TALLINN (Estonia) - From 1993 to 2013, Estonia made it to FIBA EuroBasket only twice. Something changed in 2015, as the team reached three of the last four Final Rounds.
It is all part of a bigger plan and picture. Estonia will search for their ticket back to the Round of 16 now, but the main idea is to build the foundation for what will take place in 2029.
The country will host the next FIBA EuroBasket, and they want to do it as more than just a host, as a legit contender for the elimination phase, possibly even a Top 10 finish for the first time since 1993.
Schedule
August 27: vs Serbia (20:15 CET) August 29: vs Latvia (17:00 CET) August 30: vs Czechia (13:45 CET) September 1: vs Türkiye (13:45 CET) September 3: vs Portugal (13:45 CET)
Star Player
Consider Maik-Kalev Kotsar a late bloomer. He struggled to make an impact for his national team at the U18 level, and only made it to double digit points average in his final year of college eligibility at South Carolina.
However, since he returned to Europe in 2020, he has been in fine four, spending four years at Hamburg and Baskonia and making a name for himself with his incredibly strong frame and a rock solid left hand.
He spent the last season in Japan with the Yokohama B-Corsairs, flirting with a season double-double, somewhat similar to what he did in the FIBA EuroBasket 2025 Qualifiers (14.8 points, 8.3 rebounds) and FIBA EuroBasket 2022 (12.2 points, 5.6 rebounds).
Kotsar is 28 now, ready to take on the toughest of groups when it comes to big men, packed with the likes of Nikola Jokic, Alperen Sengun, Kristaps Porzingis and Neemias Queta among others.
History
Estonia have now reached the FIBA EuroBasket for a seventh time. They played in the competition in 1937 and 1939 and then became part of the Soviet Union. Estonia made it to EuroBasket in their first possible opportunity upon independence in 1993.
Estonia, however, did not return until 2001 and then were absent from the event until 2015. After missing the event in 2017, Estonia were back in 2022 and now have made it back-to-back.
They took fifth place in both 1937 and 1939 and were sixth in 1993.
Best finish: 5th in 1937, 1939
EuroBasket Top Scorers
Rank | Player | Games | Points |
|---|---|---|---|
1 | Sergei Babenko | 17 | 196 |
2 | Aivar Kuusma | 8 | 159 |
3 | Heino Veskila | 18 | 157 |
4 | Rauno Pehka | 18 | 154 |
5 | Priit Tomson | 23 | 142 |
6 | Jaak Lipso | 21 | 140 |
7 | Margus Metstak | 12 | 98 |
8 | Siim-Sander Vene | 10 | 96 |
9 | Joann Lossov | 14 | 82 |
10 | Andrus Nagel | 9 | 75 |
How they qualified
Gameday 1: MKD 69-74 EST Gameday 2: EST 65-59 LTU Gameday 3: POL 78-82 EST Gameday 4: EST 86-88 POL Gameday 5: EST 84-65 MKD Gameday 6: LTU 82-75 EST
Poll: Where will they finish?
Tickets
FIBA