MUNICH (Germany) - A country rich with basketball tradition and one of the feel-good stories all across the continent, Czech Republic has made a lot of friends and fans over the years.

They always seemed like gentlemen both on and off the court, and it has been that way since 1946, when they picked up their first and only gold medal at the FIBA EuroBasket, as part of the Czechoslovakian basketball team. Their total medal tally counts to 12 in continental championship from 1935 to 1985.

The dissolution of Czechoslovakia saw Czech Republic slowly climbing back up the ladder. After just one Final Round appearance in the 1990s, the Czechs have once again been regulars at FIBA EuroBasket competitions in the past decade, with their shining moment coming in 2015, and the Quarter-Finals in France.

More success came on the global stage in 2019, with the team finishing in sixth at the FIBA Basketball World Cup, behind just basketball powerhouses Spain, Argentina, France, Australia and Serbia. The excitement is building up with this team and they will host one of the Group Phase pools of the upcoming FIBA EuroBasket in 2022, as they hope to climb the podium for the first time as an independent nation.

FIBA