WARSAW (Poland) - Sixteen years had passed since Poland last hosted FIBA EuroBasket, back in 2009. Then, a teenage basketball enthusiast, Mateusz Ponitka, watched his country's national team from the stands, while Igor Milicic was still on the court rather than patrolling the sidelines in red and white.
That ninth-place finish, secured in part thanks to an early victory over European powerhouse Lithuania, appeared to mark the beginning of a new era for Polish basketball. Instead, the country had to wait more than a decade for another breakthrough at Europe's premier basketball event.
By then, Milicic and Ponitka had taken on very different roles, as head coach and team captain, respectively, guiding Poland to a historic fourth-place finish at FIBA EuroBasket 2022 before returning home to Katowice for another memorable campaign at FIBA EuroBasket 2025.
It was definitely a breakthrough moment. We were doing a great job and having great results, but being able to do that in Poland was special.
“It took us a lot of energy, emotions, and stress. Poland hosted FIBA EuroBasket 2009, and the country had to wait more than 16 years to experience those emotions again. That’s also why we were expected to deliver something positive,” he also told FIBA.
Polish basketball fans had to turn many calendar pages while waiting for such a moment. But it was definitely worth the wait, considering what happened on August 28, 2025.
A completely sold-out crowd first proudly stood to sing "Mazurek Dabrowskiego," the Polish national anthem, before witnessing an eventful 105-95 victory over Luka Doncic's Slovenia - three years after Poland had defeated them in the Quarter-Finals of FIBA EuroBasket 2022.
“EuroBasket is a very difficult competition simply because you know that every time that you come to the tournament, every team is going to fight until the end. It's going to be a dog fight every day, every night,” Ponitka told FIBA.
“Our fans were expecting us to be competitive and give everything on the floor. After winning the first game against Slovenia, the pressure went down and the next day was easier. It was a fantastic and unforgettable night in Katowice,” he continued.
“Delivering those games against Slovenia, Israel, and Iceland was spectacular. We were so incredibly hyped that, one win after another, we had even more joy, thrill, and energy to do bigger things,” Milicic also said about the team's start at FIBA EuroBasket 2025.
“That was the cherry on top of the cake, with basketball becoming the big thing in Poland again. Millions of people were watching us: it’s the highlight of this generation. We were featured on billboards around the city, newspapers were talking about us - we were on everyone’s lips, which hadn’t happened for a long time in Poland.”
“It was spectacular how people reacted, how they gave us all their heart inside and outside Katowice Arena. You could feel this fog of positive energy spreading everywhere. It was the memory of a lifetime, for sure,” Poland’s head coach added.
That night, Poland’s captain inspired his team with 23 points and 7 rebounds, serving as the perfect co-star alongside Jordan Loyd, who made his debut with a 32-point performance.
Three years earlier, against Slovenia, he had produced the best game of his life, finishing with 26 points, 16 rebounds, and 10 assists to cement his place in FIBA EuroBasket history. There would have been no resurgence of Polish basketball without its leader.
“Mateusz’s story is a story of success. You can’t have successful teams without great leaders. The whole group embraced him as the main leader in the locker room, and he took on that role with dignity, courage, and energy,” Milicic said of Poland’s No. 9.
“Now this has become contagious, as other players are adopting the same mentality and doing things they don’t normally do with their clubs. Most players on our national team play much better with Poland than they do for their domestic teams.”
“We have been building the DNA of the Polish national team not on quality, but on heart, courage, and the confidence we bring every time we are together. Leaders manage to raise everyone else’s level, even when they don’t believe they’re capable of it,” he added.
Poland’s run at FIBA EuroBasket 2025 came to an end in the Quarter-Finals with a loss to Türkiye, who went on to claim the silver medals.
Regardless of the final result, the team's journey - from opening the tournament at home in Katowice to concluding it in Riga - became another crucial milestone in Polish basketball’s resurgence, ushering in a new golden era.
