MIES (Switzerland) - There's no better way to soak up the long and fascinating history of international basketball than to walk through the doors of the Patrick Baumann House of Basketball and visit its museum.

Right now is an especially good time because of the new exhibition "90 ICONIC MOMENTS OF FIBA", which is part of the celebrations to mark nine decades of basketball's world governing body.

Shirt worn by Lithuania when receiving 1992 Olympic Bronze in FIBA Museum

Fans and basketball historians can reflect on these 90 iconic moments by reading stories about each that are being placed on fiba.basketball from now until the end of the year.

Visitors to the museum can take an even deeper look at those important junctures in FIBA's past by examining more than one thousand mementos associated with the iconic moments.

Medal from first FIBA Women's EuroBasket 1938

There are items that will take museum guests back in time like medals, accreditations, tickets, Olympic torches, balls, books, scoresheets, documents, pins, pennants, trophies, sneakers, posters, uniforms, magazines, stamps and equipment.

Among the moments celebrated in the exhibition is the unforgettable 1992 Olympics staged in Barcelona, Spain. It was the first time that NBA players competed at the Summer Games, and it culminated with a Gold Medal Game between Croatia and the famous USA Dream Team.

On display are the signed jerseys of two legendary players, the late Drazen Petrovic of Croatia, and Michael Jordan of the USA, as well as the Grateful Dead uniforms (outfits) that the Lithuanians, who won bronze, wore during the medal ceremony.

Lithuania had only recently gained independence fundraising efforts by the American rock band helped pay for them to take part.

Among the items also on show are the basketball shoes donned by the Americans during the warm-up tournament they participated in before the Olympics.

Shoes worn at FIBA Basketball World Cup 2014 by MVP Kyrie Irving of USA

There are also the shoes Kyrie Irving had on when he dazzled spectators while leading the USA to the title at the 2014 world title.

Visitors will also see how the trophies for both the FIBA Basketball World Cup, and the FIBA Women's Basketball World Cup, have evolved. On display are the three different designs of the trophies handed to winners over the years.

Stamp collectors will see the first basketball stamp produced in the Philippines in 1934, which was two years before the first Olympic basketball tournament in Berlin.

First basketball stamp in Philippines

Patrons can take a good look at the medal of the first FIBA Women's EuroBasket in 1938, the scoresheet of the famous (and controversial) 1972 Olympic Final between the Soviet Union and the USA, the first rules book published by FIBA in 1932, the original chairs of the first three FIBA Secretaries General (Willian Jones, Borislav Stankovic and Patrick Baumann), and the model of the (state of the art) House Of Basketball which opened in 2013.

The many fans that have a great appreciation for legendary players Hortencia Marcari of Brazil and Teresa Edwards of the USA can gaze at the uniforms each wore, and also look at the scoresheet of one of the best basketball games ever that each had starring roles in, the FIBA Women's Basketball World Cup 1994 Semi-Final that Brazil won, 110-107.

The Naismith Trophy has had design changes over the years

Visitors can also see the autograph of basketball legend Kobe Bryant, which he penned as a 13-year-old when his father, Joe, was playing in his last professional season in Mulhouse, France.

These important objects are not just on display. Each is accompanied with stories that explain their significance, as well as information about who donated the item, how FIBA discovered it. There is also a recap of what happened after the amazing games, and an explanation of how basketball has undergone dramatic changes since 1932, when FIBA was created.

"90 Iconic Moments" display on 1972 Olympic Men's basketball tournament

By having a better grasp of FIBA's origin, and the evolution of the game, visitors can better understand the values of our sport and our organisation.

The museum is free and open to the public from 9am to 5pm during the week. It will also be open over the weekend of June 18 and June 19 during the FIBA Open.

About Basketball Cultural Heritage

FIBA’s cultural heritage is the heart of the FIBA Foundation’s cultural and historical activities. It is one of the driving forces behind the promotion and dissemination of FIBA’s values. We preserve, research, promote and educate on the sport by managing and growing the FIBA collections, supporting National Federations to preserve their history, raising the profile of the FIBA Hall of Fame, and increasing  and sharing the legacy of basketball. 

FIBA