RIGA (Latvia) - Germany enter the FIBA EuroBasket 2025 Semi-Finals just two victories from winning the country's second continental crown following 1993.
And, as reigning world champions, Germany also have the opportunity to become just the fourth nation to hold the FIBA Basketball World Cup and FIBA EuroBasket titles simultaneously.
Soviet Union were the first team to accomplish the feat in 1967 and did it a second time in 1982. Yugoslavia managed the double four times in the span of 1977-2002, while Spain were the most recent to join the exclusive club with triumphs in 2019 and 2022.
One of the keys to any such double is consistency within the roster. And Germany certainly have that with nine of the 12 players back from the team that hoisted the FIBA Basketball World Cup 2023 trophy in Manila.
Germany have most of their main leaders back with captain Dennis Schroder and Franz Wagner leading the group.
Isaac Bonga, Daniel Theis, Andreas Obst, Johannes Thiemann, Maodo Lo and Justus Hollatz are also back. Johannes Voigtmann played two games but got injured and will miss the remainder of the event.
New on the team are Tristan Da Silva, his brother Oscar Da Silva and Leon Kratzer.
Here is a look back at the previous double-holders.
Spain | 2019-2022
🏆 FIBA Basketball World Cup 2019 🏆 FIBA EuroBasket 2022
Spain became just the third nation to hold the European and World titles at the same time. Sergio Scariolo guided Spain to their second FIBA World Cup crown in 2019 with the closing stages of the country's successful generation. Ricky Rubio ended up being named MVP and Marc Gasol was on the All-Tournament Team after Spain beat Argentina in the Final.
The Spanish team received a major overhaul for EuroBasket 2022 though Rudy Fernandez, Sergio Llull and the Hernangomez brothers were still around. Lorenzo Brown came in as point guard and despite many players having little experience, Scariolo masterminded his team to success; beating France in the Final. Willy Hernangomez won the MVP and Brown was selected for the All-Tournament Team.
Yugoslavia | 2001-2002
🏆 FIBA EuroBasket 2001 🏆 FIBA Basketball World Cup 2002
The coaching duties had moved onto Svetislav Pesic after the 2000 Olympics. The team still had veterans such as Dejan Bodiroga, Sasa Obradovic and Dejan Tomasevic, but players like Peja Stojakovic, Marko Jaric, Predrag Drobnjak and Milan Gurovic also took roles. Stojakovic was named MVP as Yugoslavia defeated Türkiye in the Final in Istanbul.
For the FIBA World Cup 2002, Pesic brought a 34-year-old Vlade Divac back into the team, having last played internationally in 1999. Both Stojakovic and Bodiroga remained the leaders with the former being named to the All-Tournament Team as Germany's Dirk Nowitzki was named MVP.
Yugoslavia | 1997-1998
🏆 FIBA EuroBasket 1997 🏆 FIBA Basketball World Cup 1998
Yugoslavia captured silver at the 1996 Olympics under Zeljko Obradovic, and then he then helped the country repeat their continental championship at EuroBasket 1997. The team still had veterans who were part of the 1989 to 1991 run. Aleksandar Djordjevic ended up being named MVP and was joined on the All-Tournament Team by Dejan Bodiroga and Zeljko Rebraca.
The run continued the next summer with Bodiroga taking home MVP honors and Rebraca was on the All-Tournament Team. Among the other players from both teams were Sasa Obradovic, Dejan Tomasevic and Miroslav Beric.
Yugoslavia | 1989-1991
🏆 FIBA EuroBasket 1989 🏆 FIBA Basketball World Cup 1990 🏆 FIBA EuroBasket 1991
Dusko Ivkovic was given the reins of the Yugoslavia team for the 1988 Olympics and guided the team to a silver medal. The country finally returned to the top of Europe the following summer; beating Greece to win the EuroBasket 1989 for their first continental crown in 12 years. Drazen Petrovic was named the MVP on a team that included Zarko Paspalj, Toni Kukoc, Dino Radja, Vlade Divac, Jure Zdovc and Predrag Danilovic.
That Yugoslavia generation matched the 1977-78 double by beating Soviet Union to win the FIBA World Cup 1990. Kukoc was awarded the MVP trophy and was joined on the All-Tournament Team by Divac. The core remained together and made it back-to-back-back by winning the EuroBasket 1991 title. Kukoc was again the MVP and Divac in the top five select team.
Soviet Union | 1981-1982
🏆 FIBA EuroBasket 1981 🏆 FIBA Basketball World Cup 1982
Alexander Gomelsky had left the Soviet national team bench in 1971 but then returned in 1977. And the legendary playcaller did the double again early in the 1980s. The rivalry with Yugoslavia was still alive and well and Valdis Valters, Anatoli Myshkin and Vladimir Tkachenko helped the Soviets defeat Yugoslavia for the EuroBasket 1981 title. Valters was named MVP and was joined by Myshkin and Tkachenko in the All-Tournament Team.
A 17-year-old Arvydas Sabonis joined that group a summer later and Soviet Union beat United States for the FIBA World Cup 1982 trophy. Myshkin and Tkachenko were named to the All-Tournament Team.
Yugoslavia | 1977-78
🏆 FIBA EuroBasket 1977 🏆 FIBA Basketball World Cup 1978
Aleksandar Nikolic returned to coach the Yugoslavia national team in 1977 after having guided the group from 1954 to 1965. Drazen Dalipagic was named MVP for Yugoslavia as they beat Soviet Union to win the EuroBasket 1977 - the country's third straight continental crown.
The likes of Zoran Slavnic, Kresimir Cosic and Dragan Kicanovic continued the dominance the next summer and beat the Soviets again in the FIBA World Cup 1978 in Philippines - Dalipagic again taking MVP honors.
Soviet Union | 1965-1967
🏆 FIBA EuroBasket 1965 🏆 FIBA Basketball World Cup 19667 🏆 FIBA EuroBasket 1967
This was the start of the end of the wildly successful first run with head coach Alexander Gomelsky at the helm of the Soviet Union. The Soviets had already won the EuroBasket in 1961, 1963 and 1965 with Gomelsky on the sidelines - winning the 1965 title against Yugoslavia. They finally captured their first FIBA World Cup in June 1967 against Yugoslavia.
Led by the likes of Gennadi Volnov, Modestas Paulauskas and Jaak Lipso (the great Sergei Belov did not play in 1965), Gomelsky's then won the EuroBasket 1967 crown over Czechoslovakia in September. Paulauskas was named MVP of EuroBasket 1965 and named to both selection quintets in 1967 - Belov also making it at EuroBasket 1967.
Team | First title | Second title |
|---|---|---|
Spain | FIBA World Cup 2019 | FIBA EuroBasket 2022 |
Yugoslavia | FIBA EuroBasket 2001 | FIBA World Cup 2002 |
Yugoslavia | FIBA EuroBasket 1997 | FIBA World Cup 1998 |
Yugoslavia* | FIBA EuroBasket 1989 | FIBA World Cup 1990 |
Soviet Union | FIBA EuroBasket 1981 | FIBA World Cup 1982 |
Yugoslavia | FIBA EuroBasket 1977 | FIBA World Cup 1978 |
Soviet Union* | FIBA EuroBasket 1965 | FIBA World Cup 1967 |
* also won a third successive major title
FIBA