A new golden basketball era for Poland
Igor Milicic’s love story with Polish basketball started at the turn of the new millennium. Coming from Croatia, he eventually found a home away from home in Poland, playing his first season there in 1999-2000 with UMKS Kielce (formerly Cersanit Nomi Kielce) before adding more memories.
Over the course of his journey, he represented other clubs in the Polish league, eventually ending his playing career after a five-year spell with AZS Koszalin in 2013.
At the same club, he had his first experience of coaching as an assistant, before earning the role of head coach in 2014-15. From there, he went on to lead Anwil Wloclawek and Arged BM Stal Ostrow Wielkopolski, among other notable achievements.
Since 2021, he has been in charge of the Polish national team. He has seen it all. Igor Milicic has experienced both the recent highs and some lows in Poland’s basketball journey.
“When I first came to Poland, I witnessed firsthand the first golden age of Polish basketball. They ended up 7th at FIBA EuroBasket 1997, with high-level talented players like Adam Wójcik or Maciej Zieliński,” he first commented.
“It was a great time for Polish basketball; there were investments and teams were competing at a high level. Later on, Poland went through a slump for almost a decade, losing that traction and enthusiasm for the sport,” he also admitted.
That’s why the biggest goal for the 50-year-old tactician was to ensure that the country’s basketball movement could return to those glory days he once experienced upon his first arrival.
“With me taking over the Polish national team, we focused on giving new chances to young players to develop and build a wide pool of talent,” Milicic said.
It’s true, they missed out on the FIBA Basketball World Cup 2023, but following the last two FIBA EuroBasket tournaments, the world has now understood what Poland is all about.
“Thanks to the structure we have been building, we achieved two of the best results in Polish basketball in the last 50–60 years, reaching the Semi-Finals at FIBA EuroBasket 2022 and the Quarter-Finals at FIBA EuroBasket 2025,” he proudly stated.
“This gave new hype to our movement, with new Polish teams competing internationally. We are seeing this significant growth of interest in basketball in Poland, and I’m very happy it’s happening under my supervision.”
“Kids from handball and volleyball are coming back to basketball schools and academies: what we have accomplished is a big win for this generation. I’m really thrilled and proud of it,” Milicic said.
Talking about kids - or young adults in this case - Mateusz Ponitka was one of them, growing up dreaming of representing his country on the biggest stages.
Back at FIBA EuroBasket 2009, he was there too, among the same countrymen who would become his fans 16 years later in the same host nation.
“I remember clearly thinking that it would be a dream come true to have the opportunity to play for the national team in Poland. It was a dream for all of us,” he said.
“There was a big surge of interest during EuroBasket, and after it as well: people are going to remember those games for a long time, as they brought happiness.”
“They witnessed one of our greatest tournaments, and they did it firsthand. We had sold-out crowds in almost every game. It will stay with me forever,” Poland’s captain shared.
After capturing everyone’s attention in Europe, their ambition is to return to the FIBA Basketball World Cup, eight years after their last appearance on the global stage.
On a roll in the European Qualifiers
Back then, in China, Mateusz Ponitka was already part of the Polish national team, albeit with fewer responsibilities and duties than he has as captain today. Their last appearance in China came against Team USA, in one of those games you dream of playing.
“That was a hell of a ride. Starting with the overtime victory against China, moving on to significant wins against Russia or Venezuela,” he first recalled.
“Playing Team USA, with Gregg Popovich on the bench, Steve Kerr as assistant coach, and several NBA players on the court, was big time for us,” Ponitka continued.
“It was amazing for all of us, who have never had the opportunity to step on an NBA court, to compete against such stars on the biggest stage. Usually, you just watch them on TV.”
“That was the start of a journey which is still ongoing: you can see that more and more people are getting interested in basketball in Poland. That’s what makes us happiest.”
Spain, Türkiye, Poland. That’s it. That’s the list of teams that have been able to go unbeaten in the first four games of the FIBA Basketball World Cup 2027 European Qualifiers, respectively in Group A, Group C, and Group F.
Thanks to their fantastic 4-0 start against Latvia, the Netherlands, and Austria, the Polish national team have already booked their ticket for the Second Round, where they will surely meet Croatia, Germany, and Israel in Group K.
