FIBA - FIBA World Championships - a proud history (3 days to go)

GENEVA (2014 FIBA World Championship) - When FIBA assigns the 2014 FIBA World Championship on Saturday in the presence of two legends that wrote history, Arvydas Sabonis and Aleksandar Djordjevic, it will continue a story that started almost 60 years ago.

Sabonis and Djordjevic are examples of the star quality that has always existed in FIBA World Championships.

The great Lithuanian Sabonis is a true basketball hero, a gifted center deemed by many to be the best player in the world during his prime. He scored from all over the court, rebounded on both ends of the floor and blocked shots.

His list of achievements is long and impressive.

In FIBA World Championships, for example, he helped the USSR win a gold medal in 1982 and silver four years later.

Sabonis captured an Olympic title in Seoul in 1988, and then played a huge role at the 1992 Olympics in Barcelona for a Lithuania team that won bronze.

He played for some of the best teams in Europe, and had a long stretch with the NBA's Portland Trail Blazers.

Sabonis will always be remembered as one of the world's greatest players.

In the big tournaments for Yugoslavia or the numerous clubs he played for, Aleksandar Djordjevic always stood as a game-winner.

With the clock winding down, the coach wanted the ball in Djordjevic's hands and more times than not, he hit game-winning shots or delivered game-winning passes.

In the European title game of 1995, Djordjevic scored a jaw-dropping 41 points for Yugoslavia in a gold-medal win over Lithuania.

The playmaker three years later enjoyed one of his finest moments by helping Yugoslavia beat Russia in win the FIBA World Championship title game in Athens.

It was evident early on that he would be special.

He celebrated a gold-medal triumph at the 1987 FIBA Junior World Championship in Bormio alongside Toni Kukoc, Vlade Divac and Dino Radja.

Djordjevic's stellar play will also be remembered

The 2014 FIBA World Championship will be the 17th edition of basketball's most important championship. The first was played in Argentina in 1950.

The event has seen excitement and drama, joy and disappointment. It has always been a celebration of one of the greatest sports on earth.

The list of superstars to have competed in the glamorous event also include Shaquille O'Neal (1994), Dirk Nowitzki, Pau Gasol and Manu Ginobili (all 2006). We do not have the space to pay tribute to all of them.

The USA have dominated the Olympic basketball tournaments with 13 gold medals in 16 appearances yet in FIBA World Championships, the United States have taken gold just three times while the former Yugoslavia have combined for five gold medals and lead the role of honor. The US won gold at the Beijing Games but it remains to be seen if they complete their 'Redemption Tour' in Turkey 2010.

History is rich and the story will go on in 2014 - in China, Italy or Spain.

FIBA