (in 1 host city)
Final positions
Champions Czechoslovakia (1st title)
Runners-up Italy
Third place Hungary
Fourth place France
Tournament statistics
Games played21
MVPHungary François Németh
Top scorerPoland Pawel Stok
(12.4 points per game)
1939
(1941 cancelled due to WWII)
1947

EuroBasket 1946 saw the beginning of the use of the jump shot, pioneered by Italy's Giuseppe Stefanini.

Results

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The 1946 competition consisted of a preliminary round, with one group of four teams and two groups of three teams each. Each team played the other teams in its group once. The top team in each of the groups of three and the top two teams in the group of four played in the semifinals for the top four rankings; the middle teams in the two groups of three moved directly on to the final round for a 5th/6th place playoff; the bottom team in each group of three and the two bottom teams in the group of four played in semifinals for the 7th–10th ranks.

First round

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Group A

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Pos Team Pld W L PF PA PD Pts Qualification
1   Italy 3 3 0 152 71 +81 6 Semifinal
2   Hungary 3 2 1 113 70 +43 5
3   Poland 3 1 2 91 102 −11 4 Classification 7–10
4   Luxembourg 3 0 3 53 166 −113 3
Poland   45–28   Luxembourg
Italy   39–31   Hungary
Luxembourg   10–48   Hungary
Poland   25–40   Italy
Italy   73–15   Luxembourg
Poland   21–34   Hungary

Group B

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Pos Team Pld W L PF PA PD Pts Qualification
1   France 2 2 0 112 29 +83 4 Semifinal
2   Netherlands 2 1 1 66 74 −8 3 Classification 5–6
3   England 2 0 2 38 113 −75 2 Classification 7–10
England   27–48   Netherlands
England   11–65   France
France   47–18   Netherlands

Group C

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Pos Team Pld W L PF PA PD Pts Qualification
1   Czechoslovakia 2 2 0 58 50 +8 4 Semifinal
2    Switzerland 2 1 1 50 43 +7 3 Classification 5–6
3   Belgium 2 0 2 56 71 −15 2 Classification 7–10
Czechoslovakia   20–17    Switzerland
Belgium   23–33    Switzerland
Belgium   33–38   Czechoslovakia

Final round

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The middle team of each of the groups of three did not compete in the final round, as they advanced directly to the 5th/6th place playoff. The top team of each of those groups played one of the top two teams of the group of four, with rankings 1st–4th at stake. Similarly, the bottom team in each group of three played one of the two lower teams in the group of four in a semifinal for 7th–10th places.

Brackets

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Classification 5th–10th

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Classification semifinalsSeventh place match
 
      
 
 
 
 
  England27
 
 
 
  Luxembourg50
 
  Luxembourg11
 
 
 
  Belgium42
 
  Poland22
 
 
  Belgium39
 
Ninth place match
 
 
 
 
 
  England22
 
 
  Poland50
 
Fifth place match
 
  
 
 
 
 
  Netherlands25
 
 
   Switzerland36
 

Upper bracket

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SemifinalsFinal
 
      
 
 
 
 
  Czechoslovakia42
 
 
 
  Hungary28
 
  Czechoslovakia34
 
 
 
  Italy32
 
  Italy37
 
 
  France25
 
Third place match
 
 
 
 
 
  Hungary38
 
 
  France32


 1946 FIBA EuroBasket champions 
 
Czechoslovakia
1st title

Final standings

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  1.   Czechoslovakia
  2.   Italy
  3.   Hungary
  4.   France
  5.    Switzerland
  6.   Netherlands
  7.   Belgium
  8.   Luxembourg
  9.   Poland
  10.   England

Team rosters

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1. Czechoslovakia: Ivan Mrázek, Miloš Bobocký, Jiří Drvota, Josef Ezr, Gustav Hermann, Jan Hluchy, Josef Křepela, Pavel Nerad, Ladislav Simácek, František Stibitz, Josef Toms, Ladislav Trpkoš, Emil Velenský, Miroslav Vondráček (Coach: Frantisek Hajek)

2. Italy: Cesare Rubini, Giuseppe Stefanini, Sergio Stefanini, Albino Bocciai, Mario Cattarini, Marcello de Nardus, Armando Fagarazzi, Giancarlo Marinelli, Valentino Pellarini, Tullio Pitacco, Venzo Vannini

3. Hungary: François Németh, Geza Bajari, Antal Bankuti, Geza Kardos, Laszlo Kiralyhidi, Tibor Mezőfi, György Nagy, Geza Racz, Ede Vadaszi, Ferenc Velkei (Coach: Istvan Kiraly)

4. France: Robert Busnel, André Buffière, Etienne Roland, Paul Chaumont, René Chocat, Jean Duperray, Emile Frezot, Maurice Girardot, Andre Goeuriot, Henri Lesmayoux, Jacques Perrier, Lucien Rebuffic, Justy Specker, Andre Tartary (Coach: Paul Geist)

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