Ahead of their last two matchups against Austria and the Netherlands in the First Round, they know perfectly well that results carry over. And they don’t want to lose their momentum.
“There is no easy team to beat, and now everybody is looking at us as the team to beat. We are no longer underdogs in our opponents’ eyes, but we still want to keep that mentality to go even higher and further,” Coach Milicic said.
“Every game was different, but everybody in the group knows that if we don’t continue, everything can disappear in a moment. We are working really hard to keep dominating.”
“Our success and the whole magic surrounding us can disappear in a second, so we want to keep this momentum going. We know the next two games are crucial for us, so we’re not loosening up - in fact, we are even tightening our mentality to keep rolling,” he added.
We set the tone; we don't want to let it go.
Mateusz Ponitka fully agrees with his head coach, stating that Poland’s basketball is not only here to stay - in fact, it is growing with every window.
“We know what we want to do. Everybody understands his role; we are playing as a collective, and everybody is fighting until they die on the floor. The most important thing is that we played two games in Poland in front of sold-out crowds, with people fighting to get tickets.”
“We are really positive about this window in July: we want to end the First Round on a happy note after starting with four victories. We want to maintain our intensity and handle the pressure,” he commented.
After the exciting games witnessed at FIBA EuroBasket 2025, Poland’s strong results continued. After a solid home win against Austria, they came back from a 21-point deficit in The Hague, winning thanks to Michal Sokolowski’s late-game takeover.
Then they travelled to Riga, where Jordan Loyd hit one of his trademark deep three-pointers to take down Latvia, before confirming their form again against the Baltic side at home.
“Every one of these four games has been special, and now we’re looking forward to these last two before the Second Round. I hope we come ready and healthy to compete for the other two wins, which could put us in a great position moving forward,” Ponitka said.
Mateusz himself and the already mentioned Sokołowski have been the heart and soul of this Polish national team, setting the tone and leading by example.
They have been there since day one, ensuring that Igor Milicic’s philosophy could be spread throughout the entire locker room - in Warsaw, Krakow, Gdynia, Katowice, and across all corners of Poland.
“We are building on the national team’s DNA so that every Polish player really understands that the national team is huge for them and for their careers.”
“Their presence is a big reward for the whole country: Michal Sokolowski and Mateusz Ponitka provide the best examples,” Milicic said of the two Polish veterans.
“They never let down the national team. They are always the first ones to come to the windows, no matter how tired they are or how tough their season is with their clubs.”
“That’s another one of the big values we have: we really respect what our players are doing, and we do that with great pride. Everybody in Poland understands it,” he added.
“Even though things are not going great, they know how much we sacrifice and how much we are willing to put on the table for everybody else in Poland to be happy. This is the culture we are building. I hope the younger generations will follow it.”
Mateusz Ponitka has carried this DNA since he was watching his countrymen and predecessors from the stands at FIBA EuroBasket 2009.
Now, he is proud to have turned that into something lasting through his performances and leadership as captain of the Polish national team.
Representing your country makes you immortal. In the national team, you play with countrymen, with guys who share your same references, the same culture.
“Everybody is connecting and trying to work together to win and show that Polish basketball is climbing higher and higher. I believe it’s very important to decide to represent your country.”
“Because that’s what we are: connected to our own roots, with our people. It’s a joy to represent Poland. The most important goal for me is to show people outside of Poland that we are fighters, that we are strong, and how good we really are. That we can compete with everybody.”
“I will always represent my country with duma i honor, with pride and honor. I identify as a proud and true son of the Polish land, and I want to bring happiness to my people.”
“By giving my all on the basketball court, I can really show the highest level of dedication to my country,” Ponitka ultimately commented.
The road back to the FIBA Basketball World Cup is still far from over for Poland, but it is hard to deny that they have shown their best version for quite some time now.
With Igor Milicic guiding from the sidelines and Mateusz Ponitka leading the team on the court, who can stop them? Duma i honor - Poland is hungry for more.
FIBA