MIES (Switzerland) - The FIBA U19 Basketball World Cup has witnessed many of best players in the world over the last 40-plus years since it began in 1979. But who are the biggest names to play in the first 16 editions?
We went through the archives and put together a list of the top 50 players and are breaking it down into five articles. Here is the fourth installment with places 20-11.
20. Gary Payton, USA, 1987
Payton averaged 3.4 points for USA in 1987, when they lost to Yugoslavia in the U19 World Cup Final. The guard would play for USA two more times in his career, winning Olympic gold in 1996 and 2000. Payton starred in the NBA for 17 seasons, getting an NBA ring in 2006 with Miami. He was named the NBA Defensive Player of the Year in 1996 as he helped Seattle to the NBA Finals, where they lost to Chicago. Payton was a nine-time NBA All-Star and a member of the NBA 75th Anniversary Team in 2021.
19. Sarunas Jasikevicius, Lithuania, 1995
Jasikevicius averaged a team-best 17.5 points and 4.0 assists at the 1995 U19 World Cup. The playmaker went on to great success with the Lithuanian senior national team over a 15-year span. He played at four Olympics, claiming bronze in 2000 and just missing out with fourth-placed finishes in 2004 and 2008. Jasikevicius was Most Valuable Player in guiding Lithuania to the FIBA EuroBasket 2003 title and he played at one FIBA Basketball World Cup.
After a wildly successful playing career, which included winning many European club competition titles, Jasikevicius has turned into one of the leading coaches in Europe.
18. Andrew Bogut, Australia, 2003
Bogut carried Australia to their only U19 World Cup crown in 2003 with one of the greatest performances in competition history. He was named Most Valuable Player after averaging 26.3 points and 17.0 rebounds per game including 39 points and 25 rebounds in a Semi-Finals win over Croatia and then 35 points and 14 rebounds in the victory over Lithuania in the Final.
Bogut advanced to the Boomers in 2004 and played at three Olympics and two FIBA Basketball World Cups over a span of 15 years. Bogut was the No. 1 overall pick in the 2005 NBA Draft and played 14 seasons in the NBA, winning the NBA title in 2015 with Golden State.
17. Nicolas Batum, France, 2007
After leading France to the title at the FIBA U16 European Championship 2006 as Most Valuable Player, Batum carried France to third place at the 2007 U19 World Cup with 11.7 points per game. Batum has played for Les Bleus since 2009, grabbing silver at the 2020 and 2024 Olympics, third place at the 2004 and 2019 FIBA Basketball World Cups and the title at FIBA EuroBasket 2013. Batum has played in the NBA for 17 years with Portland, Charlotte, Los Angeles Clippers and Philadelphia.
16. Sarunas Marciulionis, Soviet Union/Lithuania, 1983
Marciulionis averaged 5.9 points for Soviet Union as they took second place in 1983. The guard later won the 1988 Olympic gold medal and the Soviets finished second at the FIBA EuroBasket 1987. After Lithuanian independence in 1990, Marciulionis played a major role in resurrecting the Lithuanian national team, which ended up taking bronze at the 1992 and 1996 Olympics and they were second at the 1995 EuroBasket with Marciulionis as Most Valuable Player.
In 1989, Marciulionis joined the Golden State Warriors to become the first Soviet Union player to play in the NBA, where he played seven seasons. In 1991, he was included in the list of FIBA's 50 Greatest Players and Marciulionis is also in the FIBA Hall of Fame.
15. Andrew Gaze, Australia, 1983
Gaze led Australia in scoring in the 1983 junior World Cup with 16.3 points per game. He would graduate to the Boomers in 1984 and play the first of five Olympics, including scoring 23.9 points per game as Australia finished fourth in 1988. Gaze and Australia finished fourth at the 1996 and 2000 Olympics as well. The shooting guard also appeared at four FIBA Basketball World Cups.
Gaze led the Australian NBL in scoring 14 times and he also was on the San Antonio roster that won the 1999 NBA championship. Gaze was included in FIBA's 50 Greatest Players in 1991 and is a member of the FIBA Hall of Fame.
14. Dejan Bodiroga, Yugoslavia, 1991
Bodiroga scored 11.5 points in 1991 and was named Most Valuable Player despite Yugoslavia finishing fourth. It was just the start of a very successful career, which saw him win the 1998 and 2002 FIBA Basketball World Cups - taking the MVP trophy in 1998; grab silver at the 1996 Olympics; and clinch three FIBA EuroBasket titles in 1995, 1997 and 2001. Despite being drafted in 1995, Bodiroga never played in the NBA. But he was a legend in European basketball with many european club competition titles.
13. Aleksandar 'Sasa' Djordjevic, Yugoslavia, 1987
Djordjevic was part of the legendary 1987 U19 World Cup winning Yugoslavia team and he averaged 8.7 points. It was just the first of many podiums finishes for Djordjevic, including winning the FIBA Basketball World Cup 1998 and the 1991, 1995 and 1997 FIBA EuroBaskets - winning the Most Valuable Player award for the later - and taking second place at the 1996 Olympics. Djordjevic's playing career also included one european club competition title.
The former point guard has left his mark as a coach as well, guiding Serbia to second place at the 2014 World Cup, 2016 Olympics and 2017 EuroBasket.
12. Juan Carlos Navarro, Spain, 1999
A year after guiding Spain to the crown at the FIBA U18 European Championship 1998, Navarro carried the team to their only U19 World Cup crown in 1999 with 18.6 points per game. The guard would collect plenty more hardware before he was done, winning the FIBA Basketball World Cup 2006 as one of four World Cup appearances. Navarro competed at five Olympics, grabbing silvers in 2008 and 2012 and bronze in 2016.
He also played at seven FIBA EuroBaskets, taking the trophy in 2009 and 2011 - claiming MVP honors in 2011 - among his six podium finishes. Navarro played one season in the NBA among his more than 20 years in professional basketball, winning two european club competition titles with Barcelona.
11. Andrei Kirilenko, Russia, 1999
Kirilenko claimed Most Valuable Player honors for his dominating performance at the 1999 U19 World Cup, where Russia took sixth place as he collected 19.5 points, 9.5 rebounds, 3.1 assists and 2.8 steals. Kirilenko would join the Russian senior team the next summer for the 2000 Olympics - his first of three Olympics with him winning bronze in 2012.
Kirilenko also was named MVP in leading Russia to the FIBA EuroBasket 2007 crown, and he helped Russia finish third at the 2011 EuroBasket. Kirilenko joined the NBA at 18 and played 13 seasons, reaching the Western Conference Finals in 2007.
Disclaimer: This content is not an official ranking from FIBA. It is created solely to enhance the experience of the fans following the FIBA U19 Basketball World Cup 2025.
This content is updated from the series published in 2023.